I still can’t believe that you wander around crowded beaches wearing nothing at all!’ ‘I’ve been doing that here since the day and hour I was...born, it’s perfectly natural.’ That was an old argument with nothing new to be added. Angela looked down at her skirt. ‘I’m talking about this! Oh, I don’t know what to do…’ ‘Oh, I think we both know what to do…’ Gwen giggled. ‘They’re coming over!’ Angela whispered urgently. ‘Okay, I’ll handle this.’ It could have been California, the sun, golden. And not just in the breeding pit either. They collectively flinched at every loud sound and they remained constantly huddled together for moral comfort. Each had been a witch or Adept back home. Four of the ladies were US witches and the other gal was a GWA Adept from California, caught nearly right from the start of her military service a few months ago. They'd all been on drugs for some time to eliminate their ability to use magic and none of them were even remotely up to scratch yet, let. Like him, Allen was more bookish than most, and kind of small and wiry.Allen looked quizzically at the envelope, and then began to pry it open. "I won't say you shouldn't have, because you should have." His curious expression turned to open-mouthed surprise as he read the card. "Bikini Beach? Wow!" he stammered, trying to find appropriate words to express his delight. "That place is... Wow!"Rick smiled knowingly, trying to conceal his own excitement. "Well, you've always been a good buddy, and. Somehow I had dreamt something aboutmyself without being able to remember what. Just an indistinct feelingthat I couldn't shake off.In the kitchen a surprise awaited me. No, not Mom's greeting. She gave mea letter that she had found in the mailbox.It wasn't actually a letter because inside was only a strange piece ofpaper. It was a poor photocopy on which my name inserted by hand in oneplace.Dear (Andrea),you attracted our attention at the contest. Please call us to set up anappointment. Becker.