"So, you came." the redhead stated as she walked up to stand beside his car.
Perfect Tommy slid to the ground. "I came." he agreed.
She smiled that perfect smile of hers, those green eyes twinkling. "My name is Oran and I am very pleased to see that you have chosen the path of greatness."
"Well, lets just say I've chosen the path of curiosity." Tommy corrected.
"Curiosity, then." she allowed. She wrappped her arm around his and started to lead him to the limousine parked behind his car. "Everything is given life in the womb of curiosity."
"What about my car?" Tommy wondered as the door to the limo was held open for them.
"You'll have no need for it where you are going."
Tommy stopped. "You're?" he repeated. It would of been ever so much more comforting if she had said "we."
Again she smile at him. "If you decide you still want it after we're done, I will personally drive you back to this very spot." she assured.
Tommy's eye brows rose slightly. "You expect to so radically change my life?"
"Radically and ultimately." she promised.
Well, then..." Without a last glance at his beloved vehical, Perfect Tommy climbed into the limo.
**********
Jessie james watched the limo make its way up the dirt road and out of sight. She leaned back against her truck. She really had hoped that the Cavalier wouldn't go with the witch. She had thought, hoped even, that he was a good guy. It surprised her how much it bugged her to find out otherwise.
Her Austrain Shephard stuck his head out the window and wined as if he sensed something had unsettled his mistress.
"Don't worry about me, Oddity." She whispered, reaching up to scratch his ears. "We've got plenty enough to worry about without adding me to the list."
Again the dog wined.
Jessie sighed. "Yea, I know. He's a bad guy. We're just going to have to take him down with the rest." With a last scratch, she climbed into the truck once again.
**********
There was little real conversation on the ride. Every question Perfect Tommy asked was answered with flattery so thick that it was beganing to be more than he could take. And he had thought he could take anything... particularly flatterery.
The windows were tinted so dark that no one could see in nor out, so, for the exception of the occassional turn, Perfect Tommy had no way of telling where he was. And oran wasn't supplying any answers.
And, damn, that was getting annoying!
"So, does Oran have a last name?" he asked, trying to pick up some form of communication.
The woman's beautiful eyes twinkled. "Does Tommy?"
He frowned. "yes: Tommy. My name is Perfect Tommy."
The woman smirked. "I suppose that does make Tommy your last name. Should I call you Perfect, then?" She snuggled into his side. "It certainly fits."
Again Tommy frowned. "Tommy will do fine."
"And Oran serves me well." She sighed when she saw that he was not satisfied, and she sat upright and began to dig in her purse for something. "Please understand, Tommy, that in our existance of one man's genius being another's glory, sometimes our on;y protection is the secret of our names." Again she smirked. "I believe you know that simple truth... unless you expect me to believe that Perfect Tommy is your given name."
"Makes sense." he had to admit. He wanted to argue that it was like that with Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers. but then he remembered such names as Rawhide, Pecos, and so many others, including himself; people who left their real names, along with their pasts, far behind in the past. Damn, the only person he was sure about was New Jersey, and that was just because that the man was so damn innocent that he couldn't be anything other than what he seemed.
he could feel the limo decelerate. There were bumps as if they were going down a dirt road. He leaned close to the window to try, once more, to see out.
"Relax." Oran whispered into his ears.
A sharp stab at the base of his neck stopped him. He started to reach up to feel what had happened, but Oran smacked his hand away.
"I said relax!" she snapped. Withdrawing the syringe from his neck, she moved over to the seat across from him.
Tommy reached up again, but his heands suddenly felt very heavy. In fact, everything was begining to feel very heavy, from his eyes to his toes, even his toung. "What... what did you do to me?" he gasped.
Oran watched as he fell over across the seat. She leaned back, crossing one beautiful leg over the other. "What a dissapointment you have been. I expceted more of a challenge from one of Banzai's acclaimed Hong Kong Cavaliers." she complained. "I don't know wheather to be proud of the quick success of the hunt, or ashamed at the previouse failors of our employees."
The limo pulled to stop and the door was opened.
Lady Oran de Nathair took the hand offered to her from outside and stepped out of the car.
Lord Uil Duine glanced inside, clapped his hands with glee, and offered "Well done, my beautiful Lady. Well done, indeed."
