"I have to dress." I told him."Just tell me one thing." What?" A certain fear returned to me. His hateful mask of yesterday hung between us."What did ...you do to mother last night?" That's none of your business." I forced myself to say. What I really wanted was to hug my brother, like I used to when I couldn't be strong.He stood up, and I backed away. "Tell me!" I saw his fist clench. "Lynn said that she was yelling and groaning, and you were with her. She heard you shouting too. What did you. That seemed to provethat I would become more and more like her over time.All the more reason to finish of this favour and get back into my ownshape again; put this behind me with a shiver of relief.I took the bus home to Pam?s flat, wishing I could instead go back to myown far nicer house. No such luck. And truth be told, I was lookingforward to getting back in there. It did felt like home to me now.Rose?s house, in my memory, seemed like? somebody?s else?s place. It wasweird. And. As the deflected asteroid crossed the sky, it glowed defiantly in theupper reaches of the atmosphere, while at the same time, the whole earthbelow the interstellar visitor was bathed in an iridescent yellow-whiteradiance. 2004 MN4 passed beyond earthbound observer's view in less than twominutes, only to cross the remainder of the United States and easternCanada and then head off across the Atlantic towards a panic filledEurope. Ten seconds after MN4 crossed the eastern horizon the pressure wave. Sandraattached a black collar around his neck. To it another slender chain was pulledtaught-its other end hooked onto the tiny ring piercing just below the cockhead. Those seated and standing oohed and aahed. "Time to ride. Who wants to join me?" Gloria, herbrunette hair swinging, muscled the others out of the way and straddled theslave's slick back just behind where Sandra sat. "For good measure I waddedcotton in his ears before I put on the helmet. His only sense is his mouthand tongue and.