Flight of the Maita Supercollection 3: Solving Galactic Problems Collector's Edition Page 63

  They found their rooms, then went back downstairs to one of the large congregation halls. Kit poked around, looking into the adjoining dining rooms, common meeting rooms, music rooms and kitchens. He loudly decried the lack of imagination of whatever amateur designed the decorations.

  "It's only for atmosphere!" a woman protested. "Whatever could Mort have been thinking to have sent some grip here?"

  "He wanted someone who knew what it takes to set a mood to get the feel of the place," Kit sneered. "He feels actors don't have enough intelligence to create images without a proper backdrop and a good set can make the fact that the characters can't act a lot less obvious.

  "That shows he knows the business, wouldn't you say?"

  "Mort began as an actor!" the woman snapped.

  "Thus he knows exactly what he's doing!" Kit snapped back. "You'll notice he didn't STAY an actor!"

  "I'm Hop Trull," Tab said, stepping between them. "Bhar sent us here to work together. We're all to be part of the show. You won't make it any easier on anyone if you alienate the man who's going to design the area you're supposed to move around in. In front of cameras, yet!

  "It's nothing to me. I can write in things that make it easier on Cam or easier on you or both – or neither! I've heard there's some kind of curse on this place as it is. I didn't want to come here at all and you'll find me a bit hard to get along with, for starters. We can work together or we can make our personal little wars – and I'll guarantee you won't win this one!

  "This place gives me the leaping creeps! Does it always shake like this?"

  Several people had been close to hear the lecture and one male stepped forward. He was in period costume.

  "I'm Gore Ell and this one you're telling her business, I'm sure you recognize, is Lae Mar," he introduced. "What did you mean about a curse?"

  "He means there's a story that more people come to this castle than ever leave," Kit said carelessly. "WHERE EVER did they find those HORRIBLE excuses for tapestries? Were they abandoned here for the garbage collector or something?"

  "This is Cam Rich," Tab continued. "As he pointed out, he can react to the way he's treated by you and can make it pure hell for you to move around on the sets or he can make it simple.

  "The tapestries, if I'm correct, are scenes from a world known as Kroon. The indigenous people aren't tattooed. They have naturally colorful skins. I've been there.

  "I imagine the decorations were done with whatever was handy, Cam. They're to set a mood. They aren't a suggestion of how to do it yourself. If Bhar wanted this kind of thing he wouldn't have you here.

  "The curse isn't all that well-known, but I scripted a stage play about it once. It was a story concerning the murder of some diplomats that took place here nearly a hundred years ago. Since then the place has gotten a worse reputation, but that's probably meant to draw people exactly like this little clutch. I'm not superstitious about such things. I don't believe a place can be cursed and I don't think there's any maniac here who'll kill us off one at the time and I don't believe we'd have anything to worry about from spirits of murdered people from other races – if there WAS anything to that kind of nonsense!

  "I mean, nobody's been murdered yet and there are, what, about seventy – eighty people here? It's a lot of superstitious silliness designed to set a mood! Save that for the show!

  "It IS good for setting the mood, though.

  "Cam, don't you think the dungeon stairway door in 'Castle of Evil' should be in a place like that dark doorway over there?"

  "Maybe with a dark tapestry like the one there hanging above it," Kit said. "Maybe the tapestry could be held with spears that look like they could fall and impale anyone using the door. It could possibly be shown in close-up to have a loose holder meaning the audience would be expecting it to drop. Secondary influence. Maybe show the holder could do something dangerous when the door is opened from the other side – here I am suggesting scripting! Sorry! You could script in a bit about Eeli having one almost get her. I can rig a release gimmick."

  "I LIKE it!" Tab exclaimed. "It could have a...!

  "But there HAVE been disappearances!" Lae Mar cried. "Didn't you know?"

  "Very mysterious ones, too," Gore agreed. "It's probably some kind of trick Mort thought up to scare us into the mood he wants, but I didn't know about any curse here. I'll tell you actors are generally superstitious. Very much so – but you would know that."

  "But I'm quite sure Mort would have mentioned something if ... what kind of disappearances?" Tab asked.

  "First it was Kly Mat, you know, the star of Dangerous Relic' and those kinds of semi-porn B-grade things that depend on a lot of sexual innuendo, small brains and big mams," Lae answered. "She simply didn't come down to the dawnmeal so we figured she was in one of her snits, though she had seemed in a good enough mood the night before.

  "Then her latest sleep-in, Kral K. Khap, the supporting actor – if you could call what he does acting – went to find her when she didn't come downstairs after a couple of hours. He said she was still asleep when he got up at dawn. He never came back. When neither of them were seen by the following midmeal we went to find them, but they weren't anywhere in the castle or on the ships. We sent the stronger back-up people out to search the immediate area while those not disposed to the outdoors searched the castle again.

