David, her new master, gave a snort of laughter. It was answer enough, though not exactly a polite response to Anissa asking if he were married. After his outburst, he shook his head with a somewhat hangdog expression. "Look around. Do you see any signs of a feminine touch?"

"No." She began to understand his humor

"Very good. No wife. No kids. I don't even have a dog."

He opened a closet and pulled out a large sack sewn of some material so shiny she could see no ...