The new scene, with Perry and Daphne, is finished. The new part is here, or you can read the whole thing starting here. The titles are a bit confusing, I realize, so perhaps I'll change them at some point. Meanwhile, you can follow the links at the bottom of each entry.

It's difficult to keep current backups of the utownwriting.com site (except for backing up the whole database, which I do regularly), since I'm always changing little things here and there. Now I've added the recent posts to the sidebar (on the right), in addition to the links at the bottom of each entry. I've also found instructions for setting up a "print" style sheet, where, if you send the page to print, the sidebar will not be printed. I will try to set that up (or at least try to) soon.

Meanwhile, there's another deleted scene below (click the link). It would have come the day after the last Kingdom Come gig.

I filled a mug from the bottle of spring water I kept under the counter. I uncoiled the cord of my small immersion heater and let it hang into the mug. Leaning over, I plugged the plug into one of the tangle of extension cords on the floor, and then I watched for the first small bubbles.

Satisfied that the water would boil in a few minutes, I leaned back on my stool, trying to find the position of perfect balance where I could doze without falling to the floor. I had just about achieved it when the door opened. It was Frances.

It was the first time I'd ever seen her like this. She had no makeup on, her hair was all disordered and tied back with a faded bandanna over it, and she was wearing an old sweatshirt and frayed jeans. The skin of her face looked rough, and there were dark circles under her eyes. I noticed that she wore stained white deck shoes and no socks.

"I couldn't sleep," she said unnecessarily as he pulled a stool up to the counter and sat facing me. I suddenly realized that the water was boiling and I quickly unplugged the heater.

I nodded. "I can imagine. Would you like some tea?" I asked. I knew she really liked tea, she was one of our best customers. She nodded and I put a tea bag into the mug of hot water. I pushed it across the counter toward her and filled another mug, putting the heater in that one.

It was curiously intimate to be sitting like that with her. I was sure that not too many people ever got to see Frances in such a disheveled state. I noticed that she seemed shorter and stockier than she usually did. Something about the clothes she always wore apparently managed to slim the look of the hips and thighs which now strained the aged denim of her jeans.

"I have one question about last night," I said. "I was so out of it that I didn't wonder how you guys found me until later on, when I was having breakfast. Is there a chart somewhere that indicates where I go when I'm really upset?"

She laughed. "Not that I know of. I hate to burst your bubble, but we weren't looking for you. Fifteen had your stuff because he'd brought it over to the hospital. When you weren't there, he was stuck carrying it around."

"Then how did you . . . No, that isn't the question. Why did you come to the park?"

"To see George," she said, her voice dropping lower, even though we were the only people in the store. "Do you know about the surveillance, the thing that flies over every night?"

"The what?" I asked.

She pulled her stool closer to the counter and leaned forward. "People have been seeing it for at least a week now. It flies over very slowly almost every night, at around two or three in the morning."

"Why haven't I seen it?" I demanded. "Or at least heard it? I'm almost always up at that time."

"It's absolutely silent," she said. "And it's as black as sin. The only way you can see it is from the way it hides the stars as it goes by."

"No wonder I haven't seen it. How big is it?"

"It seems to be about as wide as a city block, shaped like"

"What? A city block?" I demanded.

"At least. Otherwise it's flying very high and it's really huge."

"But if it's flying low, it would have to make some sound," I protested.

She shrugged. "Maybe it's something only dogs can hear. Dogs and people who haven't had their hearing ruined by repeated exposure to Kingdom Come's live performances."

"Shit," I said with feeling, ignoring her small attempt at humor.

After a minute she started to tell me more about its shape, but I didn't pay much attention. With everything else she had said, the shape of this thing was the least of my worries. Then we both fell silent as we thought about this and what it might mean. The water in my mug started to boil and I made myself a cup of tea.

"Have you heard any dirty details about Donna and Carl's workout last night?" I asked after a while, thinking to lighten the mood a bit. "I haven't been home yet."

"Probably Carl hasn't been home either," she said with a smile. "No, I haven't heard a word. I'm not looking forward to seeing lover-girl tonight, though."

I chuckled. "Why, do you think she's going to make a big deal out of this?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure of it. Like nobody in the history of the world ever had sex before."

"Well," I pointed out, "it's not like sleeping with Carl is some kind of great historic achievement. I sometimes think I'm the only one around here who hasn't."

She made a face. "You and me, you mean. I mean, I like Carl well enough. He's a lot of fun, but when things get rough he's usually missing. Where is Carl while the rest of you are getting Henshaw to the hospital? Drinking free beers and romancing Donna." She shrugged and stood up, putting her mug down on the counter. "I'm going back home. I've got to try to get some sleep before tonight. Thanks for the tea."

