CHAPTER 8: Show Business
This Email has been sent to you by RNN, the Rougeport News Network, your center for news in the northern islands.
NEWS FLASH: IS GREATER DANGER COMING?
As if the kidnapping and crimes by the Game Over Commandos this morning weren’t enough, another robbery and kidnapping occurred just this afternoon in the area immediately north from Rogueport, known as the Boggly Woods. The forest’s natural photo-negative look has attracted many a sightseer and was even home to the just-out-of-retirement Madame Flurrie during her retreat. However, visits have dropped to seriously low levels since the red doomship believed to be the G. O. S. Volcano and its crew attacked the wood’s central attraction, the Great Tree.
The Great Tree has been a shared home between two native tribes: the small, four-legged Punies, and the equally small, insect-like Jabbies. The two tribes patched their differences shortly after the events concerning the Thousand-Year Door and the X-Nauts.
As for the items and civilians missing, only two things were claimed by the Game Over: the mystical Emerald Star, which was thought to be safely kept near the bottom of the Tree, and a young Puni named Petuni.
The Puni’s older brother, Punio, was in tears as he recalled the event. In between sobs, we heard “…these red hands came in… and punched away the front of the tree… then a whole army of Shy Guys and those X-Naut guys attacked… one of those hands took Petuni!” We were unable to talk to the witness further.
Also at the scene was the Puni elder. Recently falling into a serious illness, she was living off a Life Shroom provided by the Mushroom Kingdom’s main hero, Mario, shortly after the X-Nauts attacked the tree, this time completely solo. She was also being tended by Punio, which as we learned, would be pure torture. With no offense to anyone, the elder could outtalk Morton Koopa Jr.
The elder filled in our gaps with what Punio couldn’t provide. “I must remember to thank Punio before I go. If he hadn’t pushed me out of the way of those red hands, not even my Life Shroom would’ve saved me. Shortly afterwards, the Shy Guys barged in, but we managed to hold them back. Then a black Shy Guy broke the line and approached me and Petuni, who were keeping out of the fight for our reasons.”
The elder then began to tell us how one of the “red hands” grabbed Petuni, and a Lakitu that is believed to be the same one that took the Diamond Star flew over the crowd with Bombette, a known member of the Game Over, and proceeded, despite all the Punies, to take the Star and plant an explosive.
“We thought we were saved when we heard Madame Flurrie had gotten aboard the enemy’s airship,” an anonymous Puni reported, “but we still ran for our lives out of the tree. See, the Lakitu and Bob-omb tricked us down to the bottom of the tree, where the Star was hidden, and with our weight, we accidentally exposed it.”
As for the explosive, a pyrotechnics expert was summoned, and he concluded that the only explosive that was near the bottom of the tree was that with the force of a toy firecracker.
“We seriously thought that it was a real bomb with a real big boom,” the Puni continued.
When the Punies managed to stop panicking, the red doomship was already out of sight. Madame Flurrie emerged from the woods shortly after. An interview with her revealed that she was fighting the Lakitu on the deck of the doomship, when the suspect used the power of the Emerald Star he just stole.
“The next thing I know, I’m lying in a bungle of bushes near the edge of the woods,” Flurrie concluded.
Two Crystal Stars are gone; five remain safe, but for how long? No witness at the scene could recall which direction the doomship was heading in. All citizens are now just short of ordered to report any relevant information they know that could help determine the whereabouts of the strange Lakitu and the G. O. S. Volcano.
This message has been brought to you by RNN, the Rogueport News Network.
***
The sun was beginning to set on Mario and his group as they made their way through the fruited plains that surrounded Mt. Majesty for miles.
“I can’t believe it!” Larry said. “We’ve walked all afternoon, and I can still clearly see that hill we rested on this morning!”
“Maybe if you didn’t stop and eat all the fruit you could get your hands on,” Wendy scolded, “we’d be a lot closer!”
“Perhaps, there’s a chance, maybe we could possibly stop, camp, rest, regroup here for the evening, dusk, night.”
“Morton, do you want to taste my compact again?”
“Um…” Morton weighted his options. “No.”
“Then shut up.”
Mario’s pocket began rumbling and ringing again.
“More mail?” Mario asked himself. He pulled out the Mailbox SP and found he had two new Emails.
One was from Peach in response to what he’d sent that morning. Mario didn’t know Peach’s tone of voice from the text, but he could easily imply it.
The other was another RNN news flash. Mario read it to everyone present.
“First, kidnapping Karma. Again,” Wendy said.
