"What gives?"

"Look at it this way. New committee head takes over this year. Wants his own man in at coach. The current head coach gets rid of all the flesh she can-including you, babes. Hopes it's somehow gonna save some ass-hers."

"Figures."

"But the axe is already swinging at the committee headquarters. Even as Coach Haller's tossing your hiney to the wind, word is on the way that her head's gonna go on a roll pronto."

"Shit."

"Coach's ass is canned immediately, without warning. As of this afternoon in fact."

"Serves the fuckface right."

"I get my walking papers-in effect-right then-cause I'm one of the hands hired on by the now-former coach."

"Sorry about my mouthing off like that. Coach Haller is your friend?"

"No. You're right. Just another asshole-just like the new prick. She'd have bounced me if she thought it'd help her position. Such is life. Such are careers."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Well, let's see. You know I was-at a time not so very long ago nor so far away-motivation and performance trainer for the women's swim team?"

"Oh. Was that you?-"

"Yeah. I was busted as scapegoat for alleged psycho-lesbo numbers that they were running down in the press."

"You were-I read somewhere-weren't you- uh-kind of a criminal?"

"I was subsequently hired for big bucks by the East Krauts."

"Now I remember."

"It was a straight-up business deal. But the media hopped on my ass again. Didn't appreciate that I was coaching the commies-even though it was on a strictly capitalistic basis."

"And the Americans fired you to begin with."

"Made no difference to them. So they implied I was a traitor-or at least some kind of rogue, rascal, spy."

"Shit. Yeah. There were reports in the press a couple years ago that Jacquette and I and the other gymnasts were supposed to be anorexic. The fucking bastards."