The chopping began and leaves andblooms were landing on me left and right. they were talking and laughing asthey worked. i scrunched down lower. the b...ers arrived andthey stopped to admire their work and down a few before i heard and felt thechopping begin again. my dad was standing back watching, drinking his beer,nodding in approval at their work. suddenly, i heard oneof the men just above me. he chopped a few branches close to my ear which mademe wince in fear for my head and hair and then. I shut my eyes in embarassment, but I sensed that someone else waspresent, and when I opened them again Ahmed was looking down at me. Iclosed my legs and held my hands over my breasts, to the annoyance ofthe women."Stop that!" Ahmed said."Please, what are they doing?" They are preparing you. Turks like their women free of body hair Thatis why you are shaved. You are washed too. I must say, it is animprovement. "I flushed. I had not had a proper wash for weeks.Ahmed looked me up and down. "And. The attraction had gotten big enough that many families sent younger children to us as well for the fun to be had. Those youngsters made us temper our scares to keep from getting too far overboard while still having fun.Waiting for the next batch of victims my mind wandered again, back to a much less pleasant time."TANGO TWO VICTOR, TANGO TWO VICTOR. THIS IS DUST OFF BRAVO. IT'S A TRAP, WE ARE TAKING FIRE, I SAY AGAIN, WE ARE TAKING FIRE. WE NEED COVER, SEND THE HOGS BACK, WE NEED...The voice. "To you and Cindy, Howie," he toasted. "And a long life of happiness--in and out of bed." He chuckled, and Norma laughed musically at his elbow at the comment.Howard grinned, turning to click glasses with his lovely blonde wife. Cindy, as she had been all evening, was silent and seemingly distant; she hadn't spoken five words since they'd arrived at The Gandydancer. In fact, Howard reflected, she hadn't said much of anything all day; she'd been quiet and uncommunicative at breakfast that.