Eleven-and-a-half: A Fantasy Of Great Length by Ray Wilder

Chapter 56: Flashback

This is a work of fiction. All the characters, events and locations
portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons,
events or locations is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 1996. All rights, implicit or implied, except for
distribution by this archive and personal use by the individual downloading
the file, are reserved. Inquiries regarding publishing rights for this book
should be directed to: raywild@aol.com

========================================

	The days following Ed and Arnold's debut were filled to the
bursting point. Neither of them had a chance to catch their breath. Even
the party following the show hardly felt like relaxation. Ivan could not
have warned them enough about the type of people they would meet out in the
hallway. Time after time the two of them were approached and were either
asked (or demanded) to participate in some activity right then and there or
were pressured to commit to something in the future.
	And the money! All the time, money. Numbers so large it made their
heads spin. It didn't take Ed long to get nervous about it. Finally, he
figured the only way to get these folks to leave him alone was to become
permanently attached to Arnold. He made it known that to approach them was
to interfere with some activity. Soon the attendees wandered off to their
own separate trysts, each scheming to catch one or both of them at a later
date.
	It wasn't until well into the morning hours that the two of them
got to sneak away and spend time with Tom and Judy. Ed finally got his wish
and discovered what it would have been like to live a couple of hours down
the highway. Although he was truly exhausted, he spent the rest of the
night being made and making love to the newly effervescent Judy and the
ever-erect and incredibly thick Tom.
	Arnold seemed preoccupied and begged off from most of the
festivities, claiming Ed deserved the reward of their undistracted
attention. He stayed in the room for a while, watching his three friends
get to know each other's desires, but a couple of hours later one of them
noticed he had left.
	Arnold wandered down to the gym and spent an hour working on a
small muscle on the inside of his left thigh which he had noticed was
slightly smaller than its mate on the right. He also had some details in
his mind to work through.
	Sam was on her way back east. He had already decided to split
before she returned, but it seemed to be a knee-jerk reaction. He needed
time to delve into the instinct to leave, making sure he was doing it for
the right reasons. By the time he finished his mini-session he had snaked
his way through convoluted fears, hopes, desires, needs and come up with
some idea about what Sam would mean in his life right now. Also about what
Sam would mean not in his life right now. He was satisfied with his
decision and the reasons for it. Now it was time to put it to rest.
	When he got back to the suite he found Judy, Ed and Tom sleeping
together, spoon style. Arnold thought of crawling in with them, but figured
they were probably connected. He went back out in the hall and picked up
the phone, not really knowing if anyone was still on duty. Within seconds,
though, Carroll's sultry voice oozed from the ear piece.
	"Hi, Carroll. Sorry to bother you at this hour, but I seem to be in
need of a place to sleep."
	"Ed's being a sheet hog, huh?"
	"More than just the sheets."
	"I'll come down and let you into one of the spares. Be there in a
minute."
	While he waited, he tried to figure out how to make this all work
without hurting anyone, though that seemed impossible. An awful lot of
people had come to expect his strength and power. Maybe it was best if he
let them alone for a while, made them find their own strengths, their own
power. It sounded good. He just hoped he wasn't using it as a convenient
excuse, justifying his selfish motives.
	The door to the gym slid open and Carroll's hallway-filling frame
appeared and ambled towards him. He carried a large key ring. He was
dressed in the same clothes he had appeared in earlier in the evening, so
Arnold figured he was still on duty. Carroll went to the door next to their
assigned dressing room and expertly picked the proper key on the ring.
	"This room has been closed up for a few months, so everything may
not be as fresh as we like it."
	"I'm sure it'll be fine, Carroll. The way I'm feeling right now, I
could probably have conked out on the pec deck."
	Unlocking the door, Carroll stepped through and turned on the
light, giving the room a visual once over perfected with years of
service. It seemed to be all right, though Arnold could see from his
reaction he would have preferred something closer to perfection. Carroll
trundled his large frame over to the door to the bathroom and flicked on
the light. Arnold came in and collapsed on the bed, dropping the robe he
was wearing on the nearest chair. This left him with nothing but a pair of
boxer shorts which were not quite long enough to cover the end of his cock
as it hung down the leg.
