29-03-2019, 05:58 PM
"Dry your eyes, my little friend." Warren Zevon sang to Helen Parker from 1978. "Let me take you by the hand. Freddie, get ready. Rock steady, when Johnny strikes up the band."
Helen had no idea who Johnny, Freddie, or the man singing were, but they all sounded cool to her. She looked at the screen and the picture of the man with the long hair and glasses, his lips in a pout, wearing a black turtleneck with a bright red background, as she read his name and the title of the album.
"Warren Zevon." She mouthed quietly. "Excitable Boy." She didn't know the name, but the voice sounded like one she always heard singing about werewolves in London. She saw red and blue lights flashing on the snow outside as she listened to Warren sing to her about how Johnny was the keeper of the keys, he'd put her mind at ease, he was guaranteed to please, back by popular demand.
Helen felt a warmth now, but she knew it wasn't one to be afraid of. In-between tracks, she heard the distinctive sound of Wade arguing with cops and knew it wouldn't be long before she could get out from under the stinky boat and continue her journey to the Medina house, where she'd be certain to ask Propappou about this man.
The next track played, and Mr. Zevon started singing about Roland, who was a warrior from the Land of the Midnight Sun. "Hey," Helen thought. "That's what they call Alaska, where I'm from!" Her smile broadened. The show outside was almost over, and then it would be time to leave this place and get somewhere warm, dry, and less nasty-smelling.
But first, Helen wanted to hear more about Roland and his Thompson Gun.
* * *
"How well did you know him?" Generalissimo Hernando Ramirez asked Contessa Helena de San Finzione as they rode in his staff car toward the crime scene.
"Eliot Silverman?" She asked, taking a distracted drag of her cigarette. "I approved him as director. San Finzione Studios are still the new kid on the block in the film industry, so we're taking a 'Hollywood of Yesteryear' approach; giving new talent their big break, listening to the dreamers first and the accountants second, that kind of thing. He was two years out of film college, I liked his indie stuff, and met with him. Wanted to be the next Spielberg, said he wanted to approach Vincenzo's story like 'Band of Brothers.' I asked if he could make it shorter, since we're planning a movie rather than a series, and he said, 'Saving Private Ryan it is!'" Helen gave a little snort of a laugh before taking another drag. "He was the one who convinced me to let them shoot on location at the castle rather than on a set."
Over a year previously, an enemy of Helen's had managed to make a video that would have served as proof of the rumors that La Contessa had the power to control minds. She managed to cover up the video as a leaked screen test for her cameo in a film that was being made in San Finzione. This, then, left Helen needing to persuade a movie studio to make a film in San Finzione. After a comment from a friend, she decided to buy one instead, and "San Finzione Shakedown," San Finzione Studios' first picture, had become the action-adventure hit of the year. The studio was owned by Società Finzione, the government's corporation and the largest employer in the country, where the Reigning Monarch held the title of CEO Emeritus, which meant in practical terms that, as with the rest of the country, La Contessa had the final say in all matters. She did her best not to micromanage and stay out of the artists' way; her best friend being an artist. A WWII film about her late husband, however, virtually guaranteed that she'd be earning her Executive Producer's credit.
Ramirez looked surprised at the news that someone had convinced La Contessa of anything. He regretted not meeting the man even more, as he might have been able to give him some tips on doing that in the course of his own job. He knew of La Contessa's ability and knew that she was generally the one who did any convincing that got done.
The driver stopped at the edge of La Policia's blockade and let them out. Many in the crowd of onlookers switched from taking photos and videos of the officers telling them to move along to pictures of Helena as they approached the barrier and an officer let them through and called for Martin LeGrasse, Prefect of security officer.
"Contessa, Generalissimo." The Prefect said with a nod as they approached. He was used to Helen's taking advantage of the old law that said that La Contessa was permitted everywhere in San Finzione, which made no exception for crime scenes. The Generalissimo's presence was somewhat unusual, but the two men worked together occasionally and Ramirez nodded back. "I did not expect to see you here. I'm afraid it is murder."
