“Did you hear about the lawsuit? Mary asked."No, what?""I hear that he is so big," she lifted her eyebrows to indicate what she meant, "that he put a girl in the hospital and she is suing him, because she can never have babies because of him.""Ewwwwwwwwwww!!!!" the sisters chorused."Could a guy really do that?" Lydia asked.Elizabeth shrugged. "I guess, but he would have to be the size of a friggin' oak tree.”

“did jesus have a baby sister? was she bitter?was she sweet?did she wind up in a convent? did she end up on the street? on the run?on the stage? did she dance? did he have a sister? a little baby sister? did jesus have a sister? did they give her a chance?did he have a baby sister? could she speak out by and large?or was she told by mother mary ask your brother he’s in charge he’s the whipped creamon the cakedid he have a sister? a little baby sister? did jesus have a sister? did they give her a break?her brother’s birth announcement was pretty big pretty bigi guess while she got precious little notice in the local press her mother was the virgin when she carried him carried him thereinif the little girl came later thenwas she conceived in sin? and in sorrow?and in shame? did jesus have a sister? what was her name?and did she long to be the savior saving everyone she met?and in private to her mirror did she whisper saviorette?saviorwoman?saviorperson?save your breath! did he have a sister? a little baby sister? did jesus have a sister? was she there at his death?and did she cry for mary’s comfort as she watched himon the cross? and was mary too despairing ask your brother he’s the bosshe’s the chief he’s the man he’s the show did he have a sister? a little baby sister? did jesus have a sister? doesn’t anyone know?”

“Ashamed of what she had thought, Rycca lowered her eyes. “I am sorry.”“For what? Assuming I took the stone by force? But that’s what Vikings do, isn’t it?”He sounded exasperated and she could not blame him. But neither was she prepared when he suddenly asked, “Why did you not want us to marry? Because I am Viking?”She had wondered if he would ask, then decided her reasons would likely mean nothing to him. But he was a man of surprises, this hero of her strange world. And very good at biding his time.“It is true, I did not wish to wed a Viking.”“Because of what you have heard about us?”

“She had told him that she loved him. He had known that, but hearing it in the traditional phrase had affected him in new and blinding ways.Ways that made him believe that he could do anything.Anything she needed or wanted him to do. Because her loving him meant so much more than him loving her.”

“I--" She swallowed, perhaps summoning her courage, then continued, "I would not lie to you and say that I did not want this.""Me," he cut in peevishly. "You wanted me."She closed her eyes. “Yes,” she finally said, “I wanted you.”Part of him wanted to interrupt again, to remind her that she still wanted him, that it wasn’t and would never be in the past.“But I can’t have you,” she said quietly, “and because of that, you can’t have me.”And then, to his complete astonishment, he asked, “What if I married you?”

“What started Baby Jesus growing in Mary's tummy was an angel zoomed down, like a ghost but a really cool one with feathers. Mary was all surprised, she said, "How can this be?" and then, "OK let it be." When Baby Jesus popped out of her vagina on Christmas she put him in a manger but not for the cows to chew, only to warm him up with their blowing because he was magic.”