"I think I found what I'm looking for. I've been trying to find a bridal gown." It is nearly perfect. My daughter wore it for her wedding and decided ...to sell it rather than having it heirloomed. Are you going to surprise your fianc??" No, it's for me. What size is it?" For you? Well, that's certainly unusual," she said, a little flustered. "It's a size 16." Do you think it would fit me?" I asked."I don't know. You're a man. Can I ask why you might want to buy a wedding dress?" I just like to. “OK, OK, whatever she wants, it's hers, now can we please finish what we started before all of this?” “But you don’t even know what it is yet, how can you agree?” Maybe I should have listened to her then, but if I had, I wouldn’t be writing you this in the first place, and what fun would that be? “I don’t care what it is.” I said, sighing heavily at my frustration. “Are you sure?” She said, making a sweet sound with her voice that I don’t think anyone can duplicate. “Yes. Finally, a ship's bell rang. Everyone took a seat, some on the box benches and others on the platform edges facing Benni.Benni thanked everyone for coming. He introduced Qi as a contractor from Earth of the Shadowlands Family, which brought long considered murmurs of "hmm." Qi could not decide if their thoughts were in his favor.Benni then announced that all of the known Families were represented in the room. Six Families had disappeared since they had last counted a decade ago, either. If it had waited until he had been strapped down, he would be dead, though — at least it would have been a clean death; now he would die a bit at a time, and in agony."Better get your mind off that. Whining won't do any good," he subvocalized.He didn't know whether any of the other scouts — not that there were that many — talked to themselves, but he figured he was the best conversationalist within light-years, so why shouldn't he talk to himself. Of course, he was the only conversationalist.