1694

"Christopher", says my brother-in-law in that restrained, perplexed, exasperated, annoyed and scolding tone of his that I already have known all too well, "Whatever possessed you to tell all that to your case manager on the phone just now." "can you believe that it all just slipped out." "oh, come on", he says. "The devil made you do it." I did feel a certain gratification of mischief while confusing the hell out of Lawrence just now, but why should I be forced to admit it? But I had might as well. "A little gremlin must have taken hold of me." "Yes, Christopher, and I already know that gremlin of yours all too well." He is rolling his eyes and now diverting his attention to his coffee, clearly his signal that the subject is now closed. "Of course", says Carl, with that gleam in his eye I am already becoming too familiar with, "We could always just drop you there and let you fend for yourself.." "Which", says Stella, "Is something we are not even going to think of doing to you. Isn't that right Caspar." But Caspar appears to be done with talking for a while, as he holds in both his very young looking hands like the Sacred Chalice the glass of cold water that Carl gave him... Caspar turns to Carl and says in a soft low voice, "Thank you for the water." Stella stares at caspar, her eyes widened with shock. "Caspar. Did you actually thank Carl." He nods. And now the woman at the other table, she is wearing square dark rim glasses and has long straight bleach blonde hair and bangs, gets up and approaches our table. Before Stella can intervene, Caspar's face has already lit up with fear and disgust and screams at her, "Get out!". The woman hesitates. Then tries to advance nearer. "Do as he says", thunders Stella. "Zena, you are not welcome here." Zena reaches forth her left hand and mutters something, perhaps an imprecation in an unknown tongue, then turns and leaves the café.