coffee sounded like soft rain incongruous to the summerblue of sky, draping the window.

"Why don't we go out?" Barbara said at last. last. It hadn't been a familiar suggestion; yet it was the second time that morning that she had made it.

"Where to?" Lexie said, anticipating another reference to gay clubs, and feeling a glee in the anticipation, as a lion perhaps who lurks at the opening of a cave in which ho knows his prey shall appear and be seized.

"How about church?"

"Now

Nonplussed at this answer, Lexie began to laugh. thero's a bright thought in there somewhere. Yeoow wow! a gay church! The minister will wear a pink robe and a Jolly red bow tie; it'll be permissible for the female congregation to come in leotards; the all-male choir will be permitted their gay little boutonniere and the old aunties..."

"All I said was church. The weather just seems right for it." Barby felt happy despite Lexio's sarcasm.

Slipping out of bed, she slumped qufetly to the floor and landed on her rear. She felt under the bed for her slippers. Then, bolting up to raise the window higher, Barby pulled in the tanned-scented air with a moist sound.

"I love that shade of green," Lexie said, examining the wall.

"Yoh?" Barbara was looking down abstractedly at the swimming pool and staring at the man whose shirt billowed white over his back in the warm wind.

"But do you?" Barbara said, not aware that she hadn't exposed her thought.

"Do I what?"

"Do you think if they planted me I'd grow?"

20