Author: Thinking Horndog
Title: The Academy
Part: 43 of 88
Universe: The Swarm Cycle
Summary: The Governor of the colony of Nuevo Angelino recognizes that the ad-
hoc educational system in use in his colony isn't producing sponsors -- so he
sends a team to Earth to collect some professional educators with a
Confederacy perspective.  This results in a new and unusual kind of pickup...

Keywords: MF MFF FF M+F mf mF exhib humil inc ir group oral anal toys Mdom
Fdom

The Academy

Chapter 43

Bernie Rawlins:

	Friday had been wild, and Saturday hadn't been much better.  We'd had
to settle in and learn this and that and keep the kids from freaking out and
generally catch our collective breaths.  I'd slept both nights with Felicity
-- and she wanted a lot of comfort -- but then, the same could be said for
Jerry and Patty.  I'd not said anything much to Trinity -- or young Harrah,
especially --about their situation.  But I'd come home to three naked women
after my briefings -- four, actually, since Susan, in a gesture of solidarity
with her girlfriend, was going nude, the only difference for her being that
she had a wristband instead of a collar.  We went to dinner with the others
and there were a whole lot of freshly embarrassed naked women running around,
of all ages -- a significant distraction, but we managed to get through
dinner, despite Jerry's almost constant, "Daddy, why is So-and-So naked?" --
starting with Mommy and Aunt Trini, of course, but he hit everyone whose name
he was aware of for a while.  Felicity tried to get by with, "It's the new
fashion, Honey," but that didn't work once we hit the Mess; Jerry laid eyes
on a couple of the women and said, "The new fashion looks good on you, Mommy,
but SHE shouldn't wear it!" -- pointing at someone's mother.  The poor woman
involved burst into tears!  I spent most of dinner trying to explain that it
was one of the new changes in our lives, and how it was related to several
other changes -- and that it really wasn't polite to embarrass people
regarding their looks.

	After dinner, we returned to our quarters and I'd hoped to get some
peace, but the AI announced itself, <Bernard Rawlins, there is the issue of
the three unregistered concubines in your quarters.  What are your intentions
regarding these females?>

	"I... hadn't made up my mind, actually," I replied, having noted that
Felicity, Trinity, and Harrah showed signs of being included in the
conversation.  "Well, I have with Felicity..."

	<Then it is your intent to register Felicity Rawlins as your
concubine?>

	"It is."  I was embarrassed; I should have done it earlier.

	<Felicity Rawlins...>

	"Yes!"

	<Registered.  Trinity Cromwell and Harrah Fields remain.>

	I frowned.  "Do I have to make this decision tonight?"  Felicity
didn't like that -- and neither did Trinity; Harrah just looked scared.

	<You do not.  Trinity Cromwell and Harrah Fields should record their
personal ads and pursue other avenues, however, until you make a decision.>

	"Ber-nieeee!" Felicity stamped her flip-flop shod foot.

	<You are both counseled that the concubine Felicity is displaying
inappropriate behavior.  Will you be delivering punishment, Bernard Rawlins?>

	"Not just yet."  I waved a finger at her and looked angry.  Felicity
was a bit high-strung; she was obviously going to have to get control over
that.  As it was, she stood there, eyes huge, her hand covering her mouth.
"I think the warning suffices for now.  How long do I have to decide?" I
asked.

	<Technically, until one of you dies or the concubine in question is
registered elsewhere.  Effectively, however, they will be moved to a
collection location for unassigned concubines on arrival at the colony in ten
days.>

	"Do they have to go anywhere in the interim?" I asked.

	<Since they are a presumptive family unit and deployed with you,
there is no immediate requirement,> the AI related.  <In addition, you may
conduct any testing that you care to until a decision is made one way or the
other, and long as the concubine involved assents to it.>

	"Daddy!" Susan erupted, "Why don't you want them?"

	"I thought one or both of them might do better," I replied.  "I'm not
the only fish in the sea.  AI, what is my headcount, anyway?"

	<If you select at least one family unit that includes a male
concubine, eight,> the AI replied.  <Otherwise, four at this time, although
there are indications that the number will soon increase to six if you do
well with the increased responsibility.>

	Trinity came forward.  "Bernie, I can't DO better!  If I tried, I'd
fuck it up!" she insisted, kneeling before me.  "I've known for YEARS that
Felicity got the smartest, nicest, sexiest, most decent guy in town!  If I go
out looking, I'll just end up with another loser!"  She moved into
Presentation One.  "Please, " she begged, offering her breasts -- which were
very similar to Felicity's and maybe just a touch larger, "I know that if you
take me, you can have anything you want, so I have nothing to offer -- except
my willingness to DO anything you want -- and smile..."

