Jilly went crazy over them, finishing off all the Oprah Book Club recommendations I had in the next few weeks. Despite her "dumb" persona, it was evid...ent the girl could read well enough. That or those books really were written at the fifth grade level, as that Time article had suggested.Soon, however, she wanted more non-fiction, and if there's one thing my bookshelves lack it's the tedium of non-fiction. I gave Jilly what I had, but it wasn't much: some information on AIDS, abortion, and. ’”Josh smiled. “Asia, am I too old for you now, I am 20.”“Old man.” I guess I can make an exception. Keys are in the car, you drive.”“You sure I can handle it?”“If you can handle me, you can handle my ride.”Leaving the parking lot Josh chirped the tires, not used to the HP.Asia laughed. “Let’s take her out to County Line Road, you can do more than chirp the tires.”This beast has been upgraded. Pulling 400 HP now.Weaving their way through traffic they headed out of town toward deserted. My first one was Owen Krebs, 14.I knew Owen as always at the head of the potluck line, hardly a sin, though some older members might think so. You could hear him actually singing in youth chorus, not just mouthing, so that was a plus. As tall as me, but that didn’t prove much. All in all, a junior Methodist.“This’ll just take a moment, Owen,” I assured him. “Anything worse than the flu since last year?”“No Ma’am.”“Now for the Straw Man test,” my otoscope in his ear. A bit of levity alleviates. And why Zax's voice was shaky, was because of the anticipation to his Master's reaction.Kartius slowed his pace, affecting Zax's also. They ran shoulder to shoulder, with respect to the difference in their sizes, in a similar speed to that of a level D Earth's Core Holder."That bored girl..." Kartius murmured, but his voice sounded as if he was to blame. "Martial son, Laivien is Martial father's twin little sister and big brother's spouse". Kartius spoke in a straightforward tone.Zax nearly.