“Second, attacking Star Haven,” Luigi added.
“Third, stealing our wands,” Larry chimed in.
“Fourth, kidnapping Goombella,” Mario then listed.
“Then the Diamond Star and the Emerald Star,” Morton said, quickly as to not give Wendy a reason to abuse that ten-thousand coin compact again.
“Along with-a the additional kidnappings,” Luigi concluded.
“There-a has to be a reason for-a his actions,” Mario said, “and-a we’ll find out what it is when we-a reach Mt. Majesty.”
“Tomorrow,” Larry demanded.
“Smart idea,” Wendy replied, “I need my beauty sleep.”
***
Yosie shut off the cabin monitor.
“Another successful raid. We have two Crystal Stars and four hostages. Things are going along smoothly, and no Koopaling interference yet. Still, they are the crafty type. Except Roy.”
He gave a large yawn.
“Much as I’d love to snooze, I’ve got a part in the late show at the Glitz Pit. Of course, neither announcer nor promoter know who I really am. All they know is that my act is ‘Lakitu Joe and his Magical Squeezebox’.”
He pulled a squeezebox out of his cloud. Of course, it was no ordinary squeezebox. The box on the right hand had a small LCD text display and a regular-sized black button that could be easily accessed by the player’s thumb.
Yosie gave off a few squeezes and it sounded like random bongo beats. He checked the display and pressed the button a few times. Soon, he was playing a polka he’d heard on Earth.
“Whether, whether, whether, whether, whether you like it or not. Weather, weather, weather, weather, weather is cold or it’s hot.”
The cabin door opened and Susan came in.
“Excuse me, Yosie, but whenever I fall asleep listening to polka music, I get weird dreams concerning Snozzwangers making Buzzy Beetle-flavored ice cream. Could you please do something else until we get to Glitzville?”
“Ok.” He pressed the squeezebox button and began playing “Disease” by Matchbox Twenty.
“And rock music makes me dream of cyberspace.”
“But Matchbox Twenty isn’t rock. It’s modern pop. I think.”
“I think I’ll just leave your musical opinions to yourself,” Susan said as she left.
“I need to prep myself for my stage role anyway,” Yosie said after she left. Pulling out the G. O. Wand, he enlarged his shirt enough to take it off. He felt a bit bare after taking it off, but he substituted it with a tie-dye of orange, purple, and black.
Then he went to the cabin restroom and began washing and applying gel to the mess of brown hair on his head. Soon, and with some hair dye, the hair turned into a mohawk of purple and orange stripes. It actually didn’t look half bad.
“There’s gonna be trouble in Glitzville tonight!” he announced.
***
On Sublevel 4 of the X-Nauts’ Fortress on the moon, there was a room that served only one purpose: to house the X-Naut mainframe, TEC-XX. TEC for short.
Despite what happened during the X-Nauts’ plan involving the Thousand-Year Door, Grodus still allowed TEC to operate. His job of keeping the computer in check was made easier by the fact he didn’t need to hold prisoners. After all, TEC did play more than a minor roll involving Peach’s attempted escape during his original plot.
This time ‘round, Grodus entered the room to check up on the Crump Chase, as the foot soldiers referred to it in the locker room. A number of X-Naut PhDs were on separate terminals around the room, typing furiously in their attempt to locate Crump and the G. O. S. Volcano their own way.
Grodus approached the center of the computer.
“TEC?”
“Yes, Sir Grodus?” TEC’s voice replied.
“Any news on the Volcano’s course?”
“Well, there was one piece of news that went out to all subscribers to the Rogueport News Network, including the base.”
“Good or bad?”
“Sort of both, actually.”
“Good news first.”
“Okay. The good news is that Crump and the Game Over Ship Volcano have been spotted in Boggly Woods.”
“That IS good news.”
“Good, because the bad will make you look like Mario defeated you again.”
“That bad?”
“Certainly. The bad news is the Volcano’s crew took both another hostage and the Emerald Star.”
Grodus was, to say the least, disappointed.
“THAT is the bad news?”
“Yes, Sir Grodus.”
“I have no reason to concern myself with the Crystal Stars, TEC. All I want to know is where on this insane planet Crump has taken cover.”
“Understood, Sir Grodus. By the way, I just remembered another bit of bad news.”
“’Remembered?’ You forgot? You’re a computer. How could you forget?”
“Data not available on that particular subject. I will check up on that during my spare time.”
“Anyway, the other bad news…?”
“Yes. The other bad news. After stealing the Star and capturing the new hostage, Crump and the Volcano got away without anybody knowing where they went.”
