I think this vacation is going to be more of a strain than the spring cleaning wash. I certainly learned things about Gamont when it got light. I thought it was for vacations, like the seaside on Kestrel where my parents used to take me, and people would build sandcastles and swim and eat ices in the evening. Gamont is not like that. The whole place is divided into what they call little worlds. You go inside one and you can pretend you are someone in the past or future and they do all sorts of unusual things. We got in a carriage drawn by a thorse and Ahmed and Pol started to show us the sights. First we went to Eden, There was a woman dressed up like a snake at the entrance who wanted us to check our clothing and pick a costume from the rack. On the rack marked ' Adams'' were all these leaves of all different sizes (but fake ones-cotton), but rhey were all marked "Extra-Large." There were different brands, too, fig, Conan, Stud, though what kind of a tree a stud is 1 can't say. Well, I certainly wasn't going to get undressed, so we didn't go in Eden. I asked Ahmed if there wasn't a seashore we could go to, and he said sure, and we drove off again. We came to a world called Nantucket, and decided to have lunch before going to die beach. There was a restaurant called The Flipping Frog. Food all right. There was entertainment, too-a man and a woman sang a very funny (but sometimes puzzling) song. Here's what I remember about the beginning; First the girl sang, "Who's that knocking on my door?" "Who's that knocking on my door?" "Who's that knocking on my door?" Said the fair voting maiden. The boy answered, "D' ye ken me still, I'm Barnacle Bill, O' the 'Rakis Royal Navy. Afld here I stand, come from 'oeath the sand, With the 'Rakis Royal Navy." So the girl told him to wipe his feet upon the mat, but there must have been a hundred verses, and our tood came, and I don't remember the rest. Afterwards we went to the beach. Bertha and I had a good time wading and enjoying the sun. Ahmed and Pol played cards. Oh, I almost forgot: Gamont has seven days in its week They're called Funday, Manday, Twosday, Womanday, Threesday, Tryitday, and Saryrday. When the couple was singing, Bertha almost choked, she was laughing so hard and her face got so red. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, "When in Gamont, do as the Gamontians do." So I'm dating my diary differently while we're here. It'll be a nice memento Womanday, neSheustim 27: I had a scare today. Went to Harem World and lost Bertha. We put costumes, on-pretty things, but sheer, my goodness, you can see right through them. Little sheer pink top. Full, gathered pantaloon thing. Pretty gold belt. Hand wash, I guess, in cold water But anyway, I think Bertha's getting upset by the excitement or something.