The air became noticeably warmer and smelled of girls.

Suddenly Linda Davis, Virginia Roe and Patty Thorne stood before them, totally nude.

—Exactly. What else?

First was Virginia Roe. He'd seen his younger sister naked before, and except for slightly fuller hips, she was just the same! Ten going on eleven.

Second was Virginia's best friend, Patty Thorne. Richard had never seen her naked before. Her slim torso and slightly swelling hips gave her the appearance of a girl-boy-woman creature from the sea.

—Exactly. What else?

Third was Linda Davis, his seventh grade teacher, standing before them, totally nude.

"It's so no one will take our picture," Patty Thorne said.

—Exactly. What else?

He was most surprised by his teacher, Linda Davis – totally woman, yet clearly totally girl.

—Exactly. What else?

The cabin pressure mounted.

"If you girls had been wearing clothes, we'd be dead now," Bill Tickton said. "Our ships would have occupied simultaneous space and we would have exploded."

—Exactly. What else?

Patty Thorne stood in front of the group. She kind of liked the attention. "It says in the second-to-last section of The Field Guide ..."

"You were reading it backwards?" Richard interrupted.

—Exactly. What else?

""We're not wearing clothes for a reason," Linda Davis explained, leading the two girls, Virginia Roe and her best friend, Patty Thorne, to the front of what, in her mind's eye, served as a perfectly acceptable classroom. "I think we should review The Field Guide," Linda Davis said, secretly happy no one could take her picture.

Patty Thorne stood in front of the group who were all sitting around like Soonarians. She kind of basked in the attention.

—Cash only.

"Okay. What a sight. A normal thing at last," Mr. Juda said, as Patty Thorne stood if front of them and began to read from The Field Guide to the Planet Soon.

—Exactly. What else?

33. SOONARIAN RULE OF LAW
INSOFAR AS MEETING
PEOPLE FROM EARTH
WHO HAVE CAMERAS

(a.) On the Planet Soon you cannot take pictures of anyone who is naked.

(b.) So to keep people from taking our pictures, we go naked!

(c.) Because of warmth & clouds, we sit around outside for hours at a time.

(d.) We like living "a life in the shade."

(e.) Celebrities wear clothes, because, duhhh! – they like having their picture taken!

(f.) So the rule for everyone else is, "To keep anyone from taking your picture, never wear clothes!"

—Exactly. What else?

Richard looked around and saw by now, he was the only one wearing clothes.

"So now you're a big shot," Linda Davis said. "Everyone will take your picture."

—Exactly. What else?

"Thanks, you are very courteous," Richard Roe said, bowing slightly.

—Exactly. What else?

He still wasn't used to seeing her this way. She saw where he was looking and shrugged.

—Cash only.

"I'm going to be your eighth grade teacher," Linda Davis said, "in case you're interested."

—Exactly. What else?