  "Suh Plee, star of Night of Terror and Storm Overhead and those cheap eeky things never returned from searching through the kitchens and pantries and Jorn Fhat, star of that Fear House series where I did the cameo role that saved the silly thing from being canned long before it was shown didn't come back from searching the cliffs. That was three days ago. We've all stayed very close together since then – those in our little group. All of the ones who have disappeared are from Khronk International Studios. There are just fourteen of us left and we stay close! Believe me!"

  "You say they weren't in any of the ships?" Tab asked. "Have any ships come or gone since the first one came up missing?"

  "Oh, holy hell!" Lae cried. "I was hoping no one would mention that little item! Your ship is the only one to come and none have left."

  "No one mention it? Why not?" Kit asked.

  "Because if they didn't leave on a ship they...." Gore said. "Uh, that is, there's nowhere else anywhere in this whole end of this peninsula. This castle is IT! And if they aren't here and aren't aboard a ship, they, well.... It doesn't leave a whole hell of a lot of places...."

  "You say you've studied the castle's history?" another of the group asked. "I'm Sam Ketch. This is my latest, Luh Stern, and that's our agent, Tar Shat.

  "What was discovered in the other cases?"

  "Oh, some famous empire detective solved the diplomats' murders," Tab replied flippantly, waving a hand in dismissal. "I don't think, uh, the others were ever ... resolved," he finished a little more nervously. (Why not ham it up a little? THIS bunch wouldn't see through it!)

  "Oh, no!" Lae cried. "I want to get out of here! This isn't funny and it's way too much for just setting a mood! If this is some kind of joke it's over!"

  "Do you think your research could help us find what happened?" Tar Shat asked. "If there's some weird mystery here we should have enough people around to solve it and be reasonably safe. If it's something from Bhar and we figure it out it'll be points up for us!"

  "Like Suh and Jorn?" Lae asked acidly. "Is that how safe we'll be?"

  "They separated," Gore replied, gesturing with a palm up and looking studiously serious. "We'll each select partners and no one goes anywhere alone. That alone should make it safe enough. It's probably a sick attempt at a joke anyhow – or a mood gimmick. Maybe Mort thinks if we have a good scare we can project fear all the better. The ass tends to depend on method acting to a truly ridiculous degree."

  "Well, we can try more or less what the empire detective did," Tab suggested. "It probably would be a good idea if we all stick together. If it's all been in this one group we don't need to get anyone else involved. This
might actually give me some ideas! Maybe I'll write a script about it! Beware!: The Legend of Castle Drove! It's a natural!"

  "What do we do first?" Lae asked, cutting him off before he went off on some kind of tangent.

  "Uh, I guess we'd better make a list of everyone and be sure we have assigned partners. Cam and I aren't part of your group, but we'll be together all the time anyhow," Tab suggested in a conspirational tone. "Lae and Gore, Sam and Luh?"

  "Tar, who are you with? Make us a list, then I'll go through the notes I have with me and we'll see what to do next. I know we're supposed to find out everything anyone knows about the ones who're missing. If there's a sinister connection between them we'll have a direction to look. I'll record this exactly as it happens. We can have a movie written specifically for all the people here. All-star cast! It's a natural! It'll make a fortune and we can take the yearlies in all categories for this kind of thing! It can't miss!

  "Let's get busy! Everyone can meet here in one hour. I'll do the detective thing and Cam will be my assistant. All those detectives in the books have assistants to do the actual work! I'll script it as it happens and we can bill it as a documentary slash mystery! It can't miss! This is the star on all of our charts! It's going to be THE stage-grabber! One hour! Here! Everybody!"

  Everyone trotted out and Kit shook his head. "Is it a good idea to make some kind of game out of it?" he asked. "Not that I have any better ideas. At least it'll get their interest."

  While they waited for the meeting Tab and Kit went through all the rooms on the main floor and those not occupied on the other two floors. They used their special sonics and visual amplifiers, but couldn't find any openings or hidden entrances. When they used their built-in sonics they found there were spaces behind the walls in places, but couldn't find any entrances.

  "There's one place we know will have an entrance if there are any," Tab said. "Kly May's room. Two people disappeared there. If they'd come out it would have to be in view of the entire public area down here." He pointed to the door at the top of the second floor landing.

  It was time to meet the group so they postponed the search and went back to the hall. They were introduced to all the group, then Tab called the meeting to order.

  "We want all the information any of you may have about anyone who's disappeared here," Tab began, striking a pose. "The smallest thing could have the greatest importance. We'll try to add it up properly when we have everything. I've made a careful study of the way these detective things are handled and we'll follow the more popular method where the investigator calls everyone aside and tries to trip someone up. You've all been in those kind of mysteries so there's no sense in playing like it's something else.

