We visited two road-side places without any luck and got to the third just about sunset. It looked familiar and as soon as we entered, I knew where I ...was. It was Laura's place, the luscious woman whose freedom I had won in a crooked card game. I still remembered the short time we spent in the blacksmith's loft and the loud and violent ending of that evening.The big woman was behind the bar, looking harried, her hair a mess, when I came in with the girl. "Two beers," I said and she drew them and. Impelled ashe was by Moriarty's strength, Holmes' backside landed hard onthe floor and he rolled into the adjoining room.Inordinately pleased with his ability to dominate Holmes in sucha satisfyingly physical manner, the still-laughing Moriartyfollowed intent on continuing the game, but stopped short themoment he realized where Holmes had led him. Professionalcuriosity replaced sadistic intent as the man Holmes had so oftencalled "one of the greatest scientific minds in history" began tostudy. Of course I'm only guessing about the motivation behind the AI's unwillingness to tell us about things. There remains the fact that for most of humanity we simply don't have the knowledge base to understand what we're being told by the AIs. I've asked to have yet more math stuffed into my head in an attempt to understand what I'm being told about hyperspace. But to be honest I get lost in most calculations that involve straight line acceleration. Understanding anything else may be a stretch. "Hello there," I said when I saw her name on the screen of my phone. Yes the super smart phone could do caller ID on anyone. I doubted that she was trying to hide her ID, but she might be. It wouldn't have mattered."Maxine, it's me Sylvia," she said."Well good morning, have you finished your thinking?" I asked."Yes, and I also spoke with Vlad and Anya, I hope you don't mind," she said."I don't mind at all and I appreciate you telling me right up front that you have. Honesty is the very best.