	"I'm sure you..." I began.

	"No I can't, Bernie!  You KNOW that!  How many guys have I gone
through in the last few years?  Even the couple I married were dogs!  I
honestly can't tell a jerk from a nice guy!  But I know Felicity can -- I've
seen the results!  PLEEEASE!  Let me suck you -- or fuck you -- or give you a
rim job, or a prostate massage, or take it up the ass -- I know things
Felicity doesn't know about a LOT of things -- that's the one benefit I got
out of all those losers!  I know... nasty things... pleasures... stuff nice
guys don't ask for..."  Her expression shifted to sultry.

	I flashed a look at Felicity, who looked positively horrified!
"Trini!  My God!"

	"I'll teach you, Sis!  He'll be so happy..."  Trinity developed a
sniffle, turning back to me.  "PLEEEASE!  Try me out, anyway!"

	"I.... Well, all right..."

	"Oh, thank you, thank you!!!"  Trinity wrapped her arms around my
legs, immobilizing me with her face in my crotch.

	"Daddy!" Susan stepped up on my right and got right in my face.
"What about Harrah?"

	"Sweetie," I replied, trying to be diplomatic, "Why me?  Why not some
nice young guy..."

	"Daddy, what do you plan to do with ME?" Susan challenged.

	"I plan for you to make over six point five, actually," I replied.

	"And if I don't?"

	"Well, your mother and I discussed..."

	"Me staying here?" Susan finished.

	"Well, yes -- but that would be YOUR decision -- I would only offer
it as an option," I explained.

	"But Harrah would be gone!" Susan insisted, "And I'd have to find her
and hope she found someone halfway decent who could take BOTH of us!  Daddy,
that just DOESN'T WORK!  It's too complicated!"

	"Susie," Harrah put her hand on Susan's forearm.  "I'm HERE -- that's
a lot more than I had a right to ask!  Your daddy already saved my life!  We
don't have to burden him..."

	"You could at least try her out!" Susan rounded on me.

	"But..."  I turned to Harrah.  "What do you know about sex -- first-
hand?"

	"Well, nothing, first-hand..." Harrah admitted.

	"You're a virgin, then?"

	"Yes."  The girl colored.  Her being a redhead, we're talking cherry
red.

	I turned to Susan.  "She has no experience -- but she has her
virginity.  That's a selling point, I bet.  If I take it, trying her out, she
could lose out on that value!"

	"What about blowjobs?" Trinity offered.  "I could teach her!  I could
give Sis pointers while I do it!  Can you deep throat, Sis?"  She cocked her
head, eyeing me, and added slyly, "I can teach Susan, too -- she's
thirteen..."

	The flash of lust that went through me embarrassed me!  My own
daughter?  Sure, Felicity and I had talked about it -- and even treated it as
a fantasy a couple of times.  But the reality -- well, I hadn't entertained
it until that moment.

	Trinity delivered on her promises right then, her sultry look telling
me that she'd seen right through me.  Yes, undoubtedly she had things she
could teach Felicity... and learning them would likely mean going over to the
Dark Side...  She knew she had me, too; I stood frozen as she turned to
Harrah and said, "Come here, Dear, let me show you an important tool you need
to have in your kit...  Susan, you, too, Honey!"  Then she cocked her head at
Felicity, "Coming, Sis?"

Trinity:

	I knew I had him when I saw the flash of expression flick across his
face.  He was fast, but I know male lust when I see it!

	I'm the oldest -- but not the smartest -- girl in my family.  I tend
to go where my pussy leads me -- not the smartest thing, I know, but I'm
high-strung and highly sexed and when a man smells it and assumes control, I
tend to get carried away.  Sex always seems to be out in front of love for
me.  Maybe worse is the fact that if a guy doesn't take no for an answer, I
generally don't slap him and scream rape -- I kind of like it a little rough,
sometimes.  This kind of thing, though, tends to attract the kind of guy who
doesn't go away -- and isn't terribly nice in the first place.  It's happened
to me a dozen times, at least; I'll go out, make an initial connection with a
guy -- usually for the wrong reasons -- go back to his place, and things
escalate to sex.  Somewhere in there, he asserts himself when I start
thinking about bailing -- and I roll over.  Next thing I know, we're living
together -- and he's a rat bastard and I can't get away until something
external happens, like he gets locked up.

