I gave Maureen a special hug before I left to carry out my orders. I knew what the Hillbilly was doing: rigging it so that she could have a quiet hour in which to get acquainted with Maureen. I didn't resent it; I would have rigged it for me had I been able.

I curved down the corridor, whistled for Lib to let me in, stopped dead and whistled another sort of whistle. She was dressed, if "dressed" is the word. "Wheeeewhoo!"

"Like it?"

"I can't wait to get into mine. It is the most indecent outfit I've ever seen, with no other purpose than to excite lewd, libidinous, lascivious, licentious, lecherous, lustful longings in the loins of Lotharios."

"Isn't that the purpose of clothing?"

"Well... aside from protection-yes. But I'm beginning to realize that a culture with no body taboo has to go much farther in styling to achieve that purpose."

It was a "dress" with a "skirt" that was a 10-cm ruffle worn low. The material was silky stuff in pastel green. The bodice had no back but the front came clear up to the neck-with cutouts for each teat. The designer did not stop there. Lib's left teat was bare-but her right one was barer pet: a transparent film that clung and was covered with rainbow iridescence that moved in endless patterns with every jiggle-and jiggle we do no matter how firm. Elizabeth is as firm as I am but hers quivered enough to swirl that iridescence just from breathing.

Whew!

If both had been bare, or both iridescent, it would not have done a quarter as much. It was the contrast that would make 'em howl at the Moon.

My dress was exactly like hers save that my right teat was the bare one.

Lib got me into it, then I hurried to the bridge, with a hope-promise to be back ten minutes before the hour to have her touch up my eyebrows and lashes. I'm not much for cosmetics (neither is she) but our lashes and brows hardly show without help and this was a formal occasion.

One of Dora's blue fireflies led me to a lift that took me to the bridge, where Dora had told me I would find Laz and Lor. Laz spotted me first, made a yelling noise while patting her lips, which I took to mean enthusiasm. Those kids- correction: women close to Pop's age but they feel like kids-Laz-Lor are as female as I am and recognize what incites the lovely beast in men. They liked my dress.

I liked that bridge. Reminded me of Star Trek; pointed ears would not have surprised me. Or Nichelle Nichols backed by colored lights. "This place makes my mouth water. Maybe someday a guided tour? Pretty please!"

Captain Lor said, "Certainly-"

"-but how about a swap as-"

"-we haven't even been inside-"

"-Gay Deceiver and Dora says she-"

"-is wonderful and when this job is-"

"-done and we've rescued Mama Maureen there-"

"-won't be anything to stop us once Dora-"

"-is safe on the ground at Tertius. Huh?"

"Certainly," I answered... gleefully as now I knew that our 17-hour absence in zero seconds had not been noticed. To Lor and Laz the snatch was still in the planning stage. Apparently 01' Buddy Boy had not yet told his sisters. Had not yet worked up a set of lies, probably, that would account for his being locked in the bathroom while the rest of us did the job.

"At the earliest opportunity," I went on. "Want to take a ride in Gay?"

"Oh, my! Could we?"

"Not for me to say. But I can tell you what works. Cuddle up to the Commodore. Pet her, be sweet to her. Ask her if she will let you call her 'Aunt Hilda' when you're off duty; that will please her. She's a cat; pet her and respect her feelings and she purrs-push her and she scratches."

They glanced at each other. "We will. Thanks."

"De nada, chicas-"

"You've learned Galacta!" (In chorus-)

"What? No. Probably a phrase that carried over. But I was sent here on duty and I've been chatting instead. Commodore's compliments to the Captain and the Commodore requests that Captain Lorelei Lee Long and First Officer Lapis Lazuli Long join her at dinner at twenty o'clock and, as a favor to the Commodore, please dress in the same fashion as Doctors Libby and Deety- and that's me and I'm wearing the fashion you are to wear."

Captain Lor answered, "Certainly we'll be there; we never miss dinner and-"

"-always dress formally and I don't-"

"-mean bare skin. Skin is for working or-"

"-sleeping. But we treat dinner in the Dora as a-"

"-formal party and that calls for the works. Formal evening-"

"-dress and jewelry and cosmetics and perfume and we are about-"

"-to bathe and change, but we can't dress the way you are-"

"-because our dresses are already picked out and-"

"-it's too late to start over!"

I said, "Look, chums, you brought this on yourselves by urging Lib and me to dress this way. Neither of us was enthusiastic but we promised. The Commodore learned what Libby and I expected to wear, and decided that four of us, all about the same size and coloration, would look wonderful in matching green dresses. So Lib and I are to be opposite you two, balancing you, and the men are required to wear uniforms so as not to compete with us four. All clear?"

They got their stupid look which actually is a cover for stubborn determination. Lor said:

"The Captain sends her respects to the Commodore and regrets-"

"Hold it! Does this ship have a lifeboat?"

"Yes," answered Lor, "but-"

"But you are master of this ship. Yes, I know. And I'm gifted with second sight. I see only two viable futures for you. Did you get your pirate flag up in the lounge?"

"Yes, we did, but-"

"If you'll tell me what lifeboat and where, I'll get the flag to you before twenty. I see you starting out in that lifeboat to be pirates. Or I see you at dinner in dresses of any green cloth you can find, cut hastily in this style and pinned together. No jewelry. No cosmetics that show. I don't think you can fake this iridescent stuff but that stick-on transparent wrapping, used instead, would show that you had tried. The Commodore never rejects anyone for

failing; what she despises is not trying. Send your answer via Dora. I can't be your messenger boy; I have work to do before dinner, now only forty-seven minutes away. Will the Captain excuse me?"

I got out fast. I didn't believe for one second that a ship stocked like the Dora, run by identical redheads, could fail to have endless formals in green- including this style or close to it. By now the twins were frantically consulting their brother via Dora, and from what I heard him say to Pop, I thought Lazarus would tell them that it was safer to jump ship and change their names than it would be to tangle with the miniature buzz saw-but if Dora couldn't fake something that would at least show a hard try, he would sell her off as spare parts and install one of those new-model "Susan Calvin" positronic brains that everybody said was the coming thing for smartships.

I said Hello to Gay, then tried to reach under the instrument board and find the catch by touch.

I got out of the car in order to stand up in the ship's passageway and took off my deliciously indecent dress. Then I was able to fold, bend, and staple, to open the stowage. A saber and a sword-no belts. "Gay."

"What, Deety?"

"I'm looking for two sword belts. Category should be personal possessions, miscellaneous, weapons, belts for weapons."

"Deety, they are supposed to be with the sword and saber. Many things were moved into the Land of Oz today; I heard you all talking about it. But no changes were read into my inventory. I'm sorry."

"Smart Girl, it's not your fault. We should have told you."

"Deety, I've rolled the dice. The curve says that the most probable place is on hooks in Sunbonnet Sue's wardrobe."

They were.

I was starting to leave, after telling Gay she was a Smart Girl, when she said, "Deety, your father is calling. Dora has him on hold, through me."