Grey Skies in Mourning

© 2010 Mr. David R. Dorrycott

Chapter Six

Charlene van PugPug led the much taller Filypino mare to one of the smaller bathrooms near Kab Langly’s office, allowing Nikki to enter first and thus inspect the place for microphones. Walking in behind her the vixen was just in time to watch as Nikki ripped an innocent looking art-deco ointment off the wall, a thin pair of wires trailing after it as came away from its mount. She had been in this bathroom hundreds of times yet had never suspected that little ornament as a microphone, though experience had long warned the actors and actress’s that all the bathrooms were wired somehow. A few moments later, after Charlene had locked the door Nikki nodded.

“Only the one” she reported, dropping the ruined device into the rooms trash receptacle. “What is it you need to tell me?”

Quickly the vixen reported everything that she had learned to date, keeping nothing back. Now that her own life and the life of someone she loved was on the line, hiding anything was a fools errand. She even explained about the contracts and what their selling would evoke, everything such selling would evoke.

“A good report child” the mare admitted, glancing at the pendent watch attached to her own blouse. “We have been in here too long” reaching to Charlene’s blouse she pulled it up a little, then unbuttoned the second button. “Tuck in badly, they will think we were playing” the mare instructed. “Tonight I will take you to dinner then my hotel room.” She cocked her head slightly when Charlene did not react. “You are not frightened of me anymore?”

“Absolutely terrified” the vixen admitted. “But to save my future wife anything is allowable, even my own death.”

“Then you will sleep on the couch. I prefer honest people around me” Nikki decided. “If you ever lie...”

“If I ever lie to you my own wife will sell me to Kuo Han for the price of a cheap cola” the vixen explained. “There is too much on the line and too much danger now to play guessing games.” Reaching down she pulled her short costume skirt slightly out of line then ruffled the fur around her knees. “There, that should start tongues wagging.”

“Very good.” Nikki followed Charlene out of the bathroom, them through a section filled with women and typewriters. Almost all looked up at the actress, more than one giggled while most of the others blushed. Nikki noted that only a very small number, less than half a pawful looked displeased. Apparently this was considered normal for an actress wanting to make a career, or just trying to keep her employment.

That night Nikki did take Charleen out to dinner though not to one of the upper class restaurants, that was both above her budget and would have been too obvious. No, one of the good but lessor attended restaurants, even so Charleen found herself encountering Petunia fans wanting her autograph, a quick snap and of course the leading questions regarding the character Petunia and he arch-enemy maybe lover Silver Star. All this the vixen took in stride, making time for each fan even if for nothing than a handshake. Dinner proved less than private but it was something that Charleen accepted. Had she really wanted a quiet dinner she would have taken room service in Nikki’s hotel room.

Nikki watched as the B actress dealt with her fans, greeting each one, asking their names and doing the best that she could to entertain their wishes without being improper. This was the vixens life the mare realized, she was born to be an actress and she truly cared for her fans. To have her broken by the filth of those like DAKKA would be a crime, one that could never be brought to justice. Therefore Yade and his Republic Studio’s would have to fall, fall in such a way that the very least collateral damage occurred. It was though a relief to reach her hotel room where the two could talk in relative privacy.

They truly needed to plan, Nikki now fully understood that she needed to understand the American way of business much better, she would also need local help. Considering the number of enemies that Yade had finding people wanting to pull him down would be easy, it would be finding those strong enough and honest enough to trust that would be difficult. In America as in everywhere else money talked, unfortunately Nikki’s money was in very limited supply.