After much of the food was down her throat, and she'd had time to consider her answer, Grisha said, "I've been giving it a lot of thought. I know when you asked last week that I may have seemed reluctant, but it wasn't anything to do with us. I just needed to get used to the idea that you were proposing to me."

"I would have liked a more lengthy courtship period, but I'm afraid circumstances have made time our enemy," Nester said.

"I understand, and I respect your traditional beliefs on the matter of companionship. I, myself, have yet to share a bed with a male, which obviously puts me at risk of developing scale-rot. I've just never considered the idea of matrimony before."

"If it makes you feel any better, I would be asking you to marry me, regardless of my physical condition. You are the only woman I've ever met who truly understands me, or even cares to listen to my mad ramblings. Grisha Hann, will you bond with me?" Nester asked, holding her hands.

"Yes, Nester, I will commit myself to you, body and soul," Grisha replied, fighting off her reluctance and lingering doubts. "Of course, it will have to be an Orthodox wedding. We'll need to schedule a time in a Temple of the Second Order, hire a band and catering service, and I'll need to get sanctified approval from my family matron. Picking out the dress, alone, will no doubt take an entire week."

Nester laughed heartily, which was unusual for him. Grisha had that rare ability to bring out his lighter side with her flamboyant cynicism.

"On second thought, let's just find a Sanctifier Clerk this afternoon and be done with it," Grisha said with more sincerity.

"Nothing could make me happier," Nester replied, bowing his head in a sign of affection.

Concluding their meal with relative haste, Nester and Grisha hurried to the nearest certified Temple of the "One True God," in which a Sanctifier Clerk filled out a form and witnessed their confession of commitment to each other, following which he pronounced them "bonded; body, mind, and soul."

Walking down the short ramp leading from the temple, Grisha mentioned, "You do realize we'll be staying at my place. You can't expect us to share that hovel of yours."

"Hey, I own that hovel. You're just renting an apartment."

"My apartment is twice the size of that shack you call a home, and since it's only a rental we can always move into something better. I suppose if you sold your place, and I pulled out all my savings, we could afford a real house, but why don't we think about that after the honeymoon. In the meantime, my apartment is paid up until the end of next month."

"All right, let's just stop at my place so I can pick up a few things," Nester said.

They both walked the two miles to Nester's house, each basking in the beauty of a sunny day, which had suddenly become more monumental than either had originally intended.

Turning a corner a few hundred feet from Nester's abode, they caught the first glimpse of its front door, and immediately noticed the figure standing there, pounding a fist against the wooden portal. They hurried their pace to find out what the figure wanted.

As the footsteps of the approaching Nester and Grisha echoed against the walls of the nearby homes, the figure at the door turned to face them, freezing the two in their tracks.

"Who is it?" Grisha asked, as they came to a stop.

"It's Grior Hissar," Nester said, stunned to see his friend here and now.

Hissar walked over to them with obvious difficulty. He limped in a rushed fashion, almost stumbling over bumps in the lawn as he approached. He had several scabs on his forehead and arms from recent wounds, and his face appeared strained and exhausted, as if he hadn't slept in days.

Reaching Nester, Hissar grabbed onto his shoulders for support, gasping for air. It didn't take him long to muster the strength to speak.

"They're coming, Nester. They're coming!" Hissar said.

"Who is?" Grisha asked, a little flustered by the man's disheveled appearance and demeanor.

"Aliens. They're going to enslave us all!" Hissar said, still fighting to catch his breath.

"You mean Sophia's people?" Nester asked.