“This should be perfect,” Nils told Jamie. “Our balcony overlooks the Mardi Gras parade route. We’ll have a bird’s eye view of all the pageantry.”

“By pageantry you mean the countless bare-breasted beauties perched on the floats,” Jamie said.

“They’ll be wearing beads and stuff,” Nils said. “I’ve bought something for you to wear, too.”

“Those aren’t beads, those are leis,” Jamie pointed out.

“Because your breasts deserve something special,” Nils said.

“Flattery might get you laid,” Jamie said. “But not out here on the balcony.”

“It’ll be dark,” Nils said. “And from the ground no one will be able to see.”

“You sure of that?” Jamie asked.

“I’ll go down and check,” Nils said.

From the ground Nils called up, “Take it off, take it all off.”

Jamie flung the leis over the rail.

A few minutes later Nils returned to report that if they crouched down they’d be all but invisible.

“But we couldn’t see anything with all this bunting,” Jamie observed.

Nils took down the decorations.

Jamie crouched down.

Jack Harvey Jackson figured the Mardi gras parade would be a good test for his senior science project. So far he hadn’t flown his homemade drone much beyond his backyard, but it was time for Jack Harvey Junior to earn his wings—he’d scope out the parade route so he’d be ready for Fat Tuesday.

Junior’s flight pattern, as it turned out, didn’t encompass the entire route, but the results of his foray were fully satisfactory. Jack Harvey enjoyed Junior’s video until he was too sore for another go.