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d the end of Fort Dallas。
For thirty years； beginning around the turn of the century； South Florida grew at an astonishing pace。 Rabid opportunists seized as much land as they could； swapped it； platted it； sold it。 Where there was no land they dredged it from the bottom of Biscayne Bay； manufactured an island； named it after a flower or a daughter or themselves； and peddled it as a natural oasis。 All this was done with great efficiency and enthusiasm； but with no vision whatsoever。
Those wheeler…dealers who didn't blow their brains out after the Hurricane of '26 or hang themselves after the real…estate bust were eventually rewarded with untold wealth。 Today they were venerated for their perseverance and toughness of spirit； and some even had public parks named after them。 These characters are regarded as the true pioneers of South Florida。
It is their descendants； the heirs to paradise （and to the banks and the land）； who put on the annual Orange Bowl Parade。
The pageant began a half…century ago as an honest parade； Main Street entertainment for little children and tourists。 But with the ascension of television the event grew and changed character。 Gradually it became an elaborate instrument of self…promotion； deliberately staged to show the rest of the United States （suffering through winter） a sunny； scenic； and sexy sanctuary。 The idea was to make everybody drop their snow shovels and hop the next jumbo jet for Florida。 To this end； the Orange Bowl Parade was as meticulously orchestrated as a nuclear strike。 Those who would appear on camera were carefully selected： high…school bands from Bumfuck； Iowa； awe shining from their sunburned faces as they bugled down Biscayne Boulevard； a sprinkling of Caribbean blacks and South American Hispanics； evidence of Miami's exotic but closely supervised cultural mix； the most innocuous of TV celebrities； delighted to shill for the tourist board in exchange for ped rooms at the Fontainebleau。
From the Chamber of merce point of view； the most essential ingredient was subliminal sex。 You cannot sell sun…drenched beaches without showing tanned female cleavage； Middle America hungered for it。 Thus the pageant always featured droves of women in brief but not…quite…nasty bathing suits。 The favored choice of models was the pneumatic blond teenager； suggestively hugging a neoprene palm tree or riding a stuffed alligator and smiling so fixedly that any idiot could see her makeup had been put on with a trowel。
Every year the Orange Bowl mittee chose a sunny new theme； but seldom did it touch on Florida's rapacious history。 Swamp wars and slave raids and massacres of Indian children did not strike the Orange Bowl fathers as suitable topics for a parade； a parade intended purely as a primetime postcard。
As noted； this year's slogan was 〃Tropical Tranquillity。〃
At six P。M。 the floats and clowns and high…school bands collected in the parking lots across from the Dupont Plaza Hotel。 Dusky clouds rolled in from the north； smothering the vermilion sunset and dropping temperatures。 The wind came in chilly gusts； some of the girls in bathing suits sneaked back to the dressing rooms to tape Band…Aids over their nipples； so they wouldn't be embarrassed if it got cold。
Before the parade could begin； a huge balloon replica of some ic…strip character with teeth like Erik Estrada's broke from its tether and drifted toward the high…voltage power lines。 A policeman with a rifle shot it down； the first casualty of the evening。
Traditionally； the order of march began with a police honor guard and ended； a mile or so later； with the queen's float。 This year the regimen would be different。 Al Garcia had insisted that a troop of cops be positioned within shouting distance of Kara Lynn Shivers； but the Orange Bowl mittee absolutely refused； fearing Major Image Problems if TV cameras were to show uniformed police in the same frame as the queen。 Brian Keyes had suggested a promise； which was accepted： a colorful contingent of Shriners on motorcycles was inserted between the queen's float and the City of Miami （Marching） SWAT Team。
The Shriners would be led； of course； by Burt and James； packing handguns in their baggy trousers。 Of the forty men behind them； only twenty would actually belong to the Evanston Shrine； the rest would be motorcycle cops secretly conscripted by Al Garcia。 This part of the plan had never been revealed to the Orange Bowl mittee or to the Chamber of merce。 However； to anyone paying close attention； it was obvious from the pained expressions on these unusually young and muscular…looking Shriners that something was screwy。 The way they wore the fez hats； for one thing： straight up； instead of cocked ten degrees； jocular…Shriner style。
There was even more firepower： thirty undercover officers armed with machine pistols （and a mug shot of Viceroy Wilson burned into their memories） would move through the crowd； flanking Kara Lynn's float。 From above； eight police sharpshooters with nightscopes would watch from various downtown buildings along Biscayne Boulevard and Flagler Street； the parade routes。
The queen's float shimmered gold and royal blue； by virtue of seventy…thousand polyethylene flower petals stapled to a bed of plywood； plaster； and chickenwire。 The motif was 〃Mermaid Magic；〃 featuring Kara Lynn in a clinging burnt…orange gown； her hair in tendrils under the Orange Bowl tiara； her cheeks glistening as if kissed by the sea。 There had been a brief debate about whether or not she should wear a rubber fish tail； and though her father endorsed the idea （〃More camera time； sweetcakes〃）； she declined firmly。
Kara Lynn's throne was a simulated coral reef built on the front end of the float。 From this perch she would smile and wave to the throngs while a hidden stereo broadcasted actual underwater recordings of migrating sperm whales。 Meanwhile the four runner…up contestants； dressed in matching tuna…blue mermaid gowns； would pretend to cavort in an imaginary lagoon behind Kara Lynn's reef。 In rehearsal； with all the blond beauty queens making swimming motions with their arms； someone remarked that it looked like a Swedish version of the Supremes。
The queen's float had been constructed around a Datsun pickup truck； which would power it along Biscayne Boulevard。 The truck's cab had been camouflaged as a friendly octopus in the mermaid lagoon； the driver of the float and Brian Keyes would be sitting inside。 The windshield of the pickup had been removed to permit a sudden exit； just in case。
Despite these extraordinary precautions and the preponderance of high…powered guns； the pre…parade atmosphere was anything but tense。 Even the Orange Bowl mitteemen seemed loose and confident。
The sight of so many policemen； or the knowledge of their presence； was reassurance enough for those to whom the parade meant everything。 These； of course； were the same buoyant optimists who believed that the violent events of the weekend had conclusively ended Miami's drama。
The parade was due to begin at seven…thirty P。M。 sharp； but it was delayed several minutes because of a problem with one of the floats。 Acting on a confidential tip； U。S。 customs agents had impounded