	Carroll turned to leave, but was caught short by the sight of
Arnold's body, Arnold's face, Arnold's cock. Indecision made him falter. He
hesitated. He decided to leave, but found he couldn't. Arnold raised his
head and saw Carroll staring at him. Having forgotten just what he did or
didn't have on, he chuckled, pushing himself up onto his elbows.
	"I know you're going to find it hard to believe, but a lot of the
time I look at myself just as you are now. Sometimes, I can't believe I
actually look this way,"
	Carroll moved a couple of steps towards the bed. He stopped and
sighed heavily. "There is no question, my young friend. You are the most
beautiful man I have ever seen."
	"Considering the talent I've seen running around here, I take that
as high praise. Thank you."
	A pause. A painful pause. A troubled, aching, hurting, hopeful
pause.
	Arnold waited.
	Carroll waited.
	One raised eyebrow told Carroll it was his move.
	"I was wondering. . ."
	"I know you were."
	"I was just. . . just. . . hoping."
	"Make a wish, Carroll."
	The huge man moved closer to the bed. His left hand reached out and
touched Arnold's right knee. He pulled his hand quickly away, but then
returned, laying it tentatively on Arnold's thigh. Arnold spread his legs a
bit and the gap between his leg and the material of the boxer shorts
widened. The head and several inches of his cock were visible. Carroll's
hand moved slowly towards it. He was about to stop, to touch the cock, but
Arnold shook his head, indicating he should go further.
	Puzzled, Carroll moved to the side of the bed and continued moving
his hand until he had reached the waistband of Arnold's shorts. Now Arnold
nodded. Carroll pulled his hand away as though he had received an electric
shock. The look on his face was both pained and excited.
	"Carroll."
	His hand went back to the waistband. Arnold lifted his ass off the
bed.
	Another pause. Carroll took the elastic in his hand and began to
pull down. He wanted to move faster. He wanted to move slower. He wanted to
be somewhere other than where he was right now. And then the pubic
hairs. And then the thick root. And then the shaft. And more shaft. And
more shaft. And. . .
	Arnold dropped his ass back on the bed and flexed his abs, lifting
his legs up to allow Carroll to remove the shorts completely. Never once
did Arnold's eyes leave Carroll's. Never once did Carroll's eyes leave
Arnold's cock. When the shorts cleared his feet, Arnold slowly lowered his
legs back to the bed and spread his knees wide, giving Carroll an
unrestricted view of his cock and balls.
	"I want you to hold my cock, Carroll. I want you to take it in your
hands and squeeze it."
	Carroll responded as though he were in a hypnotic state, doing
exactly as Arnold said.
	"Squeeze me hard, Carroll. Harder. Yeah. See? I'm getting hard for
you, Carroll. Can you help me get harder? I need to get harder."
	Carroll lowered himself to his knees at the foot of the bed and
Arnold scooted closer. He lifted his legs and dropped them over Carroll's
back. Carroll was holding Arnold's cock like it was a vial of
nitroglycerin. Arnold pulled him closer with his legs until his face was
hovering over Arnold's pelvis.
	"Can you help me, Carroll? Make me hard, please. Suck me."
	Carroll's eyes shot to Arnold's. Thousands of emotions played
across his face. It took him a moment, but he finally conquered them. With
a huge mental effort, he pulled his mouth and the head of Arnold's cock
closer together. Arnold couldn't tell if he was afraid or toying with
him. Either way, the effect was the same.
	"Suck me, Carroll. Suck my dick. My balls are starting to hurt. You
gotta suck me. I'm hurting really bad, Carroll. Suck me."
	Mouth open as much from awe as from the need to suck this man's
phenomenal cock, Carroll lowered his head and flicked his tongue at the
slit. Arnold stiffened, moaned, then relaxed.
	"Yesssssssss."
