In fury, Isenberry reached for her blaster. Eve rose on her t _ _ _ to leap. And the lights flashed on, blinding them both. [4 Letters T _ _ _ ]

(a)  

The child was about to turn back, as her m _ _ _ _ r had told her to, when she saw the flash of metal in the sky-a sudden silver gleam, as if a new star had come to life, outshining all the others. [6 Letters M _ _ _ _ _ R]

(a)  

Decker was less interested in the economic challenges of the coming automation revolution than in the exact details of Frank Mitchell's last few m _ _ _ _ _ s alive. [7 Letters M _ _ _ _ _ S]

(a)  

Why couldn't her life just be normal, like this? When the burly man with the big smile and warm eyes came to the door wearing a clerical c _ _ _ _ r, tears streamed down her face in earnest. [6 Letters C _ _ _ _ _ R]

(a)  

"We're not telling all of them everything. But State has been feeling them out about military a _ _ _ _ _ s. We think they'll all approve in the end. Nobody wants to see nukes going off, especially in their own neighborhood. [7 Letters A _ _ _ _ _ S]

(a)  

The business-class cabin is full of aides, assistants, secretaries, publicists, and s _ _ _ _ _ _ y personnel. First class is supposedly reserved exclusively for the delegates. [8 Letters S _ _ _ _ _ Y]

(a)  

"Of course not." Rachel took a l _ _ _ at the bulging shopping bags in Bess's hands. "Been busy?" [4 Letters L _ _ _ ]

(a)  

"You n _ _ _ to learn to be sensitive to other people, Toolie," said Marshall. "Thank heaven you don't lead this company, the way you do what you like without a thought for your brother's feelings. You just run roughshod over people, Toolie." [4 Letters N _ _ _ ]

(a)  

I continued up the stairs, my mind a tired muddle of blood-spattered corpses, savage beasts, angry ex-apprentices, and sultry, dark eyes. There are times when my work is hard on my l _ _ _ life. But one thing I'm not is a boring date. [4 Letters L _ _ _ ]

(a)  

he could draw every god-awful thing in the world - and some out of it. Anyway, in this story this woman drowned her husband, see? Put c _ _ _ _ t blocks on his feet and dropped him into a quarry. Only he came back. [6 Letters C _ _ _ _ _ T]

(a)  

"It's the first one I've signed in my hometown." She took a deep b _ _ _ _ h. "This is a beautiful place. You must work very hard." [6 Letters B _ _ _ _ _ H]

(a)  

"You don't think I be wondering about that myself? I'll tell you what I guess. And this just a g _ _ _ s, Mr. Lark. It be the folks who most need a home that gets stuck in a strong house. [5 Letters G _ _ _ _ _ S]

(a)  

Then he climbed inside through the window, thrusting aside the drapes, knocking over a pedestal and a vase, blundering as though he had never been in the Laputa h _ _ _ e before. [5 Letters H _ _ _ _ _ E]

(a)  

He remembered every detail of their very first m _ _ _ _ _ g. Fresh out of college, she had bounded into his life with the enthusiasm of a newly minted missionary, ready to take on the world. [7 Letters M _ _ _ _ _ G]

(a)  

"I'm just saying that pure self-interest could have brought me here. You have no r _ _ _ _ n to trust me. I deceived you all. You thought I was one of you, and I betrayed you. You can never forget that. [6 Letters R _ _ _ _ _ N]

(a)  

"We're pursuing all leads and angles." She hesitated a moment. He wasn't in this, she thought. And if he was, he already knew. "There are enough similarities that I believe the same p _ _ _ _ n or persons are involved." [6 Letters P _ _ _ _ _ N]

(a)  

"And all along the way, Graff will communicate with me constantly by ansible, so that everything he does will be done with my counsel and approval. Thus, through Graff, I am taking c _ _ _ _ _ d of the search for our war leader now. [7 Letters C _ _ _ _ _ D]

(a)  

"I've got a c _ _ _ _ t dinner tomorrow," Del told her, "then poker night. Why don't you think about what you'd like to do, where you'd like to go when we go out next time." [6 Letters C _ _ _ _ _ T]

(a)  

"Who's powerless, particularly. What Dennis said about evil is absolute truth to my mind. We've both seen p _ _ _ _ y of it, but when it's a child, it's magnified. [6 Letters P _ _ _ _ _ Y]

(a)