Posted by PK on October 25, 2001 at 18:02:29:
Amanda smote her forehead theatrically. No she didn't, she implied the gesture by a blink
and a slight movement. (Amplified attention, Carol's intuition noted without verbalising it in
those precise terms.) "Dreadfully sorry. Of course I have. Should have offered. Wine? Beer?
I do believe there's a bit of whisky somewhere. Cannabis? I've heard it helps the adjustment
process."
Adjustment? Hmm. I've got to adjust to the idea that I'll be dead soon. No, look on the bright
side. I'll be delicious. Focus on that, Carol thought about twenty minutes, hours or years later.
It gets you that way about halfway into the second joint when you realise you're already
stoned. You thought that you needed another one and you didn't. Or possibly you did and the
effect is retroactive in time. Or...."Got any sounds?" she slurred. Must be the shot of cheap
whisky ("Not very good, Amanda had apologised. I don't drink the stuff myself.....")
"Vivaldi? Rite of Spring? Or early Roxy Music?"
"Surprise me."
"What the FUCK is she playing at?" the director wanted to know. "I can't hear what they're
saying."
The obligatory short-skirted blonde assistant piped up. "Foreplay. She said..."
Jerry hadn't left yet. "In case anybody missed it, I'm not comfortable with this...."
"She's just getting her into it," the blonde continued.
"Cameras?"
The videotech said. "All nominal. The soundtrack in the rest room HiFi system is overloading
our audio input. Shower room effect."
"That's early Brian Eno," somebody said.
"Ladytron, first Roxy Music album, second track."
"This presages an attack," the resident cybergeek RPG fan commented darkly. "I'm getting a
bad feeling about this." He was ignored.
On cue, Amanda smiled directly into the camera. She stepped onto the table in one fluid
movement, a motion that the videotech swore he would copy for his personal use and
treasure forever, and plucked it out of the wall. "I do hope you're all enjoying this," she said.
"You realise, of course, that I retain editorial control?"
The pickup in the rest station couldn't receive audio feed from the control station so Amanda
couldn't possibly have heard somebody say, "What the fuck does that mean?"
"That means the script...well, think about it." The Huntress said. "Stay tuned. There may be
some delay as the POV shifts. Anything can happen in the next hour, woo woo, all that rot."
The screen dissolved into static.
Carol returned from the Martian ionosphere. "Huh? Who were you..." talking to.
"Ghosts of air and darkness," Amanda said. "Decided yet?"
Too many times beautiful
Too many times sad
Too many times wonderful
Too bad....
On what? Ummmm...Carol looked up. Her heart jumped. "Oh, right." She took a deep breath.
Collected her thoughts. Throat slit. Boiled in a pot? Fried? No...Oh fuck, lets go for the big
one. "Roast me whole. Invite your friends. Why not.."
"Invite my friends?" Amanda grinned like a fox. "Not quite, but still...hmmm...half an idea
there. Which aperture would you prefer?"
"Um?"
"Where do I shove it in?"
Preserve my pussy for the plate? Take it in the arse? Not me, I'm a red-blooded cock
worshipper. IAO PAN. "Stick it right up my cunt," Carol said.
"Still getting some audio feed," the sound-and pictures-dude muttered. "Negatory on the
visual, camera 5."
"In English?"
"They're gonna take it outside. Check the monitor on the picnic space. That's four in
Centigrade."
The dig was ignored. Nobody understood it.
"I'm telling you, we're...."
The script girl was agitated. "Oh, shut the fuck up. She eats young WOMEN." And I'm blonde
and wearing fetching underwear. Maybe I'm act two. Maybe I've seen too many horror flicks.
Her lace panties dampened.