Prologue

Here comes an excellent candidate, Leander said.

!, ... She... just snorted.

Why not? he asked.

The rest crowded around to hear ... Her... explanation.

The 'excellent candidate' walked right through the group, stepping on several sets of toes and passing through Leander.

For all he looks like a prime suspect, he has no respect for the Gods, ... She... said, rustling ... Her... , toga? Dress? Uniform?

Since they were all dressed alike ... a white one piece pullover with a pleated skirt ... male, female and the odd Whatever ... the word uniform seemed to fit. They were, after all, the scientists of the ... hmmm ... parked on the dark side of the accompanying airless orb ... the term uniform seemed most appropriate.

This had been going on all day, the Gods ... apprentice, junior, probationer, and ... Ancient of Days... and the odd Whatever ... had been suggesting this one or that one ... even one whose aura was so strong he MUST have, at the very least, felt them. But no ... he was much more interested in the females of his species sunning themselves in scandalous attire ... if attire it could be called. There was so little covered that covered wasn't an appropriate or descriptive term.

This is an institute of higher learning? ... She... said. What do they teach? Sex? And since the Gods had invented sex ... and everything else ... the rest chuckled.

I think they are practicing, said the most junior of the junior apprentices.

What? scoffed Leander.

Preparations for the preservation of the species, said the odd Whatever. Gods or no Gods, sometimes the newly promoted forgot themselves. Leander, there is no reason to pick on the newly come. She's more right than she knows.

The most junior of the junior apprentices said, This is the display before the dance.

Dance? Oh. The mating. One does tend to forget, ... She... said. ... She... blushed.

Leander, determined to reinstate his superiority, looked over ... Her... shoulder, Well, here comes one who lost before she started.

The lost before she started, was a pitiful specimen of the species observed. Dressed all in flowing black; a black beaded belt giving a semblance of shape to an obviously slender form; the matching black beaded belt bag swinging in front of her treasure. Her hair, black as night, drew attention to her black nails, lips and startling green eyes. She was wending her way between the nearly naked; she was very careful to watch her footing.

Last fall ... before the warm days were gone ... she had trod on a blanket, upsetting a glass of ... something, it certainly wasn't tea ... Long Island, maybe ... and been soundly castigated for her misstep. It was only when the reviler had realized her top was still on her blanket and the boys were taking pictures that she squawked and covered.

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