"By the way," I said, watching Regina hang up her dark blue hand-woven jacket, "you wouldn't mind picking up an extra child tomorrow, would you?"
"Mind! Certainly I mind. I've got as much as I can do with my job and Gail and eight children in the heli already."
"It's a Hiserean child," I said. "The mother is so lovely, Regina. She didn't want us to go to any trouble."
"That's fine. Because I'm not going to go to any trouble."
I put my fists behind my back. "Of course I understand, Regina. I think it's remarkable that you manage to do so much. And keep up with your art things as you do. But don't you think it would be an interesting experience to have a Hiserean child in the pool?"
Regina pulled off her hand-woven wrap-skirt and I was shocked to see she wore a real boudoir slip to work.
"Everybody to their own interesting experiences," she said, laughing at me. This was obviously one of her triple-level remarks.
"De gustibus," I said, to show I know a few arty things myself, "non disputandum est."
"You have such moments, Verne! Have you ever seen a Hiserean child?"