GULPED AND HANDED HIM THE NOW SOAKED ENVELOPE.
             “PROBLY,ENOFTER DENTURE PLEN.” RALPHALLEN SUGGESTED.AT THAT MOMENT
         O!ID ONLY THEN DID HE NOTICE THAT HE WAS SOAKING THE MAILIAN.HE DROPPED
         THE HOSE.THEN HE TOOK THE LETTER.
             “IT’S FORM WARSHINGTEN.  WHAD YA KNOW?” HE WADDLED INTO THE HOUSE WERT
         EXCITED TO OPEN IT.WADDLED IS A MILD WAY TO PUT IT.NO ONE KNOWS WHY
         RALPHALLEN GOT1 T • RALPHaLLEN’ S JETS T DUMB • THIS WAS IN KANSAS •LORI LANES
         WAS POLSHING HER FURI~ITN~jE IN HER CHICAGO APARTMENT WHEN THE DOORMAN KNOC-
         ED AT THE DOOR..
              “L.L~ THERE’S THE MAIL.” L.L WAS THE NAME SHE’D INHERITED SINCE CHILD
         HOOD FOR HER TOMBOYISH~ WAYS.SHE SET DOWN ThE NEWEST EDITION OF WORKING
         WALL STREET WOMAN AN]) OPENED ThE DOOR.
             “THANKS ,CHUCKY.” SHE TIPPED HIM A FIVE.HER TWO SISTERSCARRIE,AND HER HAIl
         SISTER SANDRA.SHE LEAFED THROUGH THE JUNK MAIL JUST AS CARRIE’ S HAND SNATC
         HE]) THREE IMPORTANT LOCKING LETTER BENEATh HER NOSE.
         
             CORI COULDN’T UNDERSTAND IT AS SHE BOARDED THE PLANE.IT WAS CNLT TWO
         MONTHS AGO SHE’D TAKEN THE TEST NOW,SHE WAS H-BADE]) FOR WASHINTON FOR HER
         “VERTIFICATE OF THANKS,AND YOUR TASK.AMERICA NEEDS YOU.” THE LETTER HAD
         SAID.WHAT CONFUSED HER WAS SHE AND ONLY SIX OTHER PEOPLE BESIDES HERSELF.
         CHILL DOWN LORDS YOU’RE LOSING IT.AS SHE BORDED ThE PLANE SHE FELT BETTER.
         SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE NERVOUS.THERE WAS A BIkUTIFUL RED HEAD,A TALL AND
         HANDSOME MALE,TWO LITTLE GIRL LOCKING BRUNETTES,A TOUGH SUPER LOCKING TALL
         GIRL WITH BLOND HAIR,AND THE FUNNIEST PEE WEE HERMAN AN]) ALPHALPHA LOCK
         ALIKE SHE’D EVER SEEN • THEY WERE ALL BUSY CHATTING AWAY7 LIKE THEY’]) KNOWN
         EACHCTHER FOR Y~GES.SHE WAS NOT SHY.NO WAYSHE’D BLOWN PEOPLES HEADS OFF
         BEFORE.SHE SAT CLOSE TO THE BLOND GIRL WHO SMILED POLITELY.
              “YOU MUST BE CORI.HELLO I’M LORI.BUT JUST CALL ME L.L.” SHE SHOOK HER
         HAND AND NOTICED IT WAS JESSE TRAPPER RPETR ALLZ
              “IT’S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU TOO,AND I’M CORI.” ACROBS THE AISlE
         SPOILED,AND PAMPERED LEIANN WAS MUTTERING THROUGH GRITTED TEETH AND STARING
         OFF INTO SPACE.
              “SO THERE ME WERE,I WAS WETERIN ME PLASTY FLNWERS,AN DODO,ME DOGGY.COME
         UP AND RERKT.JtEIST LACK THET” SHEER AND SOPHICATED LBEANN SQUEEZED THE AlE
         OF THE CHAIR AN]) THOUGHT TO HERSELF HOW THIS GUY COULD AFFORD A FIRST CLASS
         PLANE TICKET TO WASHINGTOI~SHE STARED AT THE TWO GEORG~US WOMAN ON THE NEXT
         AISLE CHATTING AWAY.AT LEAST THEIR BOTH HUMAN.SHE THOUGH BITTERLYI.ThE PLANE
         STARTED FLYING AN]) SHE FELT HERSELF STIF?EN.SHE HAD TO TRAVEL ALL THAT WAY
         WITH A DOPE LIKE THAT~ JESSE TRAPPER WAS TRYING TO HIDE HIS CONFUSION WITH
         A BRIGHT SMILE.HIS MIND WAS RACING.TODAY HE HAD FLOWN UP TB OHICA00,AND
         NOW HE WAS GOING TO WASHINGTON D.C.RE COULD HAVE JUST TAKEN A PLANE TO
         D.C FROM NEW YORK AND SAVED ALOT OF TIll BUT N000.JESSE DIDN’T KNOW THAT
         ALL THE OTHERS WERE THINKING THE SAME THING.GARRIE AN!) SANDY APPLIED THE
         MAKEUP THAT L.L HAD LET THEM USE.C~RRIE FELT ALONE.SHE WAS THE OLDEST ON THE
         TRIP BUT NO ONE APPEARED TO BE OVER TWENRY.SANDY SEEMED PERFECTLY RELAXED.
         SHE WAS REDOING HER LIPSTICK AND KEEPING ONE EYE ON L.L AND THE LADY NEXT
         TO HER.
                “HOW CAN YOU BE S000 RELAXED?” CARRIE SQUE AlE]) IN HER LITTLE VOICE.
         “CARRIE; YOURE 22.LIGwz~EI~ UP.YOIJ’RE NEVER THIS TENSE.” SANDY SAID.OARRIE
         THOUGHT IT OVER.
         
                “WELCOME TO THE BASE EVERYONE.I’M SARGENT MALCOME KENT.CODE NAME
         BI~G BIRD.” THE BRISF SARGENT BEGAN.RSLPH ALLEN BEGAN~.TO GROW EXCITED.
            “WHERE’S ERNIE OR BERT HOW ABOUT ELMO? OR COCKlE I LOVE COOKIE MONSTEL’
         THE SARGENT DIDN’ T LOOK AMUSED.
            “LEMME GUESS,yOu’~RE RALPH.” HE SAID IN A BORED TONE.RALPH NODDED EAGERLY.