	Guys like that want things.  They want to stick their cock up your
ass, or they want to choke-fuck you, or they want to share you with five of
their closest friends.  At the very least, they want to use you as a punching
bag when they're pissed about something.  I learned some additional skills
and I learned to dole them out, one at a time, when things got rough, to get
me over a bad patch.  I learned that if you have a girlfriend or two who are
into the same stupid shit you are, it sometimes helps you get out of
something -- because guys -- especially THAT type of guys -- like fresh
meat...

	Felicity, on the other hand, is the smart one.  Oh, she likes her sex
-- all of the girls in my family do -- but she's pickier about who she hands
it out to.  When she hunted down Bernie at college, I wasn't impressed -- but
over the next fifteen years, while I got older, but not wiser, I watched her
very happily pump out three kids -- while telling me that the sex was good
enough that she could have stayed barefoot and preggers constantly, but it
would have been a drain on the family budget and seven or eight kids would
have made her too tired to fuck.  She and Bernie -- who I discovered early on
had a VERY nice cock -- (at the swimming pool, Silly -- Bernie didn't fuck
around) -- had a nice house and a couple of nice cars and in general, a nice
life -- while I moved from place to place and had my bank account drained
regularly by male freeloaders and thieves...

	So here I was, finally with a chance to get a grip on the brass ring
with the real thing -- even if I did have to share it.  I was going to pull
out all the stops and be indispensible -- and Phase One was to get Susan and
her skinny little girlfriend on my side...

	We'd gotten the rules just that afternoon -- and most of them were
old hat for Sis.  Why?  Because Bernie EXPECTED to get picked up, and made
sure she was educated!  It was just another example of what she'd done
right...  Anyway, incest was okay, which cleared the decks for both Susan and
me, and kids could do some sexual activity at thirteen.  Blowjobs were
DEFINITELY on the okay list...  When Susie brought the whole thing up, she
was using it for something else, but I could turn it around...  And when
Bernie lit up, I knew I had a handle!  The only problem would be Susie; she
might balk when push came to shove and talking about doing Daddy became
actually DOING Daddy...

	But Harrah settled onto her knees beside me and looked up at her, and
Susan came right up, only mildly hesitant.  I reached over and squeezed her
hand while I got Sis in the game; Sis came around and bracketed her.  I knew
that she enjoyed herself with Bernie a lot, but Sis hadn't done much that
wasn't plain vanilla -- and that made openings for me...  "All right, then!
Let's see what we've got to work with!" I announced, reaching for Bernie's
fly.  I was pretty pleased; Bernie was a real guy, after all, not something
you stood on a pedestal.  We were gonna make some ground here...  Going
somewhere just didn't occur to him -- not with four women knelt up before him
and a blowjob in the offing.  I got his cock out; it was like stone already.
"Oh, this is NICE!" I reported in my role as teacher.  "Girls, you're looking
at a somewhat larger than average cock, here.  Bernie doesn't have a
foreskin, which kind of simplifies things, in that we don't have to get it
out of the way of the head, or glans -- but it also means we can't just slide
that back and forth to masturbate him.  Here, take a look..."  I waved it in
front of young Harrah's nose and then Susan's, not bothering with Sis -- who
had BETTER know what it looks like!  "Now, go ahead and touch it -- see how
cushy the head is?  The shaft is hard, so he can get it in there and not
worry about not getting in deep, but the head is soft so it doesn't hurt to
poke your pussy.  It's one of those biological miracles of engineering..."  I
went on to describe the parts, and what was likely to be most sensitive, and
where the cum came out...  "You see that he's getting a little drippy, right?
That's not really cum -- it's what they call pre-cum.  It's a lubricant.
It's just like when you get wet when you're aroused -- you're lubing up for
this thing, so it will side right in and work like a piston...  Time to take
a lick -- just roll your tongue over the tip to get used to it."  Harrah
leaned in and did so, then backed off, giggling.  Susan leaned in to do the
same and I watched Bernie out of the corner of my eye; he was totally into
the whole thing.  "I'm thinking Momma knows how..." I offered, and Sis
blushed and nodded.  "We'll hold the advanced stuff for her."  Sis didn't
know it, but she wasn't gonna get shit; I was going to let the girls get
Bernie to the melting point, then demonstrate my patented corkscrew suck --
and snowball the load to the girls when he blew off in my mouth.  Deep-throat
class could wait until later, when Bernie was fully commited and the three of
us had a dick to play with regularly.

