I enjoyed your company very much." She reached up and touched my cheek and said, "I never kiss on the first date and rarely on the second, but in your... case I might make an exception to the second date rule. Call me" and then she went into her apartment, closed the door and left me standing there feeling like I had just won the lottery.I did call and I did get kissed on the second date and the second date led to a third, fourth and fifth. The kisses got hotter and lasted longer. I'd never gone. At midweek, Denny, as duty person had been precipitously awakened by an alarm. In a daze he focused on the flashing red light on the outline for the "Trader" on the alarm board. Denny had given the Flock a laugh when he regaled them with his consternation on seeing the full outline of the vessel. The AI's repetitious announcement of "Port Side Passenger" broke into his consciousness and he had toggled to the hull view. He saw a suited figure hanging onto the grip by the No 5 hatch holding up. One hour, seven minutes and twenty five seconds from... Mark!... 'Closing his eyes, Rand looked out past Skryben's hull, savoring the expanses of scattered stars. Already, in one direction, they seemed thinner, giving way to the empty space between clusters. As always, the comforting vista of Mother Galaxy formed a near solid backdrop to his vision. From somewhere within Her all embracing arms, Humanity had fled to the Imperial Cluster. The cluster had taken them in, refugees from some long. It had been a day to remember so far, at one time his worldhad been crashing around his ears- with visions of jail terms and publicridicule. Now he was looking at his attractive neighbour teasing and playingwith his new slave, while she was tied tightly to a tree. He moved closer to the two women, one of them locked inpassionate embrace, the other doing her best to break free and not be turnedon. Kneeling in front of Janet, he undid the wrap skirt and pulled it away.Deciding the sacrifice was.