”Joan said, “If any of those plans fall through, I’d be glad to help. I’ve worked up to the point where I can pretty much set my own hours. I ...assume that during normal work hours Taylor and Maddy are on duty.”“They are. The two of them are also working on a curriculum for all the kiddies to go through to accelerate their little learning processes. All of the two-year olds now understand the alphabet, can read a few simple words, and have mastered the concept of numbers one through ten.” He. ’ ‘We told you he was a bastard,’ Mo suddenly said. ‘So you were protecting George from me?’ Martha asked. ‘I would not have put it that way but I guess that is right. I was protecting Mai too, and his children, and you,’ Wendy said. The sisters were silent for a while and during the silence they re-filled their glasses. Mo broke the silence by saying, ‘He is an empty-nester now and so are you. Don’t fuck it up.’ She elicited smiles from her sisters with that remark and soon after they exited. He wasn’t surprised to see her. Maybe he hadn’t expected her to come slithering out of a secret passage in the wall, but he had expected her aid. He had seduced her. He and Lasla had worked their lusts on the naga, corrupting her.“The empress wants your moon maiden,” continued Zianamilizzi. “When you die in the arena, she’ll take her. Take all of the exotic members of your harem.”“I won’t die,” Kurtis said, his voice firm. Confident. Diane pressed behind Kurtis, the graceful beauty trembling.. " No kidding. Where you from?" Washington DC. Well, near it, anyhow." VA or MD?"He laughed. "VA. Centreville. It's in the middle of nothing."I nodded. "Yeah, right between Fairfax and Prince William." You know it? Where are you from?" Fairfax." No kidding!" He sat quietly for a minute. Then sighed. "Man, I gotta get home!"I laughed. "You'll manage."He glanced around again. "Um, tonight. I'm off shift now and tomorrow's my day off, so I was wondering, would you guys mind if I sort of, you know,.