From: the puck Written by The Puck.. email addy Mistress@juno.com it's 29/5/99 Category: Alt, JJHR, Fantasy/sci-fi Thriller Rating: I had to shave some parts.. Meach and the others get those without having to ask. BUT It's still PG-13 for some content.. nothing serious For Oberon, who never let me quit on my dreams Time Without End Las Vegas 1999 A hush fell over the audience as a full-sized glass coach pulled by six perfect white horses rolled on stage. Dense fog rolled ominously from hidden fog machines and around the silent gilded wheels of the carriage. Jessie Bannon had been on stakeout until half and hour before hand and she'd arrived at the new Venetian Hotel just in time for the grand finale. Eve though she'd lived in Vegas most of her and knew her share of trickery and sham, she held her breath as the carriage door opened. The Magician stepped out of the carriage onto the stage. Very broad shoulders, he stood just behind the fog dimmed footlights,regarding the audience imperiously for a few moment as if he were deciding if this particular audience was worthy of his presence. He wore a plain black tuxedo exquisitely tailored, and the embroidery on his black velvet cape was from every thread of conceivable color. His hair was honey blonde and slightly too long over his collar and barely shaggy, his features were well carved and patrician and his violet/blue eyes passed over the crowd and even though she could not fully see them, she felt like they had passed right to her, left and then came back to cast their spell again. All at once Jessie was filled with a number of emotions, a deep love and even greater tragedy. A fury of faded pastel images fluttered in her mind like antique valentines. Memories. Jessie tried to shake off the fanciful expressions; she was a cop, and a pragmatic one at that. She didn't believe in magic or past lives, pizzazz was pizzazz and that was that. meanwhile back on stage the magician turned to face the crowd as the coach slowly lifted from the stage and high above him. The fog wafted away in a slight breeze to show there were no wires or strings attached. The horses seemed unconcerned about their not being on the ground anymore. A parade of 25 Las Vegas showgirls came out and stood underneath and as one looked up thoughtfully, she produced an umbrella. There was a nervous titter of laughter, then silence again. Jessie shifted nervously in her seat. She knew scam when she saw it and no matter what she believed she kept telling herself that her eyes were fooling her. The Magician one again scanned the crowd before slowly waving his hands towards the audience. The coach and all 6 horses slowly moved over the crowd the horses plodding along as if there was solid ground beneath their feet. No one coughed or cleared a throat. The magician who billed himself as simply "Valerian" stared at the audience as if daring someone to challenge his magic. Finally after completely circling the hushed crowd, the carriage settled over the magician who lowered his arms and it lowered back gently to the floor. Then with a flourish of brilliant color he turned and entered the carriage and it rolled off stage. A moment of silence and the hotel erupted, the cheers were loud enough to wake the dead everyone was on their feet and the lights dimmed. Several minutes after the crowd dissipated Jessie was still rooted to her seat, unexplained tears standing still in her eyes, her heart in her throat. Obeying some unspoken command because she could not find the strength to defy it. waiting. For Jessie, the show was far from over. EH EH EH????? I NEED COMMENTS BADLY ON THIS ONE!!!! ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ONElist: where the world talks! http://www.onelist.com Join a new list today.