CHAPTER 41 -SPEED

Sindy was plagued with nightmares. They were frightful. Her soul was tormented by devils. Her long gone saintly parents were writhing in flames, flaming brimstone bombarded her and the screams of the suffering sinners was deafening. In the heat, smoke, and flames Sindy saw a loving Adel. Adel became her mother when her family died. But why would Adel make her suffer so. The loving Adel stood with her whip in her hand and every time she struck Sindy she would shout “Circe loves you Sindy” or “Circe loves all sinners Sindy.” Sindy looked up and flames burst from the eyes and mouth of Adel. The souls of the doomed screamed again and again. The sounds of torment were deafening.

Sindy awoke from her nightmare. She was screaming. Her bed, in the Penthouse of the Time Building, drenched in sweat. Sindy swung her feet over the edge of the bed. Sindy held her head and cried. Her elbows on her knees. Her cheeks in her hands. Tears falling upon the soft green rug. She cried, and then her cries turned to sobs.

Sindy Blazer was alone in the world. Only Adel seemed to care for her, but the price paid for that care and love was high. A high price, and immoral price, a price sure to bring death and destruction. And Sindy knew with certainty that Adel had not placed Sindy’s name in the Book of the Righteous. In the coming restoration of the Monarchy and the return of the Druid Priestess to Power, Sindy was certain that she would be included among the innocent, the faultless, and the simple avatars who did not accept the love of Circe. That spelled a fate worse than death.

Sindy stood. She rubbed her eyes.

Get a grip, she thought. Get a grip.

She walked to the bathroom, or the bathroom suite, and drew a glass of cold water. She took a sip and then a long drink. She looked in the mirror. Who am I she wondered? Am I Sindy Blazer, Daughter of Sandy and Thomas Blazer? Am I the obedient loving child of Mother Superior Adel Flossberg? Am I the Editor of The Times or a pawn of a conspiracy to control the press in a time of crisis?

Sindy stared long and hard at the image in the mirror. She took a deep breath. Sindy heard a soft scuffling sound. She turned. Nothing was there. Get a grip.

The Sindy turned and ran to her closet, or the suite of closets, and began throwing her clothes onto the floor. She picked out a few items, mostly old, warm, and worn, and some track shoes. She quickly dressed. She paused a moment and considered. Then she opened a heavy drawer and drew out a flat black P99. She felt its weight and balance and then returned it to the drawer. “This is not right,” she said to no one. She reached in again and chose the more lady like First Line Security laser sighting sling shot. Then she grabbed the back pack Sparkle had left and stuffed it with packs of ¾ inch 72 count marbles and two spare sets of power bands.

She walked to Ruprecht Murdstone’s desk and picked up the phone. To a voice on the other end of the line she said, “Give me Blurts, now!”

“Yes Mam,” said the voice on the end of the line

“Oh, and have the cook send up breakfast, yes, yes I know its midnight. Send it up. In a bag or box, I’m taking it with me. Coffee in a thermos. Step on it.”

In a moment another voice came on the line. “Hello is Blurts, How can I help you have a most wonderful day. This call may be monitored for quality control and blackmail. Please press one if you can wait on the line for over an hour, press two if you want to review your options. Your satisfaction is our most important asset. Hello this is …”

Sindy pressed 9, the number for Blurts Sucker Club Gold Line Card, and a different voice said “How can help you have a most wonderful day. This call may …”

“Shut up,” Said Sindy I’m calling for Ruprecht Murdstone of Lupine News. The voice on the other end literally gulped.

“What’s the fastest thing you have available within in an hour? Money is no object, but it has to be fast, really fast? said Sindy.

Sindy had decided to take a stand, and that decision was not to stand with Adel.

Sindy next phoned Witney ‘Half Nelson’ Llanfair. The phone rang only once and answered.

“Yo, you found me,” said Witney. There was a party going on wherever Whitney was.

“Hi Whitney, it’s me Sindy”

“Hey keep it down back there!” shouted Witney. The laughing and giggling stopped but the pulsating sound of a sub woofer could still be felt in Sindy’s bones on her end of the line.

“Ok Sin, what ya want?” asked Witney.

“Wanna drive the fastest car in Capital City, flat out, tickets be damned, on a hopeless mission which leaves far too late -- a mission to save Second Life.” shouted Sindy to ensure she could be heard above the music.

“You take the ticket points and the gas?” asked Witney.

“Yes, Witney, but were likely to get killed in either a fiery crash or at the hands of demons and devils.”