	Both Carroll's hands were working the shaft of his cock, kneading
it, stroking it gently. His mouth began to salivate and he let it dribble
down the shaft, using the moisture as lubricant. He made a few more
tentative swipes with his tongue, each time eliciting a slightly more
desperate response. One last lick and Arnold thrust his pelvis forward,
forcing the top four inches of his penis into Carroll's mouth. No more
encouragement was needed. Although gentle, Carroll devoured Arnold as
deeply as he could. If he hadn't actually done this himself, he had
certainly had the opportunity to learn by watching the best. Several times
Arnold had to readjust his position to encourage Carroll to move on to
other activities, but all and all, Arnold could tell he was on his way to a
very fine orgasm. He lowered himself back to the bed, closed his eyes and,
in his mind's eye, watched his friend fulfill his wish.
	Occasionally one of Carroll's hands would roam up and down the rest
of his body. At one point, he even abandoned the cock with both his hands
and explored as much of Arnold's torso as he could reach. Arnold took
Carroll's hands and ground them, palm down, into his pecs, showing him that
he wanted his nipples pinched. Carroll complied for a time, but soon
returned to the column of flesh before him. He licked the shaft. He licked
each ball, taking them, one or the other, into his mouth and massaging them
with his tongue. This caused Arnold to drop all pretenses at control. He
let himself go and began bucking towards his orgasm. His hips bounced up
off the bed, trying to force his cock against whatever Carroll would
offer. He soon felt the other man's mouth around his shaft again and the
bed began to bounce in another direction. Carroll was ramming his pelvis
against the end of the mattress. The motion got more violent; Carroll's
breathing became more labored, grunts and moans accompanying each
exhalation. Arnold worked his hips faster, harder against Carroll's mouth,
pushing himself higher, tensing his body tighter, soaring further. He sent
all the energy of his sex down to his cock, up the thick, turgid shaft and
out the end of it. Carroll threw back his head for a moment, cried out a
call that made Arnold's pubic hairs stand on end. When Carroll ran out of
breath he took one final gulp of air, dove back down on Arnold's cock,
sucked it into his mouth like a piece of pasta, and with it came
Arnold. Carroll squeezed Arnold's huge balls and Arnold shot load after
load of cum up and out of his cock until he lost count. The bed continued
to be pounded by Carroll's pelvic thrusts until both of them had spent
their load and Carroll fell back on the floor, either from loosing his
balance or passing out.
	It took Arnold a moment to muster up the strength to move. Sitting
up, he saw that Carroll had, indeed, passed out. His chest was still
laboring to breathe, but his eyes were closed. Arnold got up and went to
him, sitting him up and leaning him against his chest. They really had to
remember to breathe.
	Several seconds later Carroll's eyes fluttered open. It took him a
moment to realize that Arnold, whom he couldn't initially see, was behind
him. When he finally focused on him, he brought his hand up and stroked the
young man's face. His mouth tried to move, tried to say something, but the
words wouldn't come. Arnold shook his head and shushed him.
	"Thank you. That was the perfect end to this day. Better than I had
hoped. Thank you, Carroll."
	The large man nodded weakly, then, with Arnold's assistance, got to
his feet. His hands wandered aimlessly across Arnold's chest, his stomach,
briefly brushing against the root of Arnold's semi-erect cock, each time
sighing deeply. Arnold took Carroll's face in his hands and moved their
mouths closer together. The other man pulled back for a moment, not sure he
was ready for this. Arnold waited. Although he didn't want to force him, he
wanted very much to seal this event with his soul. He didn't let go of
Carroll's face and, eventually, Carroll gave in. Arnold remembered the way
he and Ed had come together earlier that night. There wasn't as much to
share with Carroll, but he wanted to give him something that would allow
this man to see himself differently from now on. Arnold thought
strength. He thought power. He thought love. And he felt Carroll take it
from him, not really knowing what the gift was, but accepting it on
faith. Sooner or later, Carroll would be okay.
	"Arnold. . ."
	"No, Carroll. Don't worry. It'll be all right. In fact, everything
will be all right. Soon. Take care of yourself, now. I'm okay."
	"You'll be okay here?"
	"It's kind of funny. The last thing I expected from this evening
was to be sleeping alone. But that's okay. I've got a lot on my mind,
anyway. I'll sleep a lot better having been with you."
	"Okay. Good night. And thanks. For everything. Everything."
	Carroll glided out the door, closing it behind him.