	It went just like that, too.  I walked the girls through sucking the
head, and whirling their tongues around it, and washing that sensitive spot
at the base of the glans.  Bernie was dancing and puffing by the time Susie
went through her demo suck, so I knew we were on the right track.  Then we
went to taking it straight down as far as you can and pumping the shaft --
and Harrah made good grades.  Sis leaned in to offer a couple of pointers
while Susie sucked her daddy's cock in and Bernie's eyes started getting big.
I said, "Now watch this -- you might have seen it in porno flicks..." And
Susie surrendered Bernie's erection and I popped it in my mouth and started
pumping on it, corkscrewing my head and neck -- and Bernie went , "AAWWWW!!"
and started dancing and as his cock started to pulse I backed off to the
point that it was resting on my tongue and shooting into my mouth, fully
visible to the girls, who were wide-eyed.

	"Wow!" Harrah gasped.

	"Jeez!" Susie echoed.

	I tickled Bernie's frenum with my tongue until he stopped pulsing,
then backed off and beckoned Harrah.  She freaked when I leaned in to lock
lips but I shoveled some cum into her mouth and backed off.  Susie got it;
she leaned right in for hers.  "You need to know how it tastes," I explained,
once my mouth was empty.  Bernie stood there, gaping like a fish while the
almost titless fourteen-year-old -- AND his daughter -- played with their
dribbles of cum.  I went back to him at that point and sucked him in and
caressed his sensitive pecker with my lips until he couldn't stand it any
more, then held onto the shaft while I explained to the girls, "They get
super-sensitive after a cum, just like we do.  You can extend their enjoyment
for a while if you're careful about overloading them...  Right, Sis?"

	Felicity went, "Uh huh!" and nodded sagely -- and I knew she'd never
even thought of it...

	Grinning slyly, I eyed Bernie sidelong, "So, uh..."

	"Okay, okay...  Both of you, I guess." Bernie croaked.

	"You'll never regret it, Sweetie!" I promised.  "Harrah, you go first
-- the man accepted you..."

	"Oh, thank you!"  Harrah was up hugging Bernie when the AI declared
that we were both recorded as being hooked up, too.  She stepped back and I
slid into his arms and whispered, "I know somebody who is gonna get his
daughters cherry on her fourteenth birthday..."

	"You're baaad..." Bernie whispered back, eyeing Sis.

	"But I'm right..."  I nuzzled his neck and stepped back.  "Can we all
go try out the bed now, Master?"

	I let Sis get the first fuck, cowgirl style, while Bernie fingered
young pussies.  I played with her asshole -- and she got off three times.  I
couldn't have her feeling left out...

Gina Tafarelli:

	It's been a nightmare!  Well, maybe it hasn't, quite, but it seems
like things could collapse at any moment.  I went to Family Day at Johnny and
Mona's school yesterday, and in Johnny's home room some guy got up and
started rattling on about one of those Confederacy things.  Mona came in and
people were standing around, and Johnny just said, "Come on, Mama," and took
my hand and he led me to some disk.  I stepped on it, and suddenly I was
somewhere else -- and there was a lot of noise and people were being herded
like cattle and things got a little wild, but Johnny and Mona were there, and
neither of them seemed particularly concerned...  All I could do was be glad
that Marco wasn't coming home from Jersey until Tuesday...

	From what I could tell, we were refugees, fleeing from something or
other; the people in charge seemed to be treating us that way, and we got
shuffled and ordered about.  I tried to ask questions, but everything seemed
so confused that I just didn't see any point.  Eventually, we went to dinner
in a big automated cafeteria with a bunch of other people -- I'd never seen
anything like it -- and they played a video of some horror movie -- one of
those space things where someone always gets sucked out into space.  I really
could have used different entertainment...  Finally, we were settled in for
the night in a small open room off a larger common area; all around us,
people were making noise...  "Will somebody PLEASE tell me what's going on?"
I ranted.

	Johnny rolled his eyes.  "Mama!  What part of Confederacy pickup do
you not get?"

	"Oh, nonsense!" I replied.  "I haven't noticed anyone naked and there
wasn't any wholesale sex going on, and they didn't put up those field
things..."

	"Mama," Johnny was all martyred patience, "It was at school, and they
were taking just about EVERYBODY, so we didn't do it like that!  We just
picked everyone up!"