  "So! Onward to the denouement! Those closest to the, uh, assumed victims will please report first. Anyone who wasn't personally acquainted with any of them and who knows nothing about them can try to think of a bit of gossip or shop rumor. If you can't think of anything, just say so. This has to be authentic! We can't make the show if it gets muddled with anyone trying to ad-lib a part for himself because there won't be any show if we don't solve it and that could mean we don't. Remember that! It MUST be exactly like it happened. The little extra bits will have to come later so they don't detract from the facts. Everyone can have a personal cameo! It can be written for a specific personality – but, again – this part has to be EXACTLY authentic!

  "We have a list and will call each of you for talks. If this is one of Mort's clever ideas we'll be able to show him we aren't so gullible as he may think. If it's not we sure as hell want to know that!

  "If Tar Shat will draw up a list of names of anyone who has information of any kind we'll get this project started. Gore Ell can come first. We know he knew them both."

  They selected a small room with comfortable furnishings just off the meeting hall for the questionings. It was mostly only a game to the participants at that time so most were eager to participate. It was a break from the boredom of the place, too. Each person had chosen someone to "buddy" with and most would stay in groups of more than two except at night. Some would stay in large groups at night, too, but Tab and Kit had no interest in such things.

  Gore knew all four of the missing people and told in endless fine detail all of the little things he knew. He tended to be an acid gossip, but gave no information that was more than background. He would stick carefully to the facts and often stressed that this or that was something he'd heard from someone else.

  All of them would. They could see that a major movie could come from this.

  Lae came next. She had known Kly and Kral well and Suh to some extent, but wasn't much help. She tended to demean everyone but herself.

  Next came Tar Shat. He knew little detail about any of them except Kly, Suh and Jorn had all been his clients so he really hoped it was some kind of game or joke.

  That gave Kit an idea and he asked who was agent for Lae and Gore. It seemed they were both clients of Sar Vell.

  Kit asked for Sar Vell next, but he'd gone to his rooms so they took Sam Ketch and then Luh Stern. Both of them were clients of the agent, director, producer and general do-it-all showman, Pli Knar, so Tab decided they would talk to him next, but he was off somewhere – went to his ship, Tar believed – and would be called as soon as he came back.

  "I doubt it means too much," Tab said. "It was important mainly if only Tar's clients ended up disappearing, anyhow. It seems we've got three agents here and the talent is pretty well spread among them."

  They talked to Let Tou, a director, next. He knew a lot of gossip about everyone and acted disgusted at the way they put on such airs when it was well-known half of them were so far in debt they'd never get out and they were so jealous of one another and this was probably a stupid publicity stunt because Tar and Vell had the only really big-paying clients among this group of losers and blah, blah, blah, blatt. He did add that most of it was things he'd deduced or heard, BUT the part about the bunch of them being desperate for a success was damned real!

  They were glad to finally be rid of him.

  Ahl Nhat, an actor, argued he couldn't understand why anyone would do anything to the actors when it was all the same to them. Everyone here would get a major role so there wasn't really much jealousy or anything like that – though he and Gore and Lae and Ahl and the Morn twins would get the juicy big-money roles. There were plenty of lesser role to go around that didn't pay so well, but would lead to bigger things. If certain people would pay a bit more attention to their jobs, such great talent as Sam and Luh could land the big paying roles, too.

  Kit asked if that meant their agent wasn't doing his job.

  "Let's just say some people spread themselves a bit thin," Ahl replied. "I think a producer and director should do whatever the hell producers are supposed to do and direct and leave the agent business to agents! Of course, he wouldn't be able to play fun house with so many of the naive young ... TALent, if you get my drift. He's far more interested in what happens in the bedroom than what happens in the cutting room or studio!"

  "Why do you suppose Mort puts up with that?" Kit asked.

  "Oh, didn't you know?" Ahl retorted. "Pli owns a piece of the package of pictures Mort wants to make. It came down to a matter of letting him direct and giving him a piece of the project or paying him a ridiculous price for his interests.

  "No one could understand Pli making such outrageous demands, but the ass's ego is beyond being believable. If Mort hadn't come across with the deal on extended royalties and director's pay we wouldn't be anywhere near this place because the pictures wouldn't be in the works. When Pli found out his lawyers made a deal where he wouldn't get an advance that would be almost enough to put this project away in itself he threw a tantrum that's still echoing around Khronk!

  "I thought you'd know all that scutter if you were around the sets much! Pli's been trying to con all of us with big parts into dropping our agents. He says he can get us much better money as director, but won't do it fo
r some other agent. He set this up here. He knew of the place from an old story or script he read or something so he felt this would be the place to soften us up and arranged for us to all come here.

  "I know I told him ethics demanded I tell him to get the hell out of my face