“WHAT?!”
“To clarify, I shall repeat. After stealing the-“
“I understood, TEC. Is there anything we can do to find the ship?”
“I am currently going through all GPS satellites focused on the northern islands. As of this point, I haven’t located the Volcano, but I’m sure I could locate the vessel within the hour.”
“Ok. We still have some chance. As soon as your find him, alert me and have a dispatch team sent to retrieve him… by any means necessary.”
“Understood, Sir Grodus.”
With that, the head of the X-Nauts left the room, deciding to leave the job to the scientists.
***
Inside cabin 5 of the Excess Express, Iggy closed his stolen Mailbox SP.
“Well, another Crystal Star is gone,” he told Roy. “We’d better get the one in Poshley Sanctum. Fast.”
“Oh, come off it, Hop. We’ll get it before he does, especially if he’s going for them in order.”
“Well, this is only our first day on board. Two more days until we reach Poshley Heights. He could easily make a detour. After all, according to this news flash, no one knows where he’s going. His next stop could be Poshley Sanctum, for all we know.”
“Nah, the Sanctum’s under lock and key during the night. If Yosie heads for another Star tonight, he’s going to Glitzville.”
“What makes you say that, Roy?”
“I’ve made frequent visits to the Glitz Pit on business for my sports arena. They have onstage entertainment in between fights. I asked Lemmy a few days ago to hack into their computer and check their entertainment schedule. Playing tonight is an act called ‘Lakitu Joe and his Magical Squeezebox’.”
“Squeezebox? Well, that provides the perfect distraction. Everyone’s gonna run for their lives from squeezebox music. How’d Jolene convince herself that it would work?”
“Oh, I don’t know. That Lakitu is a tricky one. Of course, the act is called ‘his Magical Squeezebox’. Lakitu Joe could do something with that squeezebox other than play it.”
“You mean use it like a trampoline or something?”
“Who knows? Lakitus think the dumbest things…”
Neither of the two Koopalings knew that someone next door was listening in to their conversation. He’d received the Email as well on his Mailbox SP and fully understood every word. It was after the infamous Koopa Kids went to bed did the man’s brain registered how they’d slightly inferred that Yosie was a Lakitu. Now why would they know that?
Unless they were in on it?
***
“Ludwig, it’s getting dark, and the water’s starting to get choppy.”
“What is the focus of your logic, sibling?”
“My point is we need to rest up.”
“I’m afraid that is next to impossible.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“With the water currents as it is, we’ll get pushed back to Toad Town overnight. We must keep going.”
“Um… Ludwig… out of curiosity, just how far away is Dinosaur Land from Toad Town?”
“About twice the distance Rogueport is. Why?”
“In that case, I bet everyone else is having a better time then I am.”
“Probability dictates they are. Now keep propelling yourself forward.”
***
It was about 7:00 PM in Rogueport Plaza when two people bumped into each other.
“Ouch!”
“Oh my stars!”
“Oooooohhh… This is why I used to be afraid of the dark.”
“Koops? Is that you?”
“Madame Flurrie?”
“Quite so, friend. What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”
“The Game Over took Koopie Koo and the Diamond Star. This is exactly why I went adventuring with Mario so long ago, to be strong for Koopie Koo.”
“I understand. She really means a lot to you, doesn’t she?”
In the darkness of the nighttime plaza, Flurrie could barely make out Koop’s head nodding.
“Yep,” Koops responded verbally. “The problem is, I don’t know which place to start looking.”
“If we put our heads together, darling, I’m pretty sure we could come up with something.”
“Ok. Might as well try it.”
There was silence for several strangely tense moments.
“Hey, Flurrie? I think I have something.”
“What?”
“I said I think-“
“I understood what you meant, Koops. I was asking what your idea was.”
“Um… I lost it.”
Several more silent moments passed.
“I GOT IT AGAIN! Nope, lost it.”
A few more moments.
“IT’S BACK! YEAH, IT’S STAYING!”
A light in one of the inn windows came on.
“Would you please keep it down? We have guests in here!” the innkeeper shouted.
The light went out.
“Well, Koops, what was your idea?”
“Uh… It’s gone again.”
Flurrie slapped her face and groaned. This was going to take a long while.
***
In the main office in the Glitz Pit, Jolene sat at the desk and Grubba stood before her. Since the former promoter’s energy-draining machine was discovered, Grubba had been given the boot from running the Glitz Pit, Glitzville’s biggest and only attraction. However, Jolene gave him mercy and let him remain the announcer on one condition: that he swear to never try to take anything from anyone again. Grubba reluctantly agreed.