	Arnold took a quick shower, hoping his cock would soften up
completely before going to bed, but it didn't. So, after all he'd been
through, he was alone, semi-erect, but kind of happy.
	The bed felt good as he climbed under the covers and turned out the
light. He was right on the edge of falling asleep when he heard Carroll's
key ring in the door again. The door opened, a shaft of light split the
room for a moment and then was gone. Soft, bare feet padded across the
floor with a lightness that said it wasn't Carroll. There was movement on
the bed, the covers behind him lifted and he felt a body move up against
him. Long fingernails were lightly dragged along his arm and then down
around his pec. Two very hard, pointed nipples pressed into his back and a
leg came up across his, bringing a moist, shaved cunt in contact with the
back of his thigh. The knee bent, the foot moved up, the heel stroked his
cock and Barb's husky voice said, "I see that lech saved some for me."

	The next day Arnold and Ed found expanded boundaries to Ivan's
hospitality. In a large dining room on the next floor up all the members of
the cast and crew of the previous evening's show, in addition to some early
arrivals for that day's rehearsal, were provided with a sumptuous feast
bordering on decadent while still providing the nourishment their hulking
bodies required. Ivan floated among the members of his extended family,
making sure their needs were being met. It wasn't until halfway through the
meal that anyone mentioned Carroll's absence.
	Ivan explained: "Carroll has decided that, after his years and
years on the job, he is going to take a day off."
	Gasps from around the room conveyed the weight of this
announcement. Everyone's eyes turned to Arnold who, not knowing if they
knew the facts, silently toasted the group with a glass of orange juice and
played dumb. He wasn't fooling anyone. Ivan actually seemed pleased and,
several minutes later cornered Arnold and said a private thank you for his
having opened up Carroll's humanity. It seemed that, as efficient and
indispensable as Carroll was, many had found his aloofness a bit
off-putting. It was Ivan's hope Carroll might now open up a bit and partake
of the joie de verve which Ivan tried to make the lifeblood of the place.
	When everyone had eaten their fill, Ivan announced that the first
meeting for Saturday evening's show would begin in a half hour up on the
stage. The small group here would meet with the rest of the cast and parts
would be assigned.
	Arnold and Ed simultaneously sought out Tom and Judy for
guidance. They were not only curious in regard to the process about to take
place, but as to its location as well. Since their entry into the building
the previous evening, they had been completely at a loss to identify their
whereabouts.
	"Don't worry," Judy assured them. "Just stick with us. In a few
days you'll be getting around like an old pro."
	A darkness passed over Arnold's mind as he thought about his
decision to leave. No one here except Ed knew of it. Shouldn't he tell
them? Judy and Tom, at least? Even Ed shot him a knowing glance. The
knowledge of Arnold's departure had apparently been weighing on more than
one mind.
	Tom interrupted their thoughts. "In the meantime, we need to get
something on besides these robes. I know when we start flingin' around
what's gonna get flung I'll need something to keep the grand gesture in
check. It's jockstrap time."
	Arnold and Ed groaned sarcastically. "Oh no. Not jockstrap time!"
they whined.
	"That's right, boys," Judy mothered. "We don't want you tripping
over your cocks while we're trying to work. And besides, you could put
someone's eye out."
	"But, Ma?"
	"Gee whizzikers."
	"Now, boys. Don't go givin' your Ma no trouble now. You just get
dressed like she tells ya or I'll have to tan your backsides."
	Ed and Arnold's faces lit up with glee.
	"Now Pa, what kinda threat is that. Boys, either you get dressed or
we don't tan your backsides."
	Ed and Arnold over-desperately tried to get through the hallway
door at the same time. They finally busted free and ran for their suite.
	Judy and Tom turned to Ivan who was nodding his head. "Yup. They'll
fit in real good here. Might even liven you bunch of corpses up." No sooner
were the words out of his mouth but he was dodging a barrage of bagels. "I
get no respect around here. None!"
	Judy moved into his side, seductively wrapping her leg around his
waist. "If you'd stop being the virgin queen and let the rest of us play
with you like those two, we might be able to change our minds about you."
