Got enough in me for at least one more:

  "Chris, why do you show up whenever I'm getting shot
at?"

Chris: Makes you less likely to refuse me.

  "They aren't really tyrants, you know." I said.

know,

  The two of us ran up the subway tunnel to where the rest of
the gang was climbing into a van parked outside the tunnel we
were in. Somehow we fit ten people inside, with a healthy eighty
percent still alive.

Heh

  She smiled even more and said, "Yes."

  "Then my next question may seem a little blas�, but-"

  "Why am I sitting here?"

Heh. I was wondering that too. I'm sure she gets it all the time. I don't
think I'd have asked, though, since I'm sure she has her reasons.

  "A little, Mr. Screw. There is an elevator on
the other side of the stone ship behind me. Take it all the way up,
and when it stops, take the stairs. When you can't go any higher
without climbing on the roof, exit through a pair of wooden double
doors. The Cabal has been assembled and is expecting you."

How ominous.

  I raised an eyebrow at her, and she sat down again on the
rim of the fountain. But before she did I took her hand and kissed
her little finger.

  "Don't lose sight of the nature of the beast either," I said to
her.

Cute

  At first Chris did not even acknowledge me. He sat to one
side and listened inattentively while white haired

white-haired

  When the direction of conversation swung his way, Chris
stood up seriously. "The procedure tonight became much more
complicated than we had calculated," he started. "Hand-men of the
Taurs tried to get to Weirham first, as we knew, but they eluded us
back at the Plaza. I left Stitch in charge of the reconnaissance and
protection, and he did his job well. Still, we tried to cut off
Weirham's car as they chased it south on the Turnpike, but a
second group ambushed us near the exit ramp to West Main Street.
Again Stitch dealt with them.

Stitch sounds resourceful.

 >   The women looked at each other. "What would you say is

the likelihood of public reprisal?" the same one asked.
"Reprisal is certain. The procedure concluded itself on a
subway train, full

drop this comma

Chris said. "He (pointing to Weirham) is ready to talk if we give
him some sort of asylum from the Taurs. Screw will also tell you
what you need to know. They are both under my watch and
protection, so don't even think about surgery."

Hmm. Interesting that he has to mention this to what appear to be allies.

  My jaw dropped and I stood up. But the white haired

white-haired

  He took Weirham by the shoulder and led him out the
doors we had entered. They shut behind him, and I turned around
again. The women of the Cabal were watching me and it looked
like I was going to have to sit through another long meeting. I
became even sleepier and my vision shimmered.

Wonder if they are doing that to him.

  It was Alethea. She opened her eyes, and saw me staring
down at her with a look of shock and spilling relief. She was still
cradled with sleep, but reached up to touch my face with her hand,
then changed her mind. I saw then that she was mostly disrobed,
except for a pair of white knee socks.

Yep. That's mostly disrobed, all right.

  I kissed her hard, and told her I would never hurt her again.

Heh. that's a lie. We always hurt the ones we love because loving makes us
far more susceptible to pain. That's why some people avoid the feeling as
much as they can. Intentionally making yourself vulnerable to someone is
always a risky prospect.

We talked when it was necessary, and shut everything else out the
rest of the morning. This time, though, it was more than that. There
are times when all the talk and communication cannot say as much
as a touch or a brush of the cheek can.

So true.

  I had suffered my share of depression, usually caused by
arrant boredom and supposed helplessness. I was at the place in my
life where my happiness was always within sight, but beyond
reach. It was a constant state of mediocrity that made my heart
yearn for more, and not notice the things I did have. I was racing
again, but I was suddenly unable to compete with others. I had
found the girl I so desperately needed right now, yet was made to
fear for my life and hers every minute. Fear makes you objectify
things and that was the last thing I needed more of. It made me so
frustrated, and it is in frustration that all manner of radical acts are
done.

Nice passage again.

  In my past I lacked a basic element that tied depression to
physical acts of self hatred.

self-hatred (I think)

 From what I remembered, faith had

been rewarded before, and this was something I did not disregard.
Using perception to predict my future is a faulty way of doing
things. Nature always throws a wrench in the gears, and it was this
openness of possibility, this freedom and randomness that kept me
hanging on to the crude sketch of a happy ending. Maybe it was
just my stubborn side, but I never wanted to give up when the goal
was just a little farther. Sometimes having to reduce my thought

thoughts

  "But they know what they are getting into! You want to
save their lives, tell them not to go at all. If they don't listen, its

it's

  Her shoulders dropped and she looked at the ceiling. "Why
does this always happens to me?"

Author's perogative. :)

  "Nothing's gonna happen to you. Or me. When I finally get
time to go on my vacation next month,

Mine is in two weeks. I can't wait. Maybe I'll even get a chance to write.

  That pink lower lip.

  Somehow, I would never get far enough. No matter how
much we both wanted it.

  I had to speak, to show how much I meant it. Pain is love, a
wise man said.

Another wise man once said that sometimes pain is just pain. I think he was
the wiser of the two. :)

And things move on. Excellent work. It's improving as you go on. Nice
series.

D.B. Sommer




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