Buff-ball

Cut, in 30s' film logic, to a view of Fortune coming through the double-doors of a Parisian salon. The regulars there, smartly-dressed but seeming slightly dangerous, carry on talking, gesticulating madly but composedly at their compatriots. The barman, whose eyes seem like fixed marbles, cooly glances at you. You step forward slightly, trying to judge the aura of the place. We see you scanning the tables, trying to both figure everyone out, and seem as if you weren't. A young man with rugged features and a typical suit, who had been with a redheaded girl from Bretagne, looks back, and comes towards you slowly.

"This way, Miss Fortune," says the young man with the rugged features.

"After you, Col," I say as Col Man turns and leads me to a booth at the back. "You got the message?"

"Yeah," he says, "The third is on his way."

i didnt know i was making a guest appearance

(tell me more about what happens when we get to the booth)

Fortune starts dangling lobster heads in true Nouvelle vague fashion, while a cheap cover of the Velvet Underground's 'I'm set free' is played, sped up by 15%.

Composure is regained, and the screen goes black-and-white again.

'So,' says Fortune, furtively gazing at Col; 'your buddy likes lobster heads?'

ROFL!

(Where do I go from there? Looks like Paz will have to be my back up guy.)

Col grunts the affirmative as he motions a waiter over and orders us both a scotch on the rocks. His eyes travel lazily over the room, a quiet vigilance pervades his character despite the outward appearance of suavity. I hunch back into my corner of the booth while I watch the people around me, ready for any sign of disturbance, or worse, recognition.

"How long?" I say impatiently.

"Hold your horses, he'll be here," Col mutters testily under his breath, as the waiter returns with out drinks.

A woman with long, frizzed hair and a laconic expression starts towards Fortune. Their eyes meet dramatically three times. The woman judges the situation, and slowly goes forward, stopping to talk about Baudelaire to strangers instead of approaching Fortune and Col directly.

'Is that the-- help?',' asks Fortune.

'Hm,' Col mutters, 'never seen her before.'

'Strange. She looks familiar to me.'

(That wouldn't be you by any chance, Drom? Gimme a hint where I'm to run with this)

You three are nutters!

(but in the nicest possible way)

Are you looking to make the team?

Or the list

I'll join the team AND the list. I'll try anything once (which scared my ex when I entered the bedroom with a pot of cream cheese and a badminton racquet).

(Hmm, this raises the possibility of a sell-out, a turn-coat... Bears further investigation)

I've watched enough Aussie TV to know that one don't dob on one' mates. I'm a safe pair of hands, swear down.

Can I join ? The only ball I will touch is the volley ball - I promise

Hmm, we are looking for a third. When Drom gets back we may have to hold auditions.

someone, somewhere in a darkened hallway, sipping american whisky heard the words "Niagara Falls" and then, thru the haze Drom answered "Slowly I turned, step by step, inch by inch...I took my revenge"
the gig was up, the party over, the cork popped, the veil lifted as a mynah bird squawked from the attic "wet birds never fly at night, no! never!"

That's it, dys. I'm making you the lounge singer who gets shot in the next scene!

yeah
love nutters... love life works for me

better to be a quack than a ducky

damn and i thought another episode of 'buff ball' had started....

oh well on to more sensible thing

and hi gautam not seen you for a while how ya doodlin? hows life in london is the weather as miserable and rainy as it is here in leeds

and hi to dys and da grand duke too
glad to see you making guest appearance here in the posts of madness
hey duke man what part of our fatherland do you live in? is it raining there too??
its miserable here in leeds

I live about 30 miles away from you in the equally rainy yet historical city of York. We get loads of floods when it rains! I live near the river but safe from flooding. We all go down flood-watching when it's the season!

There's another resident of Leeds knocking about here by the name of Kev, as well as a couple from the wrong side of the Pennines. I must confess to being a Smoggy by upbringing and a Geordie by birth, so my Northern credentials are intact! :wink:

Are you 'of an age' to go to the festival next weekend, or is not your thing?