	"I was coerced, plain and simple. I knew them varmints would be
nothing but trouble the moment they rolled into town." Others around him
registered their skepticism. Several even harumphed. "What was I supposed
to do? The man's got a eleven-and-a-half inch cock for Godsake."
	Judy pressed herself harder against Ivan. "I always knew you were a
pushover. Such a slut." Her hands began to massage his chest and it took
Ivan several minutes to muster up enough will power to disengage her.
	"You, my dear, are incorrigible. I can assure you all that my
little diversion with our new friends was merely a momentary
aberration. You will find I have returned to my usual, haughty, aloof
self. Now let go of my crotch, young woman and get ready for rehearsal." A
sea of grins greeted his order. "All of you."
	As the group left the room they each approached Ivan and touched or
kissed him somewhere. Even Barb, who seemed to be even more subdued than
after her first meeting with Arnold, gave him a kindly pinch on the cheek.
	Of his ass.
	Ivan followed the last of them out of the room muttering, "All I
asked them to do was pull down their pants. That's all."
	A few minutes after Judy and Tom arrived at their suite there was a
knock on the door.
	"It's open."
	Arnold and Ed came in, dressed for rehearsal.
	"Hi, boys. Make yourself comfortable." Judy said as she flopped
backwards onto the bed and spread her legs wide indicating where she
thought the most comfortable place might be. All three of the men exchanged
glances and, together, flung themselves towards the bed and Judy's open,
waiting thighs. Arnold's crotch ended up in the middle and the other two
had to content themselves to pumping their pelvises against her sides.
	Judy threw her arms around them. "The ultimate fantasy. It's like
I've died and gone to heaven."
	All four of them hugged and kissed, but made no real attempt to
initiate anything serious. They all knew they had work to do; that they
would have to save their strength and energy for the next evening's
entertainment. Ed was the only one who felt the need to comment.
	"I guess this is the closest any of us is going to get to getting
our jollies for the next two days. I suppose the cold shower usage will go
up pretty high from now until Saturday night."
	Tom rolled off Judy onto his back. He stared at the ceiling and
spoke wistfully. "It's really the only part about this job I don't like. It
kind of makes the sex seem like it isn't for us. Like it belongs to the
audience or something."
	Judy frowned at the next thought in that train. "Does that make us
prostitutes?"
	No one answered.
	After a few moments, Arnold asked, "Tell us about this
rehearsal. Do we actually go through the show?"
	"No," said Tom. "Everyone gets a synopsis of the plot; a basic
description of what happens in each scene. At the top is a list of who's
playing what part and what scenes they're in. We all read it over then talk
about each scene, what each of us can do in it, any special 'talents' we
might have that would give the scene a boost. Ivan takes notes, straightens
out conflicts and then assigns everyone a costume call."
	"Costumes?"
	"Yeah, Ed. Most of these things are period pieces. Like the one
we're doing Saturday. Kind of a fall of the Roman Empire setting. Lots of
togas and short, revealing loincloths, no doubt."
	"Gee, Judy. I can't wait to see you in a short, revealing
loincloth."
	"Actually, Arnold, you'll be seeing me in a lot less than that. I
already got my bid in to Ivan."
	"How much do you know about this play?"
	"Enough to know where to place my bets. Actually, Barb gets the
best of the parts. She's been with Ivan the longest and is a real audience
favorite. She'll usually end up having sex in one form or another with half
the cast before the evening's through. I kind of like saving it for a
special scene."
	"Sounds to me like someone's been bribing the teacher."
	"I wouldn't say that. And I'll have to pay for my good fortunes."
	Tom chuckled mischievously. "Oh oh. Sounds like a torture scene."
	"Nope, just a little bondage. Ivan always thinks he's making me
suffer. He still doesn't get it that it really turns me on."
	"Or, he may know exactly that. I think he likes you very much."
	"Did he say something to you, Arnold?"
	"He just spoke of both of you very fondly the other day in his
office. He, ah, respects your talents."
	"How coy of you. Now why don't you boys let this girl get her face
on. We've got to be up on stage pretty soon. Tom, darlin', take these two
he-men upstairs. I'll be along in a few."
