told him. “Mother Zarzarkas, the Senile Bard of Esmeralda, the Sweet Folk Singer, the Guitar-Picking Granny.”
“I’m not very musical, I guess.” He shook his head.
“You don’t have to be musical to appreciate me,” she told him. “I make social comments. When I recorded ‘Forced Retirement At Eighty Is Stupid Blues’ my old guitar wasn’t even in tune, but that tune sold ten million.” She paused to poke his chest with a finger. “Do you mean to tell me you’ve never heard my biggest hit, the one about substandard housing? You’ve never heard ‘Building Code Violations Rag’?”
“Don’t think so, but as I said—”
“Civilization’s worse blights are going to run right over you, sonny boy,” she prophesied. “Unless you heed the warnings. Come on down to my cabin later and I’ll sell you a batch of my hits.”
“Yes, thanks, I will.” He edged around her, entered the stage area of the swift-moving riverboat.
The juggler was gone, a small man in a dark one-piece suit held the stage. He had prickly dark hair, deep-set eyes, a hawkish nose. He was frowning at the backstage section at the moment, his gloved hands stroking each other anxiously. “You look fine, Altadena. Come on out.”
“Keep your yurp in gear, Bobby,” called an unseen girl from behind the backdrop.
Tad took a seat several rows from the footlights.
“She’s always like this,” the man on the stage said to him. “I know how to pick them. Tall, lovely in a cool and distant way and eternally late.”
“I’m Tad Jaxon. We came aboard last night after—”
“Yes, I heard all about you and your adventures at the Belles Lettres. A perfect illustration of the godawful messes a woman can get you into.”
“It wasn’t exactly her—”
“Mv name is Bob Phantom. I’m the magician with this show, and you’ve probably never heard of me.”
“No, I haven’t.”
The magician came forward, sat on the stage edge. “I’ll tell you why. It’s because of my fondness for a particular type of women. Tall, lovely in a cool distant way and unfaithful.”
“I thought you said eternally late.”
“Late usually because they’re off being unfaithful. Altadena, we have to rehearse.”
“Don’t get your nork in an uproar, Bobby!”
“There’s another factor,” said Bob Phantom. “Consumers aren’t awed by a magician who’s called Bobby by his intimates. There’s no mystery, no awe. Bobby.”
“Don’t a lot of people in show business change their names?”
“I’ll never do that, it’d be a violation of my whole identity. Bob Phantom I was born, Bob Phantom I remain.” He rested his gloved hands on his knees. “The thing which really annoys me is . . . I’m a real magician. You know, I have real powers.”
“You do?”
“Altadena, are you ready?”
“Hold your grouts, Bobby!”
Bob Phantom lifted one hand, nodding at Tad. “I’ll demonstrate one of my powers.” His eyes shut for a few seconds, his fingertip traced a lazy circle in the air.
All at once a tall and lovely girl was on the stage, her left shoe dangling in her hand and a hair ribbon hanging around her neck. “Showing off again?” she asked as she hopped to tug on her shoe. “I truly get tired of being teleported, Bobby. It really turns around my insides, as you well know.”
“Tall and lovely,” said Bob Phantom, “but uncaring.”
“Think that was a trick?”
Tad jerked up straight. “Oh, I didn’t hear you coming.”
Jana Taine sat down next to him. “I can be quite sneaky at times. How are you feeling?”
“Relatively well.”
“I came looking for you,” the blonde girl said. “Thought you might want to have breakfast with me down in the galley.”
Tad grinned at her. “Yes, I would,” he answered.
Chapter 13
Trees circled the stone docking area at Siltville. A hundred or more low, thick-trunk trees, with globes of colored light strung in their twisting intertwined branches. As the showboat drifted in
“I’m not very musical, I guess.” He shook his head.
“You don’t have to be musical to appreciate me,” she told him. “I make social comments. When I recorded ‘Forced Retirement At Eighty Is Stupid Blues’ my old guitar wasn’t even in tune, but that tune sold ten million.” She paused to poke his chest with a finger. “Do you mean to tell me you’ve never heard my biggest hit, the one about substandard housing? You’ve never heard ‘Building Code Violations Rag’?”
“Don’t think so, but as I said—”
“Civilization’s worse blights are going to run right over you, sonny boy,” she prophesied. “Unless you heed the warnings. Come on down to my cabin later and I’ll sell you a batch of my hits.”
“Yes, thanks, I will.” He edged around her, entered the stage area of the swift-moving riverboat.
The juggler was gone, a small man in a dark one-piece suit held the stage. He had prickly dark hair, deep-set eyes, a hawkish nose. He was frowning at the backstage section at the moment, his gloved hands stroking each other anxiously. “You look fine, Altadena. Come on out.”
“Keep your yurp in gear, Bobby,” called an unseen girl from behind the backdrop.
Tad took a seat several rows from the footlights.
“She’s always like this,” the man on the stage said to him. “I know how to pick them. Tall, lovely in a cool and distant way and eternally late.”
“I’m Tad Jaxon. We came aboard last night after—”
“Yes, I heard all about you and your adventures at the Belles Lettres. A perfect illustration of the godawful messes a woman can get you into.”
“It wasn’t exactly her—”
“Mv name is Bob Phantom. I’m the magician with this show, and you’ve probably never heard of me.”
“No, I haven’t.”
The magician came forward, sat on the stage edge. “I’ll tell you why. It’s because of my fondness for a particular type of women. Tall, lovely in a cool distant way and unfaithful.”
“I thought you said eternally late.”
“Late usually because they’re off being unfaithful. Altadena, we have to rehearse.”
“Don’t get your nork in an uproar, Bobby!”
“There’s another factor,” said Bob Phantom. “Consumers aren’t awed by a magician who’s called Bobby by his intimates. There’s no mystery, no awe. Bobby.”
“Don’t a lot of people in show business change their names?”
“I’ll never do that, it’d be a violation of my whole identity. Bob Phantom I was born, Bob Phantom I remain.” He rested his gloved hands on his knees. “The thing which really annoys me is . . . I’m a real magician. You know, I have real powers.”
“You do?”
“Altadena, are you ready?”
“Hold your grouts, Bobby!”
Bob Phantom lifted one hand, nodding at Tad. “I’ll demonstrate one of my powers.” His eyes shut for a few seconds, his fingertip traced a lazy circle in the air.
All at once a tall and lovely girl was on the stage, her left shoe dangling in her hand and a hair ribbon hanging around her neck. “Showing off again?” she asked as she hopped to tug on her shoe. “I truly get tired of being teleported, Bobby. It really turns around my insides, as you well know.”
“Tall and lovely,” said Bob Phantom, “but uncaring.”
“Think that was a trick?”
Tad jerked up straight. “Oh, I didn’t hear you coming.”
Jana Taine sat down next to him. “I can be quite sneaky at times. How are you feeling?”
“Relatively well.”
“I came looking for you,” the blonde girl said. “Thought you might want to have breakfast with me down in the galley.”
Tad grinned at her. “Yes, I would,” he answered.
Chapter 13
Trees circled the stone docking area at Siltville. A hundred or more low, thick-trunk trees, with globes of colored light strung in their twisting intertwined branches. As the showboat drifted in
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