he brewers and
distillers had sent along their wares, from the mildest beer to vodka of
120 proof, joining unselfishly in the celebration even though,
technically, they were not under Dionysian protection at all, but were
the wards of Ceres, the Goddess of grain.

Celebrants, liquors, chants, preparations, balloons, confetti, edibles
and all the other appurtenances of the festival spiraled dizzyingly
upward, reaching proportions unheard of throughout history. And, in a
back room at the Temple-on-the-Green, the late William Forrester sat,
trying to forget all about them, and suffering from a continuous case of
nerves.

Diana marched up and down in front of him, smacking her left fist into
her calloused little right palm. "Now listen," she said crisply. "I know
you're all hot and bothered, kid, but there's no reason to be. You're
doing fine. They love you out there."

"Sure I am," Forrester said, unconvinced.

"Well, you are," Diana said. "You just got to have confidence, that's
all. Keep your spirits up. Tried singing?"

"Singing?"

"Singing, kid. Raises the spirits."

Forrester blinked. "Really?"

"Take it from me," Diana said. "How about Tenting Tonight?"

"How about what?"

"Tenting Tonight," Diana said. "You know."

"I--guess I do." Forrester wished that Diana would do more than treat
him like a pal. She was a remarkably beautiful woman, if you liked the
type, and Forrester liked virtually any type.

Now, success appeared to be within his grasp. But it did seem an odd
time to bring the subject up. Oh, well, he thought, maybe she was just
trying to cheer him up and had picked this way of doing it.

It worked, too, he told himself happily.

He cleared his throat. "Where?"

Diana stared. "Where?"

"That's right," Forrester said. Something was going wrong but he
couldn't discover what it was. "The tenting."

"Oh," Diana said. "Right here. Now. Raises the spirits."

"I should say it does!" Forrester agreed enthusiastically. "But after
all--right here--"

"Don't worry about it, kid. Nobody will hear you."

"_Hear_ me?"

"Anyway, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of people do it when they
feel low."

"I'll bet they do," Forrester said. "But it's different with you and
me."

"Me?" Diana said. "What do I have to do with it? I just told you--"

"Well, sure. And here and now is as good a time and place as any."

Diana stepped back a pace. "Okay, let's hear it. Sing!"

"Sing? You mean I have