There was shrimp and grits, blackened chicken, paella festooned with mussels and clams, Southern fried chicken, a dish with chickpeas and ham I never ...caught the name of, flank steak in a mushroom and brandy sauce, deep-fried catfish, and pulled pork.She had pinto beans cooked with a ham hock, collards, corn on the cob roasted on a grill, green beans, tiny potatoes that were microwaved and then deep-fried, potato salad, coleslaw, some kind of layered salad, heirloom tomatoes she had chopped into. "I doubt it," Alex replied, feeling confident in his interpretation of events. "They wouldn't have released the information if the story hadn't already been approved, and I doubt they'd have done that if it wasn't already put to bed. No, we should be OK until others have a chance to respond to it. The fact the reporter didn't try to contact me indicates they don't know who I am or how to find me." OK, I'll take your word for it. But if things start to go wrong, give me an alert and I'll get you. "You also know how much you'll have if you call it quits and go home." He shook his head. "None of you wants to give all this up. Hell! You've got anything you want." Everything but dignity!" Ralph grated, avoiding Ted's eyes."OK," the youth retorted. So you're still on that old- fashioned morality kick. Is it worth a third-interest in this estate?"Ralph's head snapped up and his mouth opened, his lips working for a moment before the words tumbled out. "What the hell are you talking about?". Thus, it must be the son of God sent to make sure those evil overseers—us—continue to ship food and clothing and trinkets to them. The fact that the Watcher disappears for anywhere from one to three local hours in the early parts of each morning—this is when the planet is blocking the sunlight from reaching Homeport Topside—just adds to its theistic qualities. The homers think these disappearances are the Watcher sleeping, but of course if we overseers try to make a move while the Watcher is.