..”“I see...” he said. He was still smiling, at least. “This dinner, though expensive, is now over. How long will your company last, if you fo...llow me to my room?”“Until tomorrow morning...” she said. “Eightish.”“I see...” he appeared thoughtful. At last he said, “May I inquire ... how expensive?”She was silent for a moment. Well, she thought, go for it. Everything is negotiable.“An even thousand,” she said. He nodded slowly.“I see,” he said. He was silent after that. She finished her tea, and. As a matter of fact, that is why I'm calling you. I wanted to check out some of the things he said and to see if this man really was my father."Steve then read the address John Stone had given him and asked his aunt if that was his father's address. She confirmed that it was.They continued talking for another hour, beginning to catch up on twenty five years of lost contact. They agreed that Steve should meet his father at his aunt's house, but that Steve would have to make arrangements through. “I don’t suppose you know any good walking songs Miss?” Dum asked.Before Alice could reply, Dee announced that he knew several, one of which he began singing (or perhaps bellowing was a better way to describe it), Dum joining in with his own bellow.“I once took a wanderWalking over yonderBefore I’d gone hither and yonI found my two feetUpon a strange streetWalking from twilight to dawnOh walking we go to get where we ain’tBut never to get where we isSitting is fine for a man with no caresBut. "I really should spend Christmas with Erin's folks," I told Odalys. "But I can head north a few days later, and ring in the New Year with you guys." We'll have a quiet celebration," she laughed. "We promise not to drag you over to Times Square with the rest of the party animals." It's a deal," was my earnest reply. The next day, I cleared my schedule for a few days on either side of New Year's, let my bosses know of my plans, and made the flight reservations.It was just as I'd anticipated..