As for the machine, it and its blueprints were sold by Grubba to the highest bidder. Behind Jolene’s back, obviously. The buyer was a Boomerang Brother by the name of Dicer, and he paid by offering the entertainment services of a dear friend of his: a guy he called Lakitu Joe. Grubba met up with Joe and they talked to Jolene to find a spot in the late show. However, they were booked near solid for several months, but eventually they found a spot when Lakitu Joe could perform.
It turned out that the meeting determined when Yosie would begin his craziest and most improbable plan yet.
But I digress.
“Well, Grubba,” Jolene said to her employee, “we have a slight problem.”
“What is it, Miz Jolene?”
“Lakitu Joe. The guy we had on our calendar for months. It’s almost time for him to be on stage and there’s no trace of him.”
“Now that ain’t a good thing, Miz Jolene. Whadda we do if he doesn’t show up?”
“The Hand-It-Overs have a match that’ll determine if they manage to reach the major league. I was saving it for after the sideshow, but it can be a substitute if he doesn’t-“
She was interrupted by a series of knocks on the office door.
“Come in,” she said.
Lakitu Joe entered the office, carrying his magical squeezebox. Coming in behind him was Dicer.
“Sorry I’m late,” Joe said to those present. “Heavy traffic.”
“On a floating city?” asked Jolene.
“You’d be surprised,” Joe replied.
“Yer cutting it real close, son,” Grubba scolded. “Yer on in five minutes. There’s not even any time to tune that there squeezebox of yers.”
“Two things,” Joe said. “One, lose the accent. Two, I’ve tuned it on the way here. I’ve had plenty of time to do it.”
“All settled, then,” Jolene said. “Joe, you stay here until security comes for you. Grubba, you and I are heading to the ring to introduce him. Dicer, feel free to come to the arena to watch your friend if you like.”
“With all due respect, Miss Jolene,” Dicer said in his British accent, “I’ll just wait here until the show’s over. I’ve heard Joe’s music a lot in the past months.”
“Understandable. Just please don’t wander off.”
And with that, Grubba and Jolene left the office. Once they did so, “Joe” turned to Dicer.
“Nice one, Dicer,” Yosie whispered to him.
“Thanks, boss,” Dicer whispered back.
“Remember the plan?”
“Let’s see… while you’re distracting the occupants of the entire building with your magical squeezebox, I break into the champion’s quarters and steal the champ’s belt with the Gold Star on it.”
Since the conclusion of the events illustrated by Nintendo in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the Gold Star was embedded into the champion’s belt. It was necessary, as the fake originally had broken when Rawk Hawk, the second Glitz Pit champion, had a run-in with Bowser.
“Correct, my friend. And remember, if you have trouble, Susan and Doopliss are hiding in the air vents. You can see one of the outputs from here.”
He pointed and Dicer looked. There was a grate covering the ventilation shaft leading to the champion’s quarters. From the other side of the grate, Susan and Doopliss gave Yosie and Dicer the thumbs up. At least, Susan did. Doopliss had difficulty giving a thumbs up. No thumbs. Or other fingers, either.
The office door open and a suit came in. “Lakitu Joe? I’m here to escort you to the ring for your performance.”
“Later,” Yosie said to Dicer, and he left with the suit.
Dicer waited several seconds, until he could hear Grubba introducing the boss. Then he made his move. Exiting the office, he moved to the champ’s room.
There, he had good luck and bad luck.
The good luck was all the suits on security wondered whether Joe’s squeezebox really was magical and left their post, leaving the champ’s room door exposed.
The bad luck was that Rawk Hawk’s want to see the act was exactly the opposite of security’s.
***
All of the fans in the crowd were anxious for the next phase of entertainment. Not a single one of the Pit’s 4,500 seating capacity wanted to listen to squeezebox music, but they were willing to sit through it. After all, there was the possibility that Bandy Andy and his gang, the Hand-It-Overs, would become major leaguers. When it came down to it, that was a big honor.
As the lights around the Glitz Pit darkened, a spotlight came from the no-other-lights-on-it-so-nobody-except-the-architects-know-what-in-the-world-it-looks-like ceiling and shone down on Grubba, with his standard microphone.
“How’s everyone doin’ tonight?” he shouted.
“Great!” the audience called back.
“I ain’t hearin’ you!” Grubba called louder.
