Eros at Nadir: Book 4 of Tales of the Velvet Comet by Mike Resnick

Author:Mike Resnick
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-08-27T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

“Hi, Nate!”

“Jesus!” muttered Page. “Don't you ever go to bed?”

“Not when I can help it, and never alone,” replied Kipchoge Kamala with a smile that was halfway between a grin and a leer. “What time is it?”

“I don't know. Cupid?”

“It is 0843 hours, ship's time.”

“I'm running three hours behind you,” said Kamala. “It isn't even six o'clock yet.”

“I can't tell you how much better that makes me feel,” groaned Page.

“You'll be glad I called, Nate,” said Kamala. “Trust me.”

“All right,” said Page, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “What's this all about?”

“First of all, tell Cupid to make this a Protected conversation.”

“What?”

“You heard me,” said Kamala. “I've got some confidential information, and I don't want anyone listening in.”

“Nobody's listening in,” said Page. “Do you really think Bull del Grado gives a damn what we say to each other?” He reached for a cigarette, pulled it out of its case, and lit it. “We're the lowest of the low on this production. There are going to be two hundred actors and executives working on this fucking show, and you and I are going to be the only two who don't have script approval.”

“Okay, if you're sure...”

“I'm sure. Now what have you got to tell me?”

“Do you still want to kill the water ballet?” asked Kamala.

“Hell, yes.”

“Okay. Then make Angel Midnight the star of it.”

“Why?”

“I just spent a very enjoyable night with her hairdresser, and during one of the breaks in the action we got to talking about Angel, and she let it drop that she can't swim a lick.”

“You're sure?”

Kamala nodded happily. “She's scared to death of water.”

“Well, I'll be damned!” said Page. “I'll give her so many lines they'll never be able to get away with a double!”

“My thinking precisely,” said Kamala. “Now say, ‘Thank you, Kip, and I forgive you for waking me.'”

“Thank you, Kip, and I forgive you for waking me.”

“Think nothing of it. By the way, have you come up with a lyric yet?”

“Yeah, but I want to polish it for another couple of days.”

“The love song?”

Page shook his head. “The chatterbox. I'm going to string it out and use it as a bridge between scenes.”

“If you're going to make that much use of it, maybe I'd better slick it up a bit.”

“And change the meter so I've got to write all new lyrics? Not a chance, pal.”

“Just out of curiosity, how much longer will you be up there?” asked Kamala.

Page shrugged. “Another three or four days. Just long enough to make it look good.”

“Learning anything?”

“Nothing useful.”

“Well, have fun. I've got to get back to work.”

“Don't get too far ahead of me,” said Page.

“Not to worry. I'm doing a whiskey commercial for a firm in the Delphini system. Damned catchy tune. I wouldn't be surprised to see a variation of it turn up inEros in Orbit .”

“See you,” said Page.

“Right.”

“Not before noon,” he added.

'You got it,” said Kamala. “Of course, it may be twenty hoursafter noon,” he added with a grin, and broke the connection.

Page sat motionless for a moment, then stood up.

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