“When we were outside waiting, we split up, you know, and stealthily eavesdropped on everyone. We caught them rehearsing, right out in the open. Now we know our competition. Except you guys. Y’all weren’t rehearsing.”

“We don’t need to re-hearse!” I squeal.

“We’re good,” Margie says.

“And we don’t want you stealing our material,” Sara adds. “So go back to your cabin, Double-O-Seven, and tell the guys your slick and subtle espionage came up dry!”

“At least I tried.”

Through my push handles I feel him leave.

At the next table a girl counselor in a slinky dress is running a blackjack game. The para gets beaten by the bank. Yvonne is standing there watching, playing the high roller’s floozy.

“Okay,” the croupier declares, “that hand was for practice. Now the real deal.”

The para looks at his cards. “Hit me,” he says.

She shows him the next card, an eight. “Might be risky.”

“Okay, then don’t.” He gives Yvonne the plastic love beads he wins. She gives him a little kiss, and her beige skin goes red.

The next camper can’t add to twenty-one. The hints get even more direct. Each player is a winner, and each winner gets a hug from the croupier.

In the basketball game, the hoop moves to suit the thrower’s ability. When the quad plays, Sue holds the ball up to his chin, and the basket touches his knees. He gives the ball a tap, and it falls on his lap and rolls straight into the basket. Another sports hero.

The Gypsy fortune-teller predicts happiness, wealth, luck, and love for all. There are no struggles, no setbacks, no perils in her crystal ball.

“You will have good health and long life,” we hear her tell Robert the aussie behind her curtain.

“Oh, yeah,” Sara scoffs. “So that’s why they’re lining up to sell him insurance!”

“Gotta go to Gozeboro…”

We hear Willie’s laugh explode behind our backs. “Willie,” Sara says, “you’ve blown your cover. We knew you were lurking around anyway. Just forget about getting any intelligence from us!”

“You said it, I didn’t.”

The games start looking pretty similar. There are a circus game, a rodeo game, a safari game, all with the object of throwing something and knocking something down. I kind of want to try. Once I get hold of a ball, I can throw a good distance, with a lot of force. My aim is erratic, but I like a challenge. We spazzos are pretty good at knocking things down.

I watch the games. Everyone is winning. Most of the prizes are little things. Penny candies, bubblegum, plastic jewelry, rubber bugs. However, there are some real prizes: stuffed animals, hats, T-shirts.

We keep moving.

Margie says, “Seems like everyone’s got one good prize. Except us.” She’s right. I wonder if she wants a prize. We head to the circus game.