New Bebbitch und de Bomb

Hy didn't schoot him. Vaz a near ting -- dot Bunny guy iz giffing uz merzenariez a bad name. Add in de demmage to zeveral friendz, including my seezter-in-law und Genie ... thoze anti-magik bombz are bad newz all 'roundt. But Hy schould schtart at de beginning ....

Haelga called for beck-op, und ve braved de lag-schtorm togedder, to guard de foul devize, dot vaz levt ofer from de bombing on Satyrday:

(It vaz pretty nivty, rilly -- if hyu could ignore de fact it vaz enemy ordnanze.)

There vaz an odd schmell about de ting -- und bezidez dot, it made me oncomfortibble vit it being zo near to de voting boothz. Voterz came und vent ... then ve notized armed pipplez congregating. Ve zent a call for de Baron, und he arrifed in goot time. Our group vaz guarding de Bomb, und anodder group -- vun made op of New Bebbitcherz, eager to defendt their zity -- vaz alzo conferging on it. Az ve vaz all brainschtorming togedder about how to remoof und dizpoze of de eefil devize, who schould appear but a Bunny-guy in univorm ... und he schmelled moch like de scent Hy had caught on de Bomb! Here he iz, guarded clozely by Haelga, und talking vit Herr Baron:

(Green bunny-guy in airschip univorm: pleazant, vell-schpoken, intelligent, und deadly.)

He vaz giffen de choize, und opted qvite vizely to come vit uz to de New Bebbitch Conzulate Offize. There he vaz reunited vit hiz pilot, who had been keptured during de bombing. Herr Clockvinder Tenk came by, und there vaz negotiationz. Az zumvun pointed out, ve vaz dealing vit Airschip Piratez, zo Hy made my vay to de roof, jammed a hendy bit of looze tile into de schinglez, und schtood on guard, vatching de heavenz:

(There'z juzt too many airschipz in de schkiez of New Bebbitch. Dot'z me on de peak, vit my beck to de flegpole.)

Hy haff been reminded dot ve iz a peazeful mission from Europa to de Schteamlendz; Hy zay ve need to be able to defend de Conzulate buildingz against atteckz. (Und if there'z rain, Hy hope it dun leak into de lightning tubez, from my leetle adjuztmentz to de roof ....)

Come floating up from the abyss of years ...

I somehow find myself, after all these years, married.

Me. The runaway barmaid who disguised herself as a man to avoid belonging to one man, one place, one bed. The career soldier: sergeant once, busted back to private, then climbing to sergeant again. The woman of extraordinary appetites, run out of at least one country for seducing a prince - and if I don't admit to others, they may not catch me.

Old and forever young - that's one gift of the 'brau. Strength, health, and stamina are others. So sex is a game that I enjoy playing, in ways undreamed-of by the girl I once was.

That Friday night, I checked out a dance at an intriguing new venue - giant gears, molten metal beneath a thick crystal floor, shifting light, heat, moving bodies. When one woman walked away from her dance partner for a few moments, I boldly took her place, smiling a hunter's smile into his eyes. And he smiled back ....

His appeal was that he was unfamiliar to me; his attraction lay in the fact that he was male, and I wanted to scratch an ancient itch. His face was one I could lose in a crowd, and I intended to do just that the next morning.

We went to his place, and ... how do I describe what happened next?

Physically, the sex was good. He was skilled and attentive, giving every impression of preferring my pleasure to his own. The first time was delicious, like he could tell what I needed and when. I felt like I was flying.

The second time ... that was when it happened. Something I had never felt before: terrifying, intriguing, intoxicating; like all the laughter I've ever felt; like standing in a volcano unharmed. Somewhere in between my heart and soul and mind, I heard him speak, knew his essence, felt connected and grounded and buoyant and bound-yet-truly-free.

And the idiot thought I was upset with him, where I was upset that he wasn't explaining this wondrous new thing to me. Don't give me a taste of this paradise and even hint at taking it away, my new and amazing love! Don't you understand? In all my years, sleeping my way across Europa, this is what I was looking for! Only I hadn't known ....

Tezting, tezting, vun, two t'ree, four ....