	"Come on, guys. Let's let her satisfy her feminine side. I can't
seem to convince her that she doesn't need all that crap. Besides, it
tastes awful."
	"That's what you get for being such a lousy aim with your
tongue. Now git!"
	Judy chased the three men out of the room, closing the door behind
them. She listened at the door for a second to make sure they were gone and
then wandered over to the bed. Being in the room with the three of them,
together, was more than she could stand. Within seconds she had all her
cloths off and was well on her way to bringing herself off, her finger
working rapidly on her already aching clit. Conjuring up memories of their
monstrous cocks each hanging heavily between hard, muscled thighs, rigid,
rippling abdomens above stretching up to bulging, potent mounds of
pectoral, Judy found it quick work to siphon off a chunk of her need to
pound herself against one or, better yet, all three of those amazing
bodies.
	And they all were so nice, too.

	"Ladies and gentlemen. Please. May I have your attention. I know
this is old home week for some of you, but we've got a show to do and with
two of the main characters being new-comers, we'll need a little extra time
to put this together. Thank you. Now I'm sure all of you are aware of our
recent good fortune. Last night we had the honor of observing what will
probably go down in the annals of this organization as the most
awe-inspiring debut performance of all time. Not only did we have to take
several members of our audience to a place of recuperation, but, as you
probably have discerned by the fact that I am giving this little speech,
one of the more steadfast members of our staff as also deemed it necessary
to take an absolutely unheard of day off."
	(Low susurrations, suppositions regarding the previous evening's
activities)
	"At this time I would like to introduce to you the two gentlemen
who were responsible for all the hubbub around here last night. Gentlemen,
please. If you would kindly stand up. Thank you. Arnold and Ed waltzed into
my office two days ago and changed the course of several major bodies of
water, created a cure for most of the known dreaded diseases of the day and
rewrote the laws of the land giving everyone the rest of their lives off
with pay. I think you get my meaning. For those of you who are not already
familiar with this pair's prodigious talents, I refer you to the video of
last night's show. But please, try to refrain from viewing it during the
warm-up period prior to Saturday's performance. We want you in top form and
their performance has a way of bring the best out of everyone, if you catch
my drift. Thank you, gentlemen. You may be seated."
	(Rapid-fire comments amongst the group as the myth is promulgated.)
	"We are passing around copies of the scenario for Saturday's
show. For those of you who have been here a while, most of the scenes will
be familiar to you. I expect you to take the uninitiated under your wings
and guide them. Those of you assigned to the ranks or hand-maidens, you all
know the drill. Be there, but keep out of the way. When we're done here,
head on up to costumes and get outfitted. Once you're clear you're welcome
to make use of the facilities. Walk-through will be Saturday afternoon at
two p.m. For the principals, we'll have our talk-through as usual and then
get you up on the stage here to work out the technical aspects.
	"To all of you: I cannot stress the importance of keeping a clear
head during all this. I know things will get hot and heavy here during the
show. I'm counting on it. But we have a show to do, first. You all have a
generous dose of common sense - otherwise you wouldn't be here - but if
Saturday is anything like last night, we're all in for the show of our
lives. The more we help the principals create a proper atmosphere, the more
diligent we are about doing the job so no one gets hurt, the bigger the
pay-off will be for everyone. Any questions? Yes?"
	"What does Carroll do on a day off?"
	(General laughter and discussion of what that might be)
	"I suspect you'll have to ask Carroll that when he's finished. At
this point, I would imagine even he doesn't know. Now, if there are no more
pertinent questions. . . Good. Plebeians, report to costuming. Principals,
move down front and let's get to work."

	After rehearsal with the rest of the principals, Arnold and Ed
expressed the wish to spend that evening at David and Mary's.
	"How do we get out of here?"
	"You guys still haven't figured it out, have you?"
	"Figured what out?"
	"Where we are."
	"I don't get you."
	"Never mind. You all packed?"
	"Yeah. Got my gym bag here. Arnold, you ready?"
	"Just a second. I can't find my pants."
	"Try the other room."
	"Okay. Be back in a second."
	"So, Ed. I haven't had a chance to tell you how much I've enjoyed
your being here. Your performances both on and off the screen were pretty
earth-shattering."
