Descending Road - MAKING THE DATE by Dana W. Paxson

MAKING THE DATE

1560 4D

“You’re a mess. Where were you?” Drasstar grumbled to me when I found him, back at Caladrina‘s. The band was all there, including Grioskin, who nursed a burn on his arm, and a large solid man named Masinarin, almost Drasstar‘s size, who carried the biggest beam gun I’d ever seen.

“Tunnels are filthy,” I said.

“Where is she?” Grioskin glanced around so that I could see his eyes move back and forth — a streetboy sign for probable surveillance in progress. Cams were everywhere, especially at the eating spots like Caladrina‘s.

“It was a trap. She’s caught some darts. She’s with her father,” I answered, pointing a finger at myself. “What happened to you?”

Rashua spoke up, a surly tone edging her voice. “The blues were waiting for us near the spot we wanted to reach. It was a trap. They only just let us go, and we came here. On the way back, some cock took a shot at us.” She pointed at Grioskin, who nodded and smeared blue salve on his arm.

“Look, is she okay?” Drasstar.

“He was working on her when I left. He’s good,” I said, hoping he was good enough. “I made the date.”

Five pairs of eyes widened, then smiles came, and a wave of relief seemed to settle all of them in their chairs. Then Drasstar beckoned me over to him, and spoke low in my ear. “Good job. You’ve got to remember the location code and say it to her. She’s the only one who understands what it means. And we’ve got another problem. We’ve got to perform tomorrow, and if she doesn’t show, the blues will know she’s down, and they’ll launch a full-scale door-to-door. Right now they’re hunting her in the streets. They think she’s wounded.”

“So why didn’t they stop me on the way here?” I’d passed several patrols and checkpoints. Apart from a few odd looks, no one had noticed me.

“You think during the Fest they haven’t seen five or ten women in costume like you? Come on. They’re looking for blood at all the medshops and hospitals, and a Thringe in pain. Not that she’s ever anything else.” Drasstar looked down at the floor, shaking his head slowly. “Why in the Pit does she keep taking these chances?” He looked up after a moment, and took my shoulders in his big hands.

After a breath, I asked, “What?”

“Will you stand in for her?”

“What?”

“On stage. Sing.”

Stunned, I stepped back. “I can’t do that! I’ve never done anything like that!”

He looked deep in my made-up eyes, which were itching a little from the corneals. “You’ve done all the rest. Why not try? The worst that can happen is that people will call it an off night for her. We need this badly. Somehow we’ve got to make her stay out of sight, and then we’ve got to get through our gig so the blues will think they hit someone else.”

“What about giving her the location code?”

“You can give her that later on. The coin will be safe.”

Caladrina approached us, grinning at me. I swallowed hard, and then, turning to face him, sat down gently on Drasstar‘s leg and leaned back on him, looking up at Caladrina.

“Beetles,” I said in a sultry tone. Did Drasstar think I was crazy? Sing on stage? As Thringe?

Caladrina beamed. “I have some excellent specimens I’ve been saving for you, and two marvelous new sauces. Would you like a sample now, or shall I drop them by as usual?”

I smiled at him, adjusted my smelly cape, and growled, “Just drop them by before the gig tomorrow.”

As the smiling Caladrina turned and headed for the kitchen, Drasstar hissed, “You’ve got him floating for the rest of the night. Now float a bit and get your lovely ass off my thigh. You’re not that good a Thringe.”

I stood up and faced him, scowling. His face was darkened a little with anger, but then he forced a smile, and his color softened. “I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice. Rashua and Naudi watched us closely. Grioskin and Masinarin scanned the understreets leading off the Aswal Nagrasai dome.

“It’s all right. Just a bad night. Will you help us tomorrow?” Drasstar asked. “We can help you get ready, rehearse you enough to do three or four numbers, get you a jiver for the voice parts. You can sleep and eat over at Rashua and Naudi‘s. That’s all you’ll need.”

