Chapter 50: Friday

"Seems funny without Will and Mary here. I ran the year-end grades, they're still on target. We've got a little time to relax. Anything important to talk about? How about you, Tom?"

"Anne, I called a swimming pool contractor. I told him what we have. He said he can't tell us a thing until we get the pool cleaned out and he can run some tests. He did say he's got a hydraulic lift we could use for a while to get the dirt out of there."

"What did you find out when you looked at the plumbing and stuff?" Alex wanted to know.

"The pipes look okay, but you never know. The pump and filter and heater are from another century, we'll have to replace them. Mostly we have some coolie work to do."

"Well," Saul said, "let's get the lift over here while we can and get started. When we're not digging, we can make another attack on the hedges."

"Damn things fight back," Heather muttered.

"What about the wall downstairs?"

"Saul, that can wait, at least until fall, maybe longer. Swimming pool first. If we can use it at all, we should get at it before the summer's gone."

"Alex, do you remember body transfers?" Heather asked.

"Isn't that one of those esoteric things? California?" Alex said sleepily.

"No. They were like tattoos. You put these papers on your skin, and a picture would peel off and stay there until you washed it off. Used to see them in candy stores and cheap toy stores. Saul, how can I find people who do those?"

"I think I know what you mean, Heather. Try the library. Thomas Register, something like that. Probably on the Internet, too."

"Good idea. I'll hit the library after my shift at the store."