“Cool. Sounds good to me” replied Witney. “When do we leave?”

“As soon as you get here?”

Witney said “Smooth. Give me five to brush my hair and pack a bag.”

“Oh,” said Sindy. “You will need some heat. Were unlikely to make it back alive and we should make them pay.”

“The Order?” said Witney. “Don’t worry I can take care of myself.”

Witney hung up.

Sindy headed toward the lobby of The Times building

When she arrived she found Witney standing and waiting at the curb. The limo was running. Funstas was still missing. She looked very different from Witney the Chauffeur that Sindy thought she knew. Whitney the Chauffeur wore a grey uniform with a broad cap.

This Witney had several very noticeable piercing. A little stud in the left nostril was really cute thought Sindy. But the matching safety pin earrings made Sindy wince. And the tongue button, always a favorite with the boys, was a surprise. Whitney laughed and laughed again watching Sindy. “Fooled you didn’t I, they are paste ons” Just some goofy glue. I’m not so stupid as to defile this perfect temple of love,” Whitney said.

Sindy thought about her piercing and her temple of love. Sindy broke out laughing too.

This Witney was dressed in contemporary Punk Couture. She had a very tight tee shirt by Juggies. It was loaded with acid holes and Sindy could barely read the motto ‘Juicy’s Do It Better.’ There was a lot of clean scrubbed pink flesh to contrast with the black tee and the bright red letters of the motto. She was wearing draw sting pants in a kind of greenish grey. The waist was way too large and the draw string was drawn up tight. It was the look of the moment. Sindy knew this because she had written this in the society column called ‘Social Bits and Bites’ in last week’s paper. It had to be true.

Witney toped off her look with custom built C14RCA Lopet Women's 300 Skate Shoes. Those were really expensive thought Sindy. She looked closely at Witney’s feet.

“Yup,” said Witney, “All weather adnausium skate balls.”

“Wow, those must have cost a fortune.”

“Birthday gift from Dad,” Witney said with a hint of pride. "No convictions for a year!"

“Let’s go,” said Sindy and the jumped into the front seat of the Limo. Sindy had never seen the separate front drivers compartment before. As Witney pulled away, red lights and siren blowing, the streets empty and dark, she realized that Witney lived in the Limo. It was set up like a small executive efficiency apartment in one of the expensive executive dives on Soused Street. Sindy saw the microwave, the youtube station, a hair dryer, a folding screen behind which Sindy discovered an amazingly versatile wardrobe. “Witney we got to do a story on your apartment,” said Sindy.

As they raced down beast street Sindy saw an enormous pilar of fire burning south of the Capital. It was the Capital CIty Sports Stadium

As they passed the Blurts guard shack Witney noticed a bright shiny red silk Mogul Kashan with plate numbers indicating it was fresh off the loom. Witney turned to Sindy and said. “Give me your card.” Sindy passed her Blurts Sucker Club Gold Line Card. Witney pulled an enormous wad of lindens from her rucksack. “Stay here,” she said.

Sindy stayed behind and watched as Witney walked through the large glass doors. Within a few moments Witney was shouting. Sindy could hear a flood of foul language that made even her experienced ears turn red.

“%^$#, what do you mean Ardabil, you *&$^% of a *&%^#”

Sindy reached for her notebook she was hearing a new vocabulary and she needed to keep up with the social trends. Yesterday’s swear words are today’s honorifics and love talk. More words came gushing out. Sindy watched as Witney reached across the counter and grabbed the skinny Blurts agent’s necktie and practically pull him over the counter and directly into her face. More exhilarating vocabulary and Sindy wrote furiously. The clerk handed a set of keys to Witney and she kissed him. He was very frightened and a yellow puddle had formed below the counter. As Witney turned she paused for a moment and looked back at the frightened counter agent and threw a huge wad of cash at him.

As they ran to the red Kashan Sindy said to Witney, “That was a lot of cash.”

Whitney replied “Don’t worry my Dad prints the stuff in his basement.”

“That was a thing of beauty,” commented Sindy, “a thing of beauty!”

They leapt onto the carpet. Whitney wriggled her bottom into the soft cushions of the Kashan and said “Start.”

The flying carpet rose a meter and roared loudly. A flock of pigeons took flight from a tree half a mile away. Then the Kashan calmed down a bit, but the sound was powerful, and Sindy could feel the pent up energy surging throughout the carpet waiting to be unleashed and converted into pure speed.

“Sweet,” said Whitney as she smashed down the forward button.