'TODAY GIRLS we are going to learn something about the beach, the Big Blue Sea and how to keep safe on this amazing coastline.'
Miss Elia Dubbers was a proud Frangean and did not mind everyone knowing it.
The first years had been delighted when they heard they were going on another outing, more so when that outing was down the mountainside, right through Cherryball Flats and onto the sandy beach with its bathers and tanners, joggers and loungers.
And hucksters.
'Get your unburstable beachball here,' someone shouted as soon as they had all arrived.
'It's made of plastic foam,' Anthera Malabona said casually as the man paused by what appeared a gathering of affluence in the form of elite young ladies on an outing. 'I know the laboratory that invented the froth process which created it.' Her family back in Meditia were involved in scientific research of the mineralogical kind, though the land was more famous for swimming, fishing and dangerous cats.
'Which is why, madam, it is so completely unburstable. Guaranteed full of froth and light as the wind. Pink or lemon, or would you like one of our special swirly designs that can hypnotise a seagull at forty paces? Only an extra five coins.' He showed a soft globe in vivid orange and green from among the netting that bulged with his wares. One could imagine it making birds go instantly insane with just a glance.
'Come away girls,' Miss Dubbers intervened. 'We are not here to contribute to a sub-economy fueled by opportunism and mislaid credibility.'
'Why not?' Bubbles Bannatyne said and blinked.
'Because you girls are members of an extremely exclusive seminary. Your incomes must pass through many hands before reaching such a level as represented by some of the purveyors of goods to be found here.'
'Except, mmm, this,' Fizzy Massking said.
'And, mmm, this,' Divvy Massking agreed. The twins from Dorm Flare were licking green ice cream cones speckled with minty bits as they spoke. The other girls squealed and rampaged to the nearest frozen dairy stall on the beach front. The sight was amusing as so many wide-brimmed sun hats tried to cluster together in a disorderly non-queue in front of the stall. Hands thrust out from the massed headwear holding insistant coins.
'Well, now that bit of the outing is over with,' Miss Dubbers said resignedly as her charges returned each with a flavoured cone which rapidly disappeared in the hot sun by the combination of lick and melt and lick again. There was a soft belch from somewhere that made the mistress squint suspiciously but she was unable to locate the source.
'Guaranteed unburstable,' came a familiar voice.
'Go away, or I shall call a beach warden,' Miss Dubbers warned.
'Miss, one must be careful regarding this, may I say,' the usually quiet and incredibly polite Octora girl said. 'I understand some of the wardens are on commissions.'
Miss Dubbers blinked.
'I do not quite understand.'
'They're on the take miss,' Bubbles explained with a huff. 'Ten percent.'
'So, if we were to offer them fifteen percent, these disagreeable traders would be obliged to leave us alone?' Pirouette Wrangely said in a voice that suggested a problem bought is a problem solved.
'Well,' Miss Dubbers said in a slightly musical voice unlike her usual tone, 'we are learning all sorts of things today on this outing, and we have barely begun.'
It was then the Octora girl belched loud and long for she was not used to dairy products.
