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"Please have your clothing unpacked and be ready to meet with me for a tour of the school in forty minutes." she said, and turned to Mommy and Daddy. "You should say your good-byes quickly, Mr. and Mrs. Forman. Honey has a great deal to do in a very short time because of the hour you have arrived."

"But don't we get to meet Madame Senetsky. too?" Mommy blurted.

"Madame Senetsky is interested only in her pupils, not their families," Laura Fairchild replied firmly,

"But that seems so unusual,'" Mommy said.

"Of course it's unusual. This is not a public school or in any way like a common college. Everyone who comes under her guidance and instruction does so completely, without any

reservation, and with the realization he or she has been given a rare opportunity,"

She paused, darkened her eyes with new intensity, and lifted her head stiffly.

"The world of entertainment is often a world of loneliness." she continued to explain. "Madame believes it is very important-- in fact, essential-- that her wards immediately develop a sense of

independence."

"I don't see what harm it does to say hello to people," Daddy muttered.

"It's been nice meeting you," Laura Fairchild said in return. She flashed a plastic smile at Mommy, and then turned to inc. "If you have any questions, save them for our general meeting, in what is now thirtyfive minutes,," she threw off, nodded at Mommy and Daddy, and strutted out of the room, closing the door behind her.

We all stood there, gaping after her.

"Nothing wrong with that woman that a good dose of old man McCarthy's rot-gut gin wouldn't solve," Daddy remarked.

"Stop it, Isaac." Mommy chastised. "She'll hear you."

"I wish she would."

Mommy started to help me unpack. Daddy walked about the room, studying it like some prospective buyer or building inspector. Mommy worked with a sense of frenzy to keep herself from bursting into tears. I could see the small look of terror in her eyes as the time for them to leave was closing in on us. After I replaced the fake flowers in the vase on my desk with Uncle Simon's roses. I put my hand softly on her shoulder, and she turned to me, her eyes glazed.

"I'll be all right. Mommy." I said. "Really. I will."

"Of course shell be all right," Daddy nearly roared.

Mommy gave him a quick look of rebuke. He shifted his eyes and studied the closet door hinge rather than look at me.

"I don't like bringing you here and dropping you off like some sort of package," Mommy muttered. "Parents should be shown about and given a sense of relief, too. They need to know their children are secure."

"Look at this place," Daddy said, his arms wide. "Video security, gates. bars. Ifs built like a fortress."

"All right, Isaac." She looked at me.

"You can call us if you need us. We can fly here quickly if we have to."

"You're making it worse," Daddy muttered, almost in a whisper.

She gave him a look full of fire and then she calmed down, looked at me, smiled, and hugged me.

"I was hoping we would take you to a nice dinner, maybe meet some of your new friends." she moaned. "Just dropping you off and turning right around to go home..."

"Sophia."

"Okay, okay." She dropped her arms in defeat, gazed around the room, and then walked to the doorway. "Oh, make sure she has money. Isaac." Mommy reminded him.

He reached into his jacket and produced an envelope stuffed with bills.

"Use this to set up your account," he said. I saw there was quite a bit of money.