Like climb out of the City and walk to the stars. I shrugged, not knowing how to get out of this. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	MAKING THE DATE 1560 4D “You’re a mess. Where were you?” Drasstar grumbled to me when I found him, back at Caladrina‘s. The band was all there, including Grioskin, who nursed a burn on his arm, and a large solid man named Masinarin, almost Drasstar‘s size, who carried the biggest beam gun I’d ever seen. “Tunnels are filthy,” I said. “Where is she?” Grioskin glanced around so that I could see his eyes move back and forth — a streetboy sign for probable surveillance in progress. Cams were everywhere, especially at the eating spots like Caladrina‘s. “It was a trap. She’s caught some darts. She’s with her father,” I answered, pointing a finger at myself. “What happened to you?” Rashua spoke up, a surly tone edging her voice. “The blues were waiting for us near the spot we wanted to reach. It was a trap. They only just let us go, and we came here. On the way back, some cock took a shot at us.” She pointed at Grioskin, who nodded and smeared blue salve on his arm. “Look, is she okay?” Drasstar. “He was working on her when I left. He’s good,” I said, hoping he was good enough. “I made the date.” Five pairs of eyes widened, then smiles came, and a wave of relief seemed to settle all of them in their chairs. Then Drasstar beckoned me over to him, and spoke low in my ear. “Good job. You’ve got to remember the location code and say it to her. She’s the only one who understands what it means. And we’ve got another problem. We’ve got to perform tomorrow, and if she doesn’t show, the blues will know she’s down, and they’ll launch a full-scale door-to-door. Right now they’re hunting her in the streets. They think she’s wounded.” “So why didn’t they stop me on the way here?” I’d passed several patrols and checkpoints. Apart from a few odd looks, no one had noticed me. “You think during the Fest they haven’t seen five or ten women in costume like you? Come on. They’re looking for blood at all the medshops and hospitals, and a Thringe in pain. Not that she’s ever anything else.” Drasstar looked down at the floor, shaking his head slowly. “Why in the Pit does she keep taking these chances?” He looked up after a moment, and took my shoulders in his big hands. After a breath, I asked, “What?” “Will you stand in for her?” “What?” “On stage. Sing.” Stunned, I stepped back. “I can’t do that! I’ve never done anything like that!” He looked deep in my made-up eyes, which were itching a little from the corneals. “You’ve done all the rest. Why not try? The worst that can happen is that people will call it an off night for her. We need this badly. Somehow we’ve got to make her stay out of sight, and then we’ve got to get through our gig so the blues will think they hit someone else.” “What about giving her the location code?” “You can give her that later on. The coin will be safe.” Caladrina approached us, grinning at me. I swallowed hard, and then, turning to face him, sat down gently on Drasstar‘s leg and leaned back on him, looking up at Caladrina. “Beetles,” I said in a sultry tone. Did Drasstar think I was crazy? Sing on stage? As Thringe? Caladrina beamed. “I have some excellent specimens I’ve been saving for you, and two marvelous new sauces. Would you like a sample now, or shall I drop them by as usual?” I smiled at him, adjusted my smelly cape, and growled, “Just drop them by before the gig tomorrow.” As the smiling Caladrina turned and headed for the kitchen, Drasstar hissed, “You’ve got him floating for the rest of the night. Now float a bit and get your lovely ass off my thigh. You’re not that good a Thringe.” I stood up and faced him, scowling. His face was darkened a little with anger, but then he forced a smile, and his color softened. “I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice. Rashua and Naudi watched us closely. Grioskin and Masinarin scanned the understreets leading off the Aswal Nagrasai dome. “It’s all right. Just a bad night. Will you help us tomorrow?” Drasstar asked. “We can help you get ready, rehearse you enough to do three or four numbers, get you a jiver for the voice parts. You can sleep and eat over at Rashua and Naudi‘s. That’s all you’ll need.” Like climb out of the City and walk to the stars. I shrugged, not knowing how to get out of this. “Tell me what you want me to do.”