“GREAT!” everyone called back so loud, the ceiling almost fell down. Then everyone would know what it looked like.
“Our primary feature for tonight is, of course, the fight starrin’ the 11th ranked, hard-core, give-me-your-dough-or-else gang of Bandit baddies. However, you might know ‘em better as the HAND-IT-OVERS!”
The crowd cheered with excitement.
“And their opponents in the 10th rank are none other then the two hardheads that have gotten their act together a lot in recent times. Let me hear it for THE ARMORED HARRIERS!”
While the crowd did cheer, not as many did. That was because Bandy Andy and his friends would enjoy being your friends, even if it was for your money. The two Iron Clefts that formed the Armored Harriers were gruff and always seemed to have a grudge against everybody on the planet. It was no surprise to Grubba when he felt the excitement lower a notch.
“But everybody knows you always save the best for last. And now for all you music lovers out here (and I know you exist!), we have Lakitu Joe and his ever-magical squeezebox! How is it magical? Don’t ask me. I’ll never know. Anyways, I expect some decent applause from you. He had to wait for months to get onstage.”
“He should’ve waited longer!” a Toad in the stands cried. “Long enough for us to get away from a squeezebox!”
Sections of the crowd broke out in laughter.
“I’ll just let ‘im take it from here and we’ll see what you all think when he’s done. Now, give me some claps for LAKITU JOE AND HIS MAGICAL SQUEEZEBOX!”
Grubba backed off the stage, leaving the spotlight dead in the center. “Lakitu Joe,” a. k. a. Yosie, floated into the spotlight, holding his special squeezebox.
“’Lo, everyone,” Yosie said to the crowd.
If all the crickets weren’t on Plit at the moment, you would’ve heard them.
“Already we’re having communication problems,” he joked. “I am now taking requests. for songs.” At those last two words, half of the audience’s mouths were wide open and about to request he leave.
Several silent moments passed.
“Anyone?”
It was half a minute before a female Toad on the lower floor suddenly began waving her hand like a banner.
“Yes, the pretty Shroom over there.”
“Well, there’s this song I’ve heard on the radio. It’s by Matchbox Twenty, and it’s called ‘Unwell’, I think.”
“Nice pick, gal. One of my personal favorites.” He pressed the black button until the display said “’Unwell’ by Matchbox Twenty” and began playing.
From the first bar, everyone had taken notice. It wasn’t called a magical squeezebox for nothing. It didn’t play ordinary squeezebox notes. It actually, by squeezing or stretching the box, played the guitar, the drums, the base, everything about the song. Everyone was paying attention, practically mesmerized, by the third bar.
Also, when his cues came, Yosie began to sing the song. “All day, staring at the ceiling, making friends with shadows on the wall. All night, hearing voices telling me that I should get some sleep, ‘cause tomorrow might be good for something.”
Suddenly, something not even Yosie predicted would happen, did happen. Grubba came back onstage and began singing. “Hold on, feelin’ like I’m headed for a breakdown, and I don’t know why.”
Yosie joined in with Grubba. “But I’m not crazy; I’m just a little unwell. I know right now you can’t tell, but stay awhile and maybe then you’ll see a different side of me. I’m not crazy, I’m just a little impaired. I know right now you don’t care, but soon enough, you’re gonna think of me, and how I used to be…”
And the song continued. By the second chorus, the entire audience was singing along, their views turned about a full hundred-eighty.
When the song ended after about three minutes, the audience was clapping like you wouldn’t believe. However, I’ll give you an idea. For a nanosecond, the jets holding Glitzville up turned off due to the vibrations. It wasn’t enough for anyone in the city to notice a thing, but it did prove the jets needed extra security.
Grubba cried out, “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I HAVEN’T HEARD ANYTHING THAT GOOD SINCE JUSTIN TIMBERKOOP! LET’S HEAR IT FOR LAKITU JOE!”
Yosie looked at the audience as they applauded. For him. No one had done that. Usually, when he did something totally genius, all he got was a “Nice work, boss.”
It’s official, he thought. When I need a vacation, I’m coming here.
However, that idea, unlike most of his others, came crashing around his ears when a huge figure suddenly burst through the red backstage door, silencing the crowd.
It was Rawk Hawk. However, he looked like he had come home from a battlefield (although he did that every day). There were cuts and bruises all over, several of his feathers had been plucked in large patches, and his left eye was blacker then his mask.
“NOBODY MOVE UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET RAWKED!” he yelled. “SOMEONE STOLE MY BELT! MY CHAMPION’S BELT!”
