two days passed with little excitement . a promise he had n't wanted to make . carol leaned forward into the front seat . maybe she did need to lower her standards . what she 'd eaten the night before had ended up feeding the fish . we cut across and take a smaller road , on the level . i can feel the warmth on my skin , but my shields are still 97 % . do you want me to back off ? '' then he kicks the door closed . 