"That's right, Hilda," I heard Maureen agree. "I'm studying to be a nurse. Then a medical doctor. Then a rejuvenator. Or as far along that route as my ability will carry me. In the meantime I'm pregnant. Isn't that a joke, Theodore? Everytime you and I meet with maximum opportunity, I'm pregnant. And this time Woodie can't spoil it." She chuckled a warm chuckle. "I owe you one, Staff Sergeant Bronson. Can we find a black walnut tree?"

"Lazarus, do you want a front seat? Or do you want to take Maureen into

the annex and give her what she so clearly wants?"

"Oh, I can wait!" Maureen said quickly.

"God, what a decision! Maureen, a short rain check? I really do want to see what this craft will do."

"I want to see the ride, too, Theodore. But I would not refuse you."

"Pipe down, please. Jacob, will you change places with Lazarus? Each report when your seat belts will stand evasive maneuvers."

"Seven gee," I added. "Lazarus, Ack-Ack?"

"Not yet, thank God. I'm wondering how soon we'll need it. And what sort? I'm stumped. Seat belt tight. Hey, we're passing over Boondock!"

"So we are," I agreed.

"Seat belt tight. Maureen, too."

"Chief Pilot, you have the conn. Maneuver at will."

"Aye aye, Captain," I agreed. "Gay Deceiver Clinic Execute Gay Bounce Gay Bounce. Show your heels, girl! Mach point seven point nine....ne point two... Mach two... three... four....weep right, set course for Boondock. Dive, Smart Girl. Mach five....ix... seven-"

"Oh, my God!"-Lazarus.

"GayBounce. Trouble, Lazarus? Smart Girl, spread your wings."

"You almost crashed us."

"Oh, I think not. Gay Deceiver Clinic Execute Gay Bounce."

"They were waiting for us on the roof!"

"Who? How? Do you have some sort of cee-squared radio?" I added, "Gay Bounce. Smart Girl, do you want to dance? Gay dances beautifully, knows several. Want to pick one, Gay?"

"Dora taught me the 'Nutcracker' suite and I've been figuring out one for the 'Sugarplum Fairy.' But I don't think I'm ready to show it yet."

"Give them 'Blue Danube."

"That old thing?"

"You do it well. Give them a few bars."

Smart Girl just wants to be coaxed. She swooped and she swirled and once bounced herself for altitude without breaking her dance. Meanwhile I got the frequency and asked Libby to talk to Ishtar's office. "Alternate route, Lib"- which was all it took for Deety to close the bulkhead door... which left Strauss waltz music in the cabin, and a truly private radio conversation in the after compartment.

When Deety opened the bulkhead door again, I waited for her to report strapped down. "Got a number for me, Astrogator?" We had agreed on a simple code: fifty-seven was fifty-seven seconds but five-seven meant fifty-seven minutes.

"No, Zebadiah. Zero. Now."

"Okay. Lazarus, can you pick out your house in Boondock?"

"Certainly. But we've been moving away from there steadily." "GayDeceiverClinicExecuteGayBounce. Now where, Lazarus?" "Practically under us. Can't see it." So I tilted my baby straight down. "Can you coach me?"

"Yes, it's- Hey! There's a ship in Dora's parking spot! What nerve! I'm going to give somebody a bad time. It's irrelevant that Dora is a long way off, that's my parking flat. See that round ship? Interloper! My house is the largish one with the double atrium north of it."

"All right for me to park by the interloper?"

"All right but not room enough to get in."

"We'll try. Close your eyes." I steadied vertically on the spot Lib had told them to clear. "Gunsighted, girl?"

"Nailed it, Boss."

"New program code word 'Maureen' I tell you three times."

"I hear you three times." We were getting low.

"MaureenExecute!

"You're a Smart Girl, Gay. Open your doors."

She opened them but answered, "If I'm smart, why wasn't I invited, too? It's Dora Long and Athene Long-am I a second-class citizen?"

I was left with my mouth open. And was saved by two darlings. Libby said, "Gay, we didn't know you cared," and Deety said, "Gay, either we both join or neither joins. A promise."

I said hastily, "Goodnight, Gay. Over." People were pouring toward us. Gay answered, "Sleepy time. Roger and out," just as Laz and Lor arrived in the van, trotting ahead.

Lazarus stopped unbelting. "Hey! It is the Dora!"

"Of course it is, Buddy Boy. What did you expect?" (Lor, I think.)

"But how did you beat us here? I know what that ship can do; I did her basic design myself."

"Buddy Boy, we got here three weeks ago. You just don't understand time travel."

"Mmm- I guess I don't."

There was a limited amount of car viewing, as Tamara and Ishtar had limited the greeting committee to a handful of the most senior-not in age but senior in that family. So we met Ish again, no longer pregnant, a young man named Galahad, the incredible Tamara who is Maureen over again but does not look like her (except that she does, and don't ask me to explain), and a beauty who would make Helen of Troy jealous but doesn't seem to know she is beautiful, the Hamadryad. Lazarus seemed annoyed that someone named Ira was not at home.

Momentarily we (my wife Deety and I) were left talking with the twins. "I promised you both joy rides. Get in."

"Oh, but we can't now because-"

"-there's going to be a celebration for you-"

"-four and we'll be busy! Tomorrow?"

"There are no tomorrows. Pipe down, climb in, fasten seat belts. Pronto!"

They prontoed.

"Nail the time," I said quietly to Deety, as we strapped down. "Gay Deceiver, Reveille." She played it. "Close doors."

"Starboard seal checked."

"Same here. GayBounceGayBounceGayBounce. Tumbling Pigeon, execute. Laz-Lor, can you spot your house from this distance? About thirty kilometers and closing."

"I'm not sure"-"I think I can."

"Gay Clinic Execute. Now you know where you are?"

"Yes, it's-"

"GayTermite."

"Oh!!"

"We lived here a while. No annex then, had to have an armed guard just to pee. Even me. Pretty place but dangerous. GayHome." I tilted her nose down. "And this was our perma- Deety!"

"No crater, Zebadiah. Looks the way it did when Pop and I leased it. This is spooky."

"Twins, something is wrong; I've got to check. GayTermite."

We were back on Termite Terrace. I practiced Yoga breathing while Deety explained that the missing-crater place had been the site of our former home- but couldn't be. I added, "Look, dears-we can't drop this. But we can take you to Boondock at once. Do you want to go home?"

The same silent consultation. "We're sticking-"

"-our brother would stick. We stick."

"Thanks. Here we go. Gay Home GayBounce." Still no crater. I told Gay to go into cruising mode. "Display map, Gay. Change scale. I want Snug Harbor and the campus on the same display. Deety, figure shortest distance here to campus. Mine, not yours at Logan."

"Don't need to. Eight-five-six klicks,"

"Gay?"

"Don't argue with Deety, Boss."

"Head for campus, Gay. Transit, Deety."

"Set!"

"Execute." Then I was busy, having popped into city traffic at wrong altitude, direction, et cetera. I ignored police signals, zoomed the campus. Looked normal. Turned and hovered over Sharpie's house-which was not there. Different house. Parking lot no longer paved. And you don't grow 200-year-old live oaks in less than seven weeks.

Not a sound out of the back seat. Nor from my right. I had to force myself to look to my right.

Deety was still there and I let out my breath. She was treating it as she did all crises: No expression and nothing to say until she had something to say other than chatter. A sky cop was trying to give me a bad time, with orders to follow him and ground, so I told Gay to bounce, then dived on my own neighborhood. No trouble picking it out-intersections and nearby shopping center all familiar as well as the Presbyterian church across the way from my apartment house.