Helen had no idea who Johnny, Freddie, or the man singing were, but they all sounded cool to her. She looked at the screen and the picture of the man with the long hair and glasses, his lips in a pout, wearing a black turtleneck with a bright red background, as she read his name and the title of the album.
"Warren Zevon." She mouthed quietly. "Excitable Boy." She didn't know the name, but the voice sounded like one she always heard singing about werewolves in London. She saw red and blue lights flashing on the snow outside as she listened to Warren sing to her about how Johnny was the keeper of the keys, he'd put her mind at ease, he was guaranteed to please, back by popular demand.
Helen felt a warmth now, but she knew it wasn't one to be afraid of. In-between tracks, she heard the distinctive sound of Wade arguing with cops and knew it wouldn't be long before she could get out from under the stinky boat and continue her journey to the Medina house, where she'd be certain to ask Propappou about this man.
The next track played, and Mr. Zevon started singing about Roland, who was a warrior from the Land of the Midnight Sun. "Hey," Helen thought. "That's what they call Alaska, where I'm from!" Her smile broadened. The show outside was almost over, and then it would be time to leave this place and get somewhere warm, dry, and less nasty-smelling.
But first, Helen wanted to hear more about Roland and his Thompson Gun.
* * *
"How well did you know him?" Generalissimo Hernando Ramirez asked Contessa Helena de San Finzione as they rode in his staff car toward the crime scene.
"Eliot Silverman?" She asked, taking a distracted drag of her cigarette. "I approved him as director. San Finzione Studios are still the new kid on the block in the film industry, so we're taking a 'Hollywood of Yesteryear' approach; giving new talent their big break, listening to the dreamers first and the accountants second, that kind of thing. He was two years out of film college, I liked his indie stuff, and met with him. Wanted to be the next Spielberg, said he wanted to approach Vincenzo's story like 'Band of Brothers.' I asked if he could make it shorter, since we're planning a movie rather than a series, and he said, 'Saving Private Ryan it is!'" Helen gave a little snort of a laugh before taking another drag. "He was the one who convinced me to let them shoot on location at the castle rather than on a set."
Over a year previously, an enemy of Helen's had managed to make a video that would have served as proof of the rumors that La Contessa had the power to control minds. She managed to cover up the video as a leaked screen test for her cameo in a film that was being made in San Finzione. This, then, left Helen needing to persuade a movie studio to make a film in San Finzione. After a comment from a friend, she decided to buy one instead, and "San Finzione Shakedown," San Finzione Studios' first picture, had become the action-adventure hit of the year. The studio was owned by Società Finzione, the government's corporation and the largest employer in the country, where the Reigning Monarch held the title of CEO Emeritus, which meant in practical terms that, as with the rest of the country, La Contessa had the final say in all matters. She did her best not to micromanage and stay out of the artists' way; her best friend being an artist. A WWII film about her late husband, however, virtually guaranteed that she'd be earning her Executive Producer's credit.
Ramirez looked surprised at the news that someone had convinced La Contessa of anything. He regretted not meeting the man even more, as he might have been able to give him some tips on doing that in the course of his own job. He knew of La Contessa's ability and knew that she was generally the one who did any convincing that got done.
The driver stopped at the edge of La Policia's blockade and let them out. Many in the crowd of onlookers switched from taking photos and videos of the officers telling them to move along to pictures of Helena as they approached the barrier and an officer let them through and called for Martin LeGrasse, Prefect of security officer.
"Contessa, Generalissimo." The Prefect said with a nod as they approached. He was used to Helen's taking advantage of the old law that said that La Contessa was permitted everywhere in San Finzione, which made no exception for crime scenes. The Generalissimo's presence was somewhat unusual, but the two men worked together occasionally and Ramirez nodded back. "I did not expect to see you here. I'm afraid it is murder."
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