And it's my neck that's on the block for it, I wanted to shoot back. But I'd already decided to let her win this one. If she wanted to put her shapely body at risk, so be it. I wasn't responsible for her safety. On the other hand, if tonight's phone call was intended to lead Jocasta into a trap-which I figured was close to a certainty-then our surprise party was a reversal of that trap, and it made sense to bring along an extra body and an extra gun. So, "Okay, omae," I told her. "You're coming. Where do I pick you up?"