Geminid You drive out to WBP?

Alsa Yes.

Geminid Paolo and an exquisitely dressed probably-human male in his late 30s are waiting for you when you get to your place.

Alsa "Hello hello! Mr. Corbucci, is it?"

Geminid "And you! You must be the one and only Alsabyerdiese Ipanym! I. Am. Honored!" he kisses your cheeks.

• Alsa smiles and endures it warmly. "Wow, um. Likewise, I'm sure. So what's the plan for tonight?"

Geminid "Dinner and dancing, I say!" Corbucci says. Paolo smiles, "Sounds good to me."

Alsa "I'll try to keep up!"

Alsa Where do we go?

Geminid One sec

Geminid Domeici in Little Iello, finest Talunic (Italian) cuisine in the city

Geminid Corbucci offers to pay.

• Alsa acquiesces to this suggestion.

Geminid The food and wine are amazing, and Corbucci spends most of his time asking you about your work. "So what was it like when Sidney first came out? To be the top of the world like that?"

Alsa "It was dreamlike. I didn't really understand what was happening. I would have done a lot of things differently had I known then what I know now." Is the gist of what he says about that time, though he'd answer a few more of Corbucci's questions about that time. "I don't like to dwell on the past. What about you? What's happening in the ruthless world of fashion?"

Geminid "I'm working on shoes right now. A special pair for Whitney Sellenes' next movie."

Alsa "Dancing shoes, eh? If they'd given me a budget, I'd offer to see about a contract."

Geminid Corbucci laughs, "Paolo, would you be a dear and go ask the band to play that one song, you know, the one about the boxer?" Paolo laughs, "Absolutely."

Geminid As soon as Paolo steps away, Corbucci's foot slides over and tangles with one of yours, "We could go somewhere later tonight and talk... shoes some more."

• Alsa watches him go and smiles serenely. "Well, you could come back to the lot with me, if you don't mind hellhounds, locusts, waking up in pools of blood."
• Alsa keeps his feet relaxed.

Geminid Corbucci laughs, "Ahh, the magic of movies. Sounds delightful. So is the new one a horror movie?"

Alsa "No, but it might as well be with all the problems we're having. This is ... not a good time to be making movies, or to be near the studios. That's why only someone as crazy as I am gets to do it now."

• Alsa lets a note of bitterness creep in as he explains.

Geminid He laughs a little, "Ahh, the protests are getting in the way. So sad. Still, it's all for the sake of the art, right?"

• Alsa shrugs. "Yeah, of course! I'd do anything to keep making movies. Ask Paolo. But I'm starting to get the feeling that the protests are just a symptom ..." he breaks his own wall of tension with a short chuckle. "Sorry. Never mind. We were discussing, uh, Mr. Sellenes's new picture? Do you know anything about it?"

Geminid "Oh, didn't you hear? Seamon Coranizo landed him for his new project. It's at the same studio as you."

• Alsa smiles. "Ahh, Mr. Coranizo, my new favorite rival! Word on the street is that he thinks he's going to oust me from the DGI."

Geminid Corbucci smiles, "He might well. He's, what, secretary of the guild, the papers say? And poor Daniel Healfdane, that movie writer, gone missing while working on that story of Coranizo."

• Alsa 's smile fades. "What's his story?"

Alsa "Er, I mean. You know."

Alsa Can we say that I called the guild and left a message explaining that Angela was taking over my case?

Alsa During the day?

Alsa I had planned that last week and forgot until we referenced it just now.

Geminid Yes

Alsa ok

Geminid "The writer or Coranizo?"

Alsa "The writer. I hadn't heard. You say he went missing?"

Geminid Paolo comes back, and Corbucci's feet slowly slide back to his side of the table.

Geminid "It was reported today." Paolo, "Oh, you mean Daniel Healfdane. So sinister!" Corbucci, "No one's seen him since last Riaxhium," Friday, a week ago or so. "And they say his next piece was on Coranizo, and it wasn't necessarily going to be pretty."

Alsa "Coranizo does seem pretty hysterical lately. He'll probably take our meeting as a declaration of war." How old is Coranizo?

Geminid Probably five years younger than Alsa at most.

• Alsa puts on a thinking face. "In fact ... employees leaving, stabbing at shadows ... well, uh, I hope he doesn't go through what I did."

Geminid Paolo shrugs, "His movies are ghastly. I don't know why anyone likes those things."

Alsa "Oh, well, it comes down to production values. He's the engine of a well-funded monster-movie-making machine, and his crew is top-notch." Alsa goes on to explain whatever it is that makes Coranizo successful.

Geminid They listen as you tell them how his early movies were campy and badly done, but his later ones were well done and horrifying beyond belief.

Geminid And the early ones appeal to people who like camp, the later ones to people who like to be scared

Alsa "But of course, he lacks versatility. If the public ever gets tired of monster movies - unlikely - he'd be in big trouble."

Geminid Paolo says, "Here's hoping the unlikely happens." Corbucci laughs, "I don't know, some of those films are all right. I like a good shiver."

• Alsa is quiet for a moment, thinking about this new information, and his own realizations.

Geminid The waiter comes by, "Dessert, gentlemen?"

Geminid Corbucci looks to Alsa.

Alsa Absently, "Nothing for me, thanks."

Geminid Paolo declines, and Corbucci does. He gets the check. "Well, gentlemen, how about we find the Thrush Lounge and put on our dancing shoes?"

Alsa Can I realistically go dancing and still get enough sleep?

Geminid Not really, no.

• Alsa checks his watch, yawning. "I wish I could, but they have me working like a dog. If I don't get to bed I'll be some kind of zombie tomorrow. And not the high-production-value kind."

Alsa Can I graciously escape from this situation from the car? And, can I indicate to Paolo that Corbucci needs a date without letting on to Corbucci?

Alsa er, with the car

Geminid They're happy to take a cab, and yes, probably.

Alsa Then I'll do all that and go back to the lot.

Geminid Police have surrounded it, sending the protestors away.

Geminid Angela and Tilluel are outside the lot.