"Dere was a little 'elicopter red and blue," Meli chirped, "flew along de air-ways—"

The rest came through unidentifiably.

"Ba-ba-ba," said a faint voice. Gail had given up. I longed for ears in the back of my head because victory was mine and all I needed to do was reinforce it with a little friendly conversation.

"Yes, dear?" I asked her encouragingly.

"Ba-ba-ba," was all I could make out.

"Yes, indeed. That Gail likes to go to Playplace."

"Ba-ba-ba!" A little irritable. She was trying to say something important. "Ba-ba-ba!"

I signaled for an emergency hover, turned around and presented my ear.

"Me eat de crus' of de toas'," Gail said. She beamed.

I beamed.