by LARDLAD (ANTHONY E. TAYLOR)
Lardlad gave a gentle knock on Shadowplay in Candlelight Lass's office door then walked in. He was a little shocked, but not totally surprised, to see Beagle Boy in there feeding her grapes.
"Uh, 'scuse me," Lardlad interrupted.
"Oh! Lardy...what can I do for you?" Shady asked a little embarrassed.
"Er, I need to talk to you," Lardlad glanced at Beagle, "in private."
Beagle saw the urgency in his old friend's eyes, "no problemo, Lard-man. I was just leaving anyway!" Beagle then hastily gathered up the large tray of grapes and headed out the door. As he left he queried, "later, Shady?"
"Definitely!" she answered. Her tone changed to minor annoyance as she turned to her fellow LMB founder. "This better be important, Lardy! I was due for some pampering, after all!"
"I'm sorry, Shady...I wouldn't have interrupted if I felt it was unimportant."
"Go ahead, Lardy," she said, softening.
He took a seat and pulled it up to her desk. Many LMBers solicited advice from her so often that they had eventually made it an official function by building her the office into LMB HQ. Lardlad took a deep breath then began. "Shady...Candace...I've come to ask you about Hummer Lass."
"Hummer Lass? HUMMER LASS?! GRIFE! How DARE you interrupt one of the first leisurely evenings I've had in MONTHS to come talk about your perennial obsession with Hummer Lass!" All the softness in her voice was replaced by an infrequently-displayed rage that was startling to behold.
"Wait a minute, Shady...It is not like that! I'm concerned about her!"
"CONCERNED about Pru? Since when have either you or any of the other males here been concerned about her? Haven't had your "fix" from her in a while?"
"NO! Calm down...please. Let me explain! There's something that happened long ago that I never fully explained to any LMBer. Let me tell you, now..."
Lardlad began to recount the incident of Hummer Lass's brief incarceration. The common belief among the LMB was that he had released her in exchange for her special kind of "bribe". He had never confirmed or denied that part; the incident was so personal to him that he'd never cared to share it with another soul. Now, for the first time, he was confiding in a friend.
Shady could see the sincerity in her old friend's eyes and hear it in his voice. She was a little ashamed at how she'd lashed out at him moments ago. Mostly, she was moved by the depth of his feelings and empathy for a woman most thought was trash.
As he concluded the account, Lardlad related the incident that occurred as the LMB was reforming. "So I hadn't seen Pru at all 'til I saw her at the Shadowplay in Candlelight Lounge a couple of months ago. She obviously hadn't changed her ways. In fact she seemed more vampy and more distant than ever."
"Yes...yes," Shady responded contemplatively, "as I told you after you and Lash got me to rejoin the LMB, I had opened the bar/bordello to help people like Pru. I gave them a place to stay and continue their lifestyles in exchange for their agreeing to let me give them counseling."
"What were your findings with Pru?"
"Well...she was a very recent arrival to the establishment, so I only had a couple sessions with her..."
"And?"
"And I didn't get very far with her. But I did make some observations."
"Such as?"
"They disturbed me, that's for sure! The first thing I noticed was that she seemed no different as far as personal mature growth is concerned. She was essentially unchanged--same basic attitude and everything."
"But there was more?"
"Yes...when I reached out to her with my morale-boosting powers, they had absolutely no effect!"
"None?"
"None at all. It was as if there was something blocking them. My power can usually reach into even the most depressed mind and have at least some positive effect."
"Have you seen something like this before?"
"Yes. On occasion."
"Like what?"
"Like when the subject was synthetic...or under the influence of various mind-altering agents--hypnosis, deep brainwashing, certain drugs...that sort of thing?"
"Could one of those be involved?" Lardlad asked intensely.
"Yes, quite possibly. This was definitely Pru, not some android or construct. Given her line of work, I'd guess that Pru is probably on drugs."
Lardlad shuddered. "Oh, grife! Poor Pru! If this is true, it's bigger than I ever suspected!"
"Yes it is if that is the case."
"I've got to get to the Lounge quickly to find out if that's the case!"
Shady interjected. "Whoa, Lardy! Not so fast! You see, the Shadowplay in Candlelight Lounge has been closed for a few weeks now."
"Closed?"
"Yes. While we were gone for weeks reforming the LMB and defeating Time Mouse Trapper, the Lounge fell into disarray. Soon it was raided by the vice squad which found numerous violations. They made several arrests and closed the place down. That's what I found when we came back!"
"Oh," Lardlad pondered, "did they arrest Pru?"
"Yes, but she was bailed out the next day. I don't know where she went after that."
"Oh, man...how will I ever find her?"
"Well, I DO have the address of someone who might know! A longtime friend of hers..." Shady said, her own morale boosting.
"BJ Boy!" Lardlad exclaimed. "If anyone would know where to find Pru, it'd be him!"
"Yep," Shady confirmed, "here's the address, Lardy." She handed the slip with the address to him.
Lardlad gave Shady a peck on the cheek in response and told her, "Shady, you're the greatest!"
"So I'm told, Lardy...so I'm told."
"Thanks, Shady. I'm gonna go there immediately!" He bolted out the door.
Shady yelled so he could hear her, "good luck, Lardy!" She paused for a minute contemplating the sweetness of her old friend's mission. The next minute she pressed a button on the intercom and playfully whispered into the comlink, "Beagle-sweety, Shady's ready for the rest of her treat..."
End Part One