" Interesting idea," I muttered skeptically, trying not to let mydisappointment show but not succeeding very well."Oh, personifying abstract ideas is ...nothing new to human kind," Jenningsquickly assured me."What do you mean?" I asked, wondering exactly where he was going.Jennings smiled again, the spark visible in his eyes once more. "Sincethe dawn of time, humans have had a tendency to personify abstract ideasor forces beyond their understanding. And often, this personificationspreads and. " As you've said."We watched Vryss for a moment, still muttering to himself as his invisible scalpels sliced deeper into the ambassador's mind."My Lord," Helena cleared her throat. "We need to interrogate Lady Preston." She hasn't been erased?" No." Why not?" I frowned at her. "I thought my instructions were clear." Quite clear, my Lord, but we can't afford the missed opportunity." There may be nothing there." If you erase her, there will certainly be nothing there." She's my daughter, I. After a long and probing talk, she accepted me into her order.For the next twenty years, your eminences, I spent my nights as SisterMary-Anne, the midnight angel. Along with other sisters of the order, Ifed the hungry, found shelter for the homeless, clothed the naked, andcomforted the despondent. I held girls of 13 and 14 in my arms as theytried to overcome the effects of excessive of alcohol or drugs, Imidwifed dozens of babies in dirty alleys or in the backrooms ofbrothels, and made sure. " I'm glad. Do you know why Mum is sad?" he asked."No. Did she say she was sad?" No. She just looks sad," he said, a worried frown on his face."Well, I'll find out. Don't you worry about it, Jack. I'll tickle her and make her happy, okay?"He smiled. "Yeah. Tickle her. She always laughs when I tickle her."Jess and Matt were home from school, both ensconced in their rooms. I greeted them both and gave them the short version of my surgery and then headed downstairs to where I thought Ali might be..