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The Brother Rhage’s shellan, Mary, was sitting at the computer, her head down, her eyes trained on the screen As if sensing his presence, she looked up and waved for him to come in

Run, Forrest…run! was all he could think of as he pushed his way inside

"Hey" She got to her feet "How are you?"

"I’reat Thanks"

"Good You ready to have a little chat?"

As far as he knew, Mary was a huin had interceded and, for some reason, taken the female out of the continuum of time He didn’t know much el or a deity or whatever she was And she was very different froe She was small, especially co beauty, her brown hair cut practically, her face always free of makeup, her clothes simple, functional The only jewelry he’d ever noticed on her--not that he paid old Rolex, which had to have belonged to herboth tonight

Bottom line, she was just what you’d think a shrink would be like: calet this over with," he muttered as he went to take a seat in the chair across from her

"Oh, not here"

He looked around at the office "Why not?"

"It’s not private"

"I don’t have anything to hide," he said dryly "If that were the case, I would have stopped streaking at huo"

"Where?"

Mary caation roo file to anyone what you say It’s just that if we’re in there, no one will interrupt us"

"Wait, if you won’t tell anybody anything, why are we doing this?"

"I’ll bespecific details"

"About whether or not I’o this way"

As she so into any further detail

Whatever, he thought This was all just a formality before they kicked hied "FYI, you can tell the world as far as I’m concerned Ithe program So we could save a lot of time and just have you check that box on the form"

She stopped and looked up at hi me to leave? Come on, we both know that’s where we are And it’s fine"

"Do you not like what you’re doing here?"

The question was not phrased in an offensive way, as if she were criticizing hi It was more an invitation to talk

He should be ready for a lot of that tone froht

"No, it’s fine Whatever happens, happens"

After sheside by side As they went along, only one set of footfalls, his, echoed around Mary glanced down at his feet