- Joined
- Dec 21, 2011
- Messages
- 8,581
- Reaction score
- 1,564
- Location
- UK Cantina
- Website
- truckloadofart.wordpress.com
As the Cantina Turns - Thanksmibble part 2
As Eye had begun to organise those left in the cantina,10s led the search party out into the corridor. Consulting the map that Sian had hastily drawn before they left she directed them to an alcove next to the comedy cabaret door.
“Right here's the plan,” she said, “We go in, we take a look around and we leave quietly. We don't want anyone to notice us or to know that we've been here. In and out, quick and simple. Understood?” The others nodded.
“What are we looking for?” asked Max.
“Organisation,” replied 10s.
“In here, you must be kidding,” said Sian, “This lot couldn't organise anything,”
“Exactly,” said 10s, “That's why it'll be obvious if they're up to anything.”
“Sounds a bit quiet,” said Max, who had cracked the door open slightly.
“Let's go,” said 10s, and Max pushed the door open, the cantinas walked into the cabaret as nonchalantly as they could manage. The room was crowded, the bar was doing a good trade and almost every table was occupied.
“There's something very wrong here,” said Debio, looking around, “Why is everyone so quiet?”
“Look,” said Max pointing to the nearest table, two cabaret members were deep in concentration over a chess game. At the next table another person was writing furiously and looking up words in a dictionary, over at a third table several people were talking quietly and playing cards.
“This isn't right, what's going on?” said 10s
“Normally you can't hear yourself think. I don't get it,” said Sian. There was 'bong' from the stage gong.
“Oh no, it's him,” said 10s, she pointed at the stage where a man dressed in a beige suit and beige shoes and swinging an umbrella was walking up to the microphone stand.
“Who's that?” asked Debio. The man on stage reached the microphone before 10s could answer him
“And we're back ladies and gentlemen. I am Ernest Scribbler, your entertainment for this evening.”
“Never heard of him, said Debio.
“He held us all hostage in the cantina a while back," said Max
“I think I was on vacation,” said Debio
“Oh no,” said Sian, “That means you haven't been vaccinated. We have to get you out of here right now. Move!”
Sian ordered Debio in her best paramedic voice, but it was too late. Debio had heard Ernest's first joke and was in a trance. He chuckled and pulled up a chair to sit down.
“No, no, we have to get him out of here," Sian pleaded to Max and 10s, but even with all three of them pulling and pushing him, Debio wouldn't move. Debio laughed at Ernest's next joke and then stood up. Sian and 10s tried to steer him towards the door but Debio moved closer to the front, laughing out loud at the next joke, causing a cabaret member to tut at the noise.
“We're supposed to be keeping a low profile remember,” said Max
“I know,” said 10s, “but he's in a trance, we have to get him out of here, so help would you.”
Debio applauded the next joke. Ernest gave a little start but carried on with his next joke. As he reached the punchline, Debio fell around on his chair laughing out loud. Several cabaret members were now looking their way, the cantinas ducked below a table.
“I'd appreciate some suggestions,” said 10s, Sian and Max both shrugged in response
“Terrific,” said 10s, “Debio is going to be catatonic in minutes if this carries on and we are supposed to be going through here unnoticed.”
Debio was continuing to laugh and applaud at Ernest's act, it seemed that every time Ernest even moved Debio thought it was funny.
“Look, something's happening,” said Max. As he spoke Ernest came to a dead stop. Debio roared with laughter and Ernest became more confused. He stumbled over his own feet and walked into the microphone stand, causing Debio to stand up and laugh his loudest yet. Ernest's act was going to pieces, as Debio doubled over in laughter,
“You're killing me,” he gasped.
Ernest shrank away from the microphone, confusion and fear written across his face, he had broken out in a sweat and was fumbling with his umbrella. Debio ran up onto the stage,
“No, no, you can't stop,” he shouted as Ernest backed away from him,
“But, but, you, you laughed,” Ernest pointed his umbrella at Debio, his hand was shaking so hard he could have conducted an orchestra.
“Of course I laughed, you're so bad it's hilarious. Come on, carry on. You're the best thing I've seen in years.”
Debio leant forward to grab Ernest's arm. Ernest struck out, trying to use his umbrella as a sword. Debio swatted the umbrella aside, knocking it away. Ernest stepped back towards the wings as Debio reached out to pull him into the spotlight.
“No one's ever laughed at me before,” said Ernest, “I'm not sure I like it.”
In desperation Ernest grabbed onto a rope and they both disappeared from view as the stage curtain came down. Ernest gave a yelp as the rope snaked around his leg and pulled him up into the air by the ankle. Debio's trance broke, the spell was gone. He looked around him, seeing a beige suited man with beige shoes suspended upside down from the curtain call rope by his ankle. Debio stooped to pick up Ernest's umbrella and walked into the wings. He turned to take a final look at Ernest and shook his head,
“You know what you are?” He said, “You're a joke.”
He turned on his heel and left. The others were grouped by the door as Debio reappeared out front.
“Are you ok?” Sian asked, examining Debio with a medical Smibble.
“I'm fine,” Debio replied, “Although I think Ernest is a bit highly strung at the moment.”
“What now?” Max asked 10s.
“There's obviously nothing happening here. They can't even organise their own cabaret. It looks like we need to check out romance then. Everyone ready?”
When Sian had declared Debio fit to continue, they consulted the map.
“Down two floors and along on the right, just past poetry,” explained Max, “Let's head for the stairs then.”
The cantinas left just as the curtains opened on the next cabaret act. As they headed down the stairs,10s looked at her watch,
“We should get a move on. We've been out here thirty minutes already and I promised Eye we'd have the information for him within an hour.”
Just as she spoke, the lights went out.
