4
" Hermes smiled. " I knew a boy once ... oh, younger than you by far. A mere baby, really." Hermes ignored them. " One night, when this boy's mother wasn't watching, he sneaked out of their cave and stole some cattle that belonged to Apollo." " Did he get blasted to tiny pieces?" I asked." Hmm ... no. Actually, everything turned out quite well. To make up for his theft, the boy gave Apollo an instrument he'd invented-a lyre. Apollo was so enchanted with the music that he forgot all about being angry." So what's the moral?" " The moral?" Hermes asked. " Goodness, you act like it's a fable. It's a true story. Does truth have a moral?" " Um ..." " How about this: stealing is not always bad?" " I don't think my mom would like that moral." , suggested George. Martha demanded.." I've got it," Hermes said. " Young people don't always do what they're told, but if they can pull it off and do something wonderful, sometimes they escape punishment. How's that? "
5
" But with dogs, we do have " bad dog." Bad dog exists. " Bad dog! Bad dog! Stole a biscuit, bad dog!" The dog is saying, " Who are you to judge me? You human beings who’ve had genocide, war against people of different creeds, colors, religions, and I stole a biscuit?! Is that a crime? People of the world!" " Well, if you put it that way, I think you’ve got a point. Have another biscuit, sorry. "
14
" You really shouldn’t have come,” Lord Blackthorne said, his hand slipping across my faceto cup my jaw, fingers brushing my cheek. I shrieked, shrinking back and kicking at my captorwith stocking-covered feet. “Such a pretty child, in such an ugly place. Tell me, do you thinkyour dear husband would mind if I stole a kiss from the bride?”Kicking him in the shin, I spun, making him release me. I climbed off whatever I’d landedon, aiming my palms out and wishing that I could see what the heck was happening. Flamesfrom dozens of candles blinked at me as they lit with the power of my mind. Lord Blackthornetouched my shoulder, his other hand curving around the bodice of my gown, toying with thebeading along the neckline. "