After a while, I heard a scratching at the door, and I got up to look outside. It was Daphne. She barked and came in as I swung the door open. She made a circle of the store, sniffing at everything, looking worried. Then she looked at me, sighed and scratched behind her ear. I reached down and scratched her there. She closed her eyes and shivered all over. Then she sniffed the leg of my jeans, sighed again and left.

I thought that if I ever did see Daphne walking upright like a person I probably wouldn't recognize her.

Emma swept in at around two in the afternoon. She paused in the doorway and sighed, then came forward and perched on the edge of the counter. She tugged her skirt down to a more modest position and then took a black cigarette case from her purse. She opened it and held it out for me. I took a cigarette, then she selected one for herself, pausing for a second to allow me time to get out my matches. I lit her cigarette and then my own.

She drew in a deep drag and let it out slowly. "I just heard," she said, leaning forward to place her fingertips on my forearm. Her dark, straight hair swung forward, throwing part of her face into shadow. "How is Philip?" she asked, her eyes boring into mine.

"He was resting comfortably last night," I said. "I haven't been by to see him today."

The door opened and Jenny came in. Emma arched her back and hissed like a cat.

"Fuck you!" Jenny snapped as she left, slamming the door behind her.

"Well," Emma said, brushing her hair back from her face, "I think she has a lot of nerve, coming here. You know, I will admit I have never liked her. Always a chip on her shoulder. That's no way to live your life." She stood up, smoothing her skirt. "When you see Philip, you tell him that if he needs somebody to bind his wounds, or to protect him from further attacks, he should just let me know. I am at his beck and call."

She left and I leaned back, smiling. I could imagine Henshaw's reaction to this offer.

Emma had just left when Neil of the Jinx arrived, wearing a sweat suit and obviously fresh from some pretty strenuous exercise.

"Greetings, Petronius," he said, breathing hard as he wiped his forehead with a sleeve which was already dripping wet. "Do you have a towel?"

"It's far from clean," I said, pulling it out from under the counter and tossing it to him.

"Can't be choosy," he said, catching it and wiping his head as the door opened again and Christy came in. She was dressed as he was and had obviously been working out as well.

"Hi, Pete," she said as Neil tossed her the towel. She pulled off the rubber band which had held back her red hair and shook it out.

"Hi," I replied. She glanced at the towel and then tossed it back to Neil without using it, then she reached behind her to start stretching out one of her legs.

"There's no big news, by the way," Neil said to me. "In case you thought this was an official visit. Henshaw's okay. I brought in our own medical people to look at him." He grinned. "They found Jenny Owens sleeping in his room this morning. They threw her ass out."

I didn't want to get into that. I looked from Neil to Christy. "You know, I'm exhausted just looking at the two of you."

"Well, we were getting in a little workout," he said, wringing out the towel into the little sink in the corner. "Good day to run. We did two perimeters, and then we thought you might have something cold to drink." He grinned over his shoulder as he said it.

"Just water, I'm afraid," I said. "I used to keep a pitcher of mint tea, but then somebody stole the refrigerator last month." I quickly got two mugs from the shelf and filled them at the little sink. Then I looked up as they took the mugs from me and drank deeply. "Perimeters?" I asked. "Perimeters of what?"

"U-town," Christy said, draining the mug and then leaning against the door jamb and stretching one leg out behind her.

"The whole . . ." I said, my voice faltering as I made a vague circling motion with my hand.

Neil nodded. "We do three when we have the time, but–"

The door opened and Fifteen came in, nearly bumping into Christy.

"Hi, Fif," she said, brushing a strand of wet hair back off her forehead and switching to her other leg.

"I . . . oh . . . uh," Fifteen said, his eyes seemingly locked onto the tip of her nose. He looked totally unsettled, obviously unable to deal with coming upon the object of his passion so unexpectedly.

"Oh, how nice," Neil said, "his first stroke." He moved Fifteen over in front of the counter, turning him so he was facing me. "This is Pete," Neil told him, pointing at me. "You probably came here to see him, right?"

"Oh," Fifteen said, and I could tell that as his eyes came to focus on me his world had suddenly become a drab place again. I could see Christy over Fifteen's shoulder and she was blushing. She didn't meet my eyes, going back to her stretching with increased vigor.

"Pete," Fifteen said, recovering himself. "I came to tell you . . ."

"Well, I appreciate that," I said after a moment's silence.

"T.C.," he said tentatively. "I think she wanted me to buy her some tea."

"No, she didn't," I said. T.C. hated tea.

"I remember!" he said happily as Christy and Neil waved behind him and departed. "Movie night is Monday this week. Bring Miss Starling. T.C. wants to arm wrestle her."

I laughed. "Deal," I said as he rushed out the door, probably hoping to catch one last glimpse of Christy.