	"Well..."  It sort of fit the facts.  "Where are we, then?"

	"On a big transport ship, in orbit, I guess," Johnny replied.

	"I didn't volunteer..."

	"I volunteered you -- sorry, Mama."  Frankly, my son didn't look THAT
sorry.  The tone he used was one I was used to hearing from Marco -- the
undercurrent being, 'Tough shit...'

	We'd discussed the aliens at the dinner table on several occasions.
Marco's usual answer was, "You two go.  If I see an alien, I'm gonna shove a
forty-five up his ass and see how he likes it."  Now that I thought about it,
what I was going to do hadn't really come up...  "Your father is going to be
pissed."

	"Papa is out of it, Mama," Johnny replied calmly.  "When he gets back
from Jersey, we're gonna be long gone."

	"Your father has quite a reach," I argued, "He'll contact someone in
the business and..."

	"The Confederacy doesn't let members of the family off Earth, Mama,"
Johnny replied.  "He's got no one to talk to and no way to do it.  Sorry
about that.  You're divorced -- get used to it."  Again that tone...

	I got angry!  I got up and crossed the room and unleashed a slap --
and Johnny stood and caught my arm and glared at me and said, "No!  I am the
man, now!  You don't correct me -- I correct YOU!"  And he SLAPPED me -- HARD
-- and said, "Sit down and shut up!  If you do something stupid like that
again, I won't HAVE to punish you -- someone else will!"  Then he turned to
Mona.  "Talk to her.  She's in denial -- but her pig-headedness could get her
-- well, you know..."

	Mona sat down with me.  "Mama, if you were in a pickup, what were you
going to do?"

	"I don't know," I shrugged.  "I mean, we talked about it at the
beauty parlor a few times.  It really would have had a lot to do with whether
I thought your father could find me or not..."

	"Mama, the Family has nobody in the Confederacy.  Some of the family,
somewhere, may be doing their own thing, but don't you remember all of those
times when Papa would sit bitching at the table about how nobody seemed to be
able to touch Confederacy guys, and that if they did, all Hell broke loose?"
Mona sat back.  "Johnny and I know why -- they watch everything, and every
Confederacy guy has a wire built in and they basically read your mind when
you take your CAP test..."

	"Why didn't you tell your Papa?" I asked, incredulous.

	"Because it wouldn't help him, Mama -- and because Johnny was in line
to become a Confederacy guy."

	"Then we'd have had an in!" I declared.

	"No, you wouldn't, Mama," Mona shook her head.  "The Confederacy is
more like the Family in some ways than the Family; Johnny would have had to
choose them and break with the Family..."

	"That's a great way to get dead!" I erupted.

	"Except the Family can't touch the Confederacy..." Mona reminded me.

	I wasn't used to this.  It was an article of faith that the Family
could touch ANYBODY -- that's why you kept your mouth shut!  "You make it
sound like Witness Protection..."

	"Except the Family usually breaks Witness Protection, eventually,"
Mona replied, "But the Confederacy isn't Witness Protection and the
Confederacy can't be broken -- because the Family can't get off Earth!"

	"Well, we're not yet either, obviously..."

	"Oh?"  Johnny laughed and looked up.  "AI?  Where are we?"

	"The colonist passenger transport Valhalla, currently in Earth
orbit," a voice answered -- very creepy!

	Too many things were coming together too well...  I could feel my
chest tightening as fear swept over me.  "I think I've had enough of Family
Day," I husked.  "I really want to talk to Dean Atkinson about this.  It's
time to go home!"

	"John Tafarelli, the concubine Gina appears to be experiencing some
psychological difficulty.  Sedation is recommended," the voice out of the air
said.

	"We still need to cover some ground with her," Johnny spoke to the
voice in the air.  "Can you limit the dosage?"

	"Affirmative."

	Something hit me in the neck.  It stung, but I couldn't find anything
when I reached up and felt for it.  My chest eased, and I stopped getting
wildly excited.  Things were wrong -- but I didn't feel as threatened by
them.

	Johnny sat down and took my hands.  "Mama, I'm telling you again --
we've been picked up.  We're going to the colonies.  We need to settle a few
things out..."

	"I'm not naked," I interrupted.  "Don't, uh, concubines go naked?"

	"You will be tomorrow," Johnny replied.  "Will that help you feel
better?"

	"Well, no..."

	"Okay, then.  It's coming, anyway.  Look, Mama, Mona went to school
for this -- can you just follow her lead?"

