RANSVESTIA

In the supercharged atmosphere of the next few days, Kenny was perhaps the most relaxed person aboard the Esperance. That he had no male clothes was soon obvious. He wore the dress he'd worn aboard the first night as much as possible, so that all of the Porters soon became accustomed to the rustle of soft petticoats and the smell of musky perfume he seemd to favor. Jim Porter refused to look at the beautiful youth while Cathy only giggled whenever he came near her. Greg was the only one to be even civil to the young transvestite, for Kate was too preoccupied with her husband and with fighting off her usual bout of seasickness to care much about what was going on.

On the night before they reached New Providence Island, Kenny had disappeared as usual after supper into the cabin that had originally been assigned to Cathy. Kate, next door in the cabin she was now sharing with Cathy, heard the familiar swish of the petticoats being put away in the forward locker. She shuddered as she thought of the boy dressing himself in a lace-edged nightie which was what the inquisitive Cathy had reported was under his pillow after the first night out. Greg was now sharing a cabin with his father, the one he'd been slated to share with Kenneth-but that was an obvious impos- sibility after they'd seen Kenny. Kate left the cabin and headed back towards the stern, through the small lounge-dining room-kitchen area, just before the steps up to the deck.

"What are you doing here?" Jim Porter's eyes showed disbelief. Such a notorious landlubber as Kate rarely made the deck at all on one of their voyages.

"Family conference," said Kate between waves of nausea as the boat rolled with the sway. Greg was lying on top of the aft-cabin, soaking up the last rays of the dying sun, while Cathy was midships, staring moodily at the empty horizon ahead. They both moved back to the rear stairwell, reluctant to leave their own reveries.

"We have to talk about Kenny," said Kate. "First, Jim, I think you should cut his hair tomorrow, he can borrown some of Greg's clothes until we buy him his own in Nassau."

The others were staring at her, open-mouthed. "What good will that do?" Cathy was the first to find her voice.

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