Chapter 35

In an idle moment I check out my bank balance at he Bank of Uranus, and get a pleasant surprise. I am in the black by $20T. That is enough to pay off my chip loan and have some left over for a long week on the Leisure Planet. The IGBI have been dropping regular payments on a weekly basis plus bonuses for the Fish Frys. It doesn’t make me feel any better about forthcoming gigs as Fats. There is still danger there, but it means I can choose other gigs sent my way. Cherry pick the best ones instead of dropping into the dross just to pay the bills. I may even upgrade Brian. Get him a new set of memory sticks. Or even give him a solid form. No that is going too far, I don’t want to be dancing round him in the kitchen. Some of the more up to date models can change form at will. One moment a Hoover the next a chambermaid. I suppose you can get used to anything, but a morphing computer, not in my apartment. A bit too much like witchcraft for my liking.

Brian is still on his best behaviour. He is in love with Veronica. He talks about her incessantly, until I ask him to give it a rest. Maybe I am too. She is one hell of a woman.  I counted 5 bullet wounds in her chest. Just red blemishes now on her porcelain skin, which will fade to nothing in a few days, so she says. The wonders of the IGBI hospital plan. I must get me in on that. A stray bullet and my playing days will be over. I call The Agency and tell them my new terms, top gigs or nothing.  The snooty Vegan in the bookings department, says, ‘We only have top venues on our books’. I put her straight. What does she know sitting in an air con office with her senses on “Dull”?  Then she says, ‘Is a Tubby Hays re-master gig at The BBC, too low for you?’

I don’t hesitate. Wasn’t I just practicing his licks a few hours ago? Life imitates art sometimes.

‘It’s on The Moon in six hours.’ She says. ‘Because we took it at short notice the fee is higher than normal.’

When the breaks come they come in threes. I almost skip to the Pros Building.