When she came back,she carried two bottles and a glass. One of the bottles was apple brandy,the other ginger ale. Pouring three fingers of brandy into... the glass and topping it off with the ginger ale Gran told me to "Down the whole thing,Baby. Don't take a breath till you're done." I did. Gran then poured one for herself,minus the ginger ale.About fifteen minutes later,she gave me another one and asked if I was feeling any braver. "Kind of." I sniffled. "I feel a little dizzy,too." "Good! It's. ." Damn it, no!" snapped the irate Cubbings, "that's the point-- the bastards are all as important as hell, they have to be invited to this damned bullroar months in advance." You mean that these guests were chosen before I was even hired?" Could it be any other way?" Cubbings rubbed his forehead despondently with the back of his sweating hand. "The bastard gambles on everything. Why, we'd begun advertising this little machine long before it was even off the fucking drawing boards."Lenny. "What ya reading?" One of Sal's books." Her bedtime reading? What do teenage girls read in bed? Is it a bit fruity?" It's about time travel." Time travel? Where you go in a machine, with lots of buttons and flashing lights... ?" An old-fashioned police phone box that's much bigger inside than outside?" Yes." No. It's someone who just finds himself in the past. Just an ordinary person." A bit like me, really."What happens to him?" Nothing much. I think he's going to fall in love." Typical! Sally. "There are bets, you know, how long it will take for you to ask for a different partner." I don't think I will. She's really good. I won't have to drag her along like I had to with Chuck." Chuck Edwards had been his lab partner during junior year."She's pretty," Tess observed. "At least she could be if she tried." Must be hard for her, you know. I bet some of the snots are giving her a hard time. You know, living with a lesbian mother..." And looking like a Grade A nerd," Tess laughed."And.