From the blue backstage door, Dicer, Doopliss, and Susan burst in. Dicer was holding the belt above his head.
“Boss!” Dicer shouted. “I’ve got the belt!”
There was ten seconds of awkward silence.
Yosie broke it by saying “Two Seven Hike!”
“Two Seven Hike” was a procedure Yosie uploaded into every member of his army that he created. It was short for “throw me whatever you’re holding of great importance like a football”.
And Dicer did so. The belt carrying the Gold Star flew through the air. However, Dicer wasn’t a strong lobber or overhead passer, and it landed on the edge of the stage.
“The belt!” Grubba cried. Despite his age and not having his immortality, he moved rather quickly in his drive to keep the Glitz Pit in business. He never showed his love for the Pit, but he never talked too much either.
Yosie, however, had an even bigger drive: his drive to have immortality himself. He yanked out the G. O. Wand. “Magical Magnet!”
While the Gold Star did fly toward him, it had cargo with it. Grubba had grabbed the belt, and he refused to let it go.
“Yer not going anywhere with this here belt while I’m workin’ at the Glitz Pit, you little snap-up!”
“I don’t know who you’re talking to, fatso. Tubba Blubba’s your brother, pudgy belly?”
“He’s m’ cousin, you small-dreamer!”
“That’s where I draw the line, you low-down excuse for a villain. Gailstorm Blast!”
Not even Grubba’s weight could prevent him from having his feet swept out from under him as the evil Lakitu’s cloud began to blow a huge burst of wind. However, his grip remained as firm as ever.
“After what happened before, I’m never letting go!” Grubba cried.
“Talk is cheap. Here you go.”
He let go of the belt. With nothing to anchor him, the wind took Grubba flying across the Pit, slamming high up on the wall. And not even Grubba can hold on to something when thrown into a stone wall at 90 miles per hour.
“Magical Magnet!” The belt flew back into Yosie’s hands. “Now that that’s out of the way, it’s time for the supercomputer276’s getaway!”
“The supercomputer276?” Rawk Hawk said as he came up on the stage. “That punk kid? I’ve been wanting to rawk you for ages!”
“Really? I’ve stooped that low?”
Rawk gave a huge warning growl. The entire town heard it.
“That’s it? That’s all you can manage? Your mommy must be so proud.”
“Careful, Slick!” Doopliss cried. “You just crossed the line!”
“FREAK-SHEET OVER THERE IS RIGHT!” Rawk yelled, positively outraged. “NOTHING WILL GET YOU OUT OF A RAWK HAWK STYLE BEATING NOW!” He leaped into the air, almost hitting the ceiling (and boy, is that high!), and tried to come down on the Lakitu.
Yosie kept his cool. After all, it would take Rawk Hawk a total of fifteen seconds to come down. At least. Pulling out his magical squeezebox, he set it up like a springboard underneath him and waited until two seconds before collision before shouting “Time Halt!”
Yosie moved several feet from the collision spot almost instantaneously (from the audience’s view, of course), and Rawk landed on the sideways squeezebox. However, it acted like a trampoline in its current position, and it shot the big bird back where he came from: the roof.
Everyone could hear the crunch as the champ’s head hit the ceiling. Hard. By the time anyone had recovered their senses, Yosie, his squeezebox, and his employees were out of sight.
***
Yosie, Susan, Doopliss, and Dicer burst out through the Glitz Pit’s main doors.
“Dicer,” Yosie scolded, “Once we’re on route to Twilight Town, remind me to pummel you for that stunt.”
“Sorry, boss. I really did botch the job, didn’t I?”
“Let’s just get out of here,” Susan said.
“AAA! IT’S THE GAME OVER!” the Cheep Cheep that worked for the blimp company cried. Panic quickly ensued.
“Please, not at 10 PM,” Yosie moaned.
A set of extendo-hands came down to pick up the passengers. Yosie was feeling a bit too tired to fly to the ship. Way past his bedtime, see. As he preferred it.
General Guy met them in the hull of the ship.
“Welcome back, Admiral. I MEAN SIR!”
“Not so loud, General Guy. Did you prepare the detonator charge on the roof and jets like I asked you?”
“Yep, everything’s ready, ad- sir.”
“Ok. Then I can call it a day. You guys should too, and start the night shift. Get us to Twilight Town.”
“Right away, Ad- sir.”
A minute later, the G. O. S. Volcano pulled away from Glitzville just as Grubba and Jolene walked out.
“Now that’s gonna hurt business,” Grubba concluded.
Jolene was not amused.