-------------------------------------------------------
Thanksmibble part 1
Previous AtCTs
TJ's AtCT list
As Eye had begun to organise those left in the cantina,10s led the search party out into the corridor. Consulting the map that Sian had hastily drawn before they left she directed them to an alcove next to the comedy cabaret door.
“Right here's the plan,” she said, “We go in, we take a look around and we leave quietly. We don't want anyone to notice us or to know that we've been here. In and out, quick and simple. Understood?” The others nodded.
“What are we looking for?” asked Max.
“Organisation,” replied 10s.
“In here, you must be kidding,” said Sian, “This lot couldn't organise anything,”
“Exactly,” said 10s, “That's why it'll be obvious if they're up to anything.”
“Sounds a bit quiet,” said Max, who had cracked the door open slightly.
“Let's go,” said 10s, and Max pushed the door open, the cantinas walked into the cabaret as nonchalantly as they could manage. The room was crowded, the bar was doing a good trade and almost every table was occupied.
“There's something very wrong here,” said Debio, looking around, “Why is everyone so quiet?”
“Look,” said Max pointing to the nearest table, two cabaret members were deep in concentration over a chess game. At the next table another person was writing furiously and looking up words in a dictionary, over at a third table several people were talking quietly and playing cards.
“This isn't right, what's going on?” said 10s
“Normally you can't hear yourself think. I don't get it,” said Sian. There was 'bong' from the stage gong.
“Oh no, it's him,” said 10s, she pointed at the stage where a man dressed in a beige suit and beige shoes and swinging an umbrella was walking up to the microphone stand.
“Who's that?” asked Debio. The man on stage reached the microphone before 10s could answer him
“And we're back ladies and gentlemen. I am Ernest Scribbler, your entertainment for this evening.”
“Never heard of him, said Debio.
“He held us all hostage in the cantina a while back," said Max
“I think I was on vacation,” said Debio
“Oh no,” said Sian, “That means you haven't been vaccinated. We have to get you out of here right now. Move!”
Sian ordered Debio in her best paramedic voice, but it was too late. Debio had heard Ernest's first joke and was in a trance. He chuckled and pulled up a chair to sit down.
“No, no, we have to get him out of here," Sian pleaded to Max and 10s, but even with all three of them pulling and pushing him, Debio wouldn't move. Debio laughed at Ernest's next joke and then stood up. Sian and 10s tried to steer him towards the door but Debio moved closer to the front, laughing out loud at the next joke, causing a cabaret member to tut at the noise.
“We're supposed to be keeping a low profile remember,” said Max
“I know,” said 10s, “but he's in a trance, we have to get him out of here, so help would you.”
Debio applauded the next joke. Ernest gave a little start but carried on with his next joke. As he reached the punchline, Debio fell around on his chair laughing out loud. Several cabaret members were now looking their way, the cantinas ducked below a table.
“I'd appreciate some suggestions,” said 10s, Sian and Max both shrugged in response
“Terrific,” said 10s, “Debio is going to be catatonic in minutes if this carries on and we are supposed to be going through here unnoticed.”
Debio was continuing to laugh and applaud at Ernest's act, it seemed that every time Ernest even moved Debio thought it was funny.
“Look, something's happening,” said Max. As he spoke Ernest came to a dead stop. Debio roared with laughter and Ernest became more confused. He stumbled over his own feet and walked into the microphone stand, causing Debio to stand up and laugh his loudest yet. Ernest's act was going to pieces, as Debio doubled over in laughter,
“You're killing me,” he gasped.
Ernest shrank away from the microphone, confusion and fear written across his face, he had broken out in a sweat and was fumbling with his umbrella. Debio ran up onto the stage,
“No, no, you can't stop,” he shouted as Ernest backed away from him,
“But, but, you, you laughed,” Ernest pointed his umbrella at Debio, his hand was shaking so hard he could have conducted an orchestra.
“Of course I laughed, you're so bad it's hilarious. Come on, carry on. You're the best thing I've seen in years.”
Debio leant forward to grab Ernest's arm. Ernest struck out, trying to use his umbrella as a sword. Debio swatted the umbrella aside, knocking it away. Ernest stepped back towards the wings as Debio reached out to pull him into the spotlight.
“No one's ever laughed at me before,” said Ernest, “I'm not sure I like it.”
In desperation Ernest grabbed onto a rope and they both disappeared from view as the stage curtain came down. Ernest gave a yelp as the rope snaked around his leg and pulled him up into the air by the ankle. Debio's trance broke, the spell was gone. He looked around him, seeing a beige suited man with beige shoes suspended upside down from the curtain call rope by his ankle. Debio stooped to pick up Ernest's umbrella and walked into the wings. He turned to take a final look at Ernest and shook his head,
“You know what you are?” He said, “You're a joke.”
He turned on his heel and left. The others were grouped by the door as Debio reappeared out front.
“Are you ok?” Sian asked, examining Debio with a medical Smibble.
“I'm fine,” Debio replied, “Although I think Ernest is a bit highly strung at the moment.”
“What now?” Max asked 10s.
“There's obviously nothing happening here. They can't even organise their own cabaret. It looks like we need to check out romance then. Everyone ready?”
When Sian had declared Debio fit to continue, they consulted the map.
“Down two floors and along on the right, just past poetry,” explained Max, “Let's head for the stairs then.”
The cantinas left just as the curtains opened on the next cabaret act. As they headed down the stairs,10s looked at her watch,
“We should get a move on. We've been out here thirty minutes already and I promised Eye we'd have the information for him within an hour.”
Just as she spoke, the lights went out.
-------------------------------------------------------
Thanksmibble part 1
Previous AtCTs
TJ's AtCT list
Last edited:
, congrats for any celebratory events here: 
and whippings for anyone who should be writing right now here: 
.
Raven! 