	"Johnny, I didn't plan for us to stay out all night," I said
reasonably.

	"I did," Johnny replied.  "Mona did.  We'll take care of things."

	"Beverly Giancona is going to call..." I argued.

	"You're unavailable -- more or less permanently," Johnny replied.
"You're going to have to set up a new social circle in the colonies.  We're
moving, Mama -- on no notice.  Sorry."

	"Really?  This isn't some elaborate joke?"

	"No.  AI, can you depict...?"

	"Affirmative -- but she needs to see a real port.  Recommend that
this be handled on the way to Mess in the morning.  You are also scheduled
for early Medical," the voice in the air continued.

	"Okay..."  Johnny was going to continue, but a second voice came on
and announced that it was time for bed -- and that everyone should avoid sex,
if possible.  While I was still puzzling over that, the lights began to dim.
Johnny turned to Mona and said, "Okay, Sis -- why don't you sleep with Mama
tonight.  There will be plenty of time...  If you can, try to get her caught
up with real world happenings..."

	"Okay, Johnny.  Do I call you Master?" Mona dimpled, apparently
teasing.

	"I, uh..."  Johnny though a moment.  "AI, is Mona registered to me?"

	"Not officially," the voice from the air replied.  "I have this as
your request, but no concurrence, yet.  Mona Tafarelli..."

	"I submit," Mona replied.

	"Duly recorded."

	"NOW, you can call me Master!" Johnny grinned.

	"Good night, Master!"  Mona grinned from ear to ear; I couldn't quite
get the joke.

	"Good night, Mona.  Good night, Mama.  Sleep well, slaves..."

	Mona started stripping me out of my skirt and blouse.  I tried to
stop her, but a great lassitude settled over me and my arms didn't seem to
want to go where I told them to.  "Just relax, Mama -- it's bedtime," Mona
murmured.  "We'll hang up your nice things for tomorrow..."

	"Johnny..." I objected muzzily.

	"Johnny is going to see it all, anyway," Mona replied.  "Just relax
-- he's over there trying to sleep, anyway."

	I couldn't fight her.  I intended to insist that I keep my bra and
panties, but I never got the objection out.  When I was naked, she slid me
under a very comfortable blanket that felt more like a thick sheet and I
drifted away...

	This morning I awoke to a sonorous announcement that 'sponsors and
concubines' were to gather in 'common rooms.'  Apparently I was a late riser
-- no doubt from being sedated; Mona wouldn't let me put on any clothes!
Ripping the blanket from the bed, she wrapped me in it and hustled me out
into what was apparently the common room, to stand with the sheet wrapped
around my nakedness.  The walls suddenly became TV screens displaying the
images of three men and a voice I recognized from last night announced that
they'd all committed crimes -- and then backed up the accusations with some
excellent video.  Then whoever it was said, "There are just too many of you
for us to have to play games with, day in and day out.  We have excellent
recorded evidence of these incidents -- I can't emphasize enough that you are
monitored constantly by AIs.  Justice is swift..."  And the wall opened
behind them and they went flying out and I covered my mouth to keep from
vomiting because I KNEW now that I wasn't watching a bad sci-fi movie...
Several others had the same feeling as I, obviously, and a couple of them
weren't as lucky -- but then I'd seen a few things in my time.  The
Confederacy was apparently full of some pretty tough guys...

	About that time, I realized that I wasn't kidding myself any more.
This wasn't a joke or a game -- I was where Johnny and Mona said I was.  That
meant either I was a concubine, or I was going to be a concubine, because
that was all I had the CAP score for.  What to do next wasn't clear...

	I went back to the room to get dressed.  Johnny watched me, smiling
tolerantly, as I tried to hide myself from him while I dressed; something
told me that if I made an issue of the whole thing, it wouldn't help, so I
just turned my back and hid under the sheet while I got into my underclothes.
"Are you feeling better today, Mama?" Johnny asked.

	"I think so," I admitted.  "I don't think I handled things too well
last night."

	"No, you were in bad shape, Mama," Mona agreed.

	"What are we doing this morning, then?" I asked.

	"We're going to breakfast," Johnny related, "Then we're going to
Medical.  You had what the AI calls an episode last night -- you couldn't
seem to handle the truth of what was going on.  They're going to want to look
you over."

	"You have to admit that it's pretty weird and strange," I offered in
my defense.

	"Yes."  Johnny left it at that.  "Let's go to breakfast."