	"Thanks, Tom. It's been real nice getting to know you and Judy,
too. It seems like everyone I've run into since I met Arnold has been real
nice. He has good. . . What's the word?"
	"Karma."
	"Yeah. Karma. I guess it rubs off."
	"Just remember, Ed. Your karma led you to Arnold. You must be doing
something right, yourself."
	"I know. I have a hard time remembering that."
	"Those pants look real good on you. You're not wearing any shorts,
are you?"
	"Nope."
	"It'd be a shame if you got an erection."
	"Something tells me when all these people start getting naked
around me, I'm going to have a hell of a time keeping this thing from
reacting."
	"Don't worry. By Saturday evening you will have seen all of us
naked for so long, it'll be like walking in the park."
	"What do you mean?"
	"Ivan has us rehearse in the nude for just that reason."
	"Well, I see I can't leave you two alone without something
dastardly happening. You okay, Ed? Do you need me to defend your honor?"
	"Nah. My honor's okay."
	"How about you, Tom? Honor holding up all right?"
	"Just fine, Arn. Sorry."
	"Oh, well. I guess this old boy scout will just have to hit the
trail."
	"You find your pants?"
	"It took some doing. Seems a certain soon-to-be slave queen wanted
them for a souvenir."
	"Barb. She's such a celebrity hound. My first night here she chased
me around half the night until I let her clip off some of my pubic
hair. Now what the hell does she need with pubic hair."
	"Boggles the mind."
	"Kind of scary, actually."
	"How are you guys getting home?"
	"I thought we'd call a cab. We can certainly afford it."
	"Just a second. We'll get the front office to deal with it. Hi,
who's this? Hi, Michael. This is Tom. Arnold and Ed would like to be driven
home and picked up in time for rehearsal tomorrow. Is a car available?
Good. Their ready to go right now. Can they meet it out front? They still
don't know where they are. Yeah, I'm going up just to see the look on their
faces. Thanks, Michael. We'll be right up."
	"I still don't get this bit about where we are."
	"Come on."
	"Ah, Tom."
	"Yeah?"
	"Don't you think you'd better put something on?"
	"Shit. You kind of forget those things when you're down here for a
while. Thanks. There, that ought to keep the hordes from rioting. Ready?"

	Up an elevator at the other end of the hallway to a floor marked
"G". Turn right, down a hallway as undecorated as those they had entered
the building through the previous night. A door. Through it, another short
hallway, this one looking like a movie set for a tenement. At the end,
another door to the left. Open it.
	Before them, a gym. To the left, a rickety staircase, leaning
precariously, going up. To the right, the sidewalk, the street and. . .
	"Well bless my soul. Look who's back from the looking glass."
	"Hello, Howard."
	"I was wondering who this was for."
	A limo. A stretch.
	"It looks like we'll be seeing more of your beautiful selves around
here."
	"We'll be back tomorrow afternoon. Tom, this is nice, but. . . a
limo?"
	"Yeah, well the Lear jet couldn't get landing clearance. Sorry."
	"So we were here all along. I should have guessed. The old
theater. What better place to hide a theater."
	"You probably just drove around the block a few times. The garage
is in the back, right next to the door leading up to Ivan's office. All in
all, a distance of about fifteen feet."
	"Ivan."
	"Yeah, Ivan. Well, your carriage awaits. Tell the driver what time
you want to be picked up tomorrow. He'll be there. You got Ivan's number,
just in case?"
	"Yup. Still have the note you two left me in that motel room."
	"Seems like a long time ago, huh?"
	"A lifetime. Thanks. Come on, Ed. You ever ride in one of these
before?"
	"Ah. . . er. . ."
	"Me neither. Let's check out the swimming pool."
	"Swimming. . ."
	"Just kidding. See you tomorrow. So long, Howard."
	"You children have a good time and hurry back. I've got tickets for
Saturday night."
	"Wouldn't miss it for the world. Say thanks to Ivan for us, will
you, Tom?"
	"Sure. See ya."
	"Hey, Arn. We've fallen into some shit, huh?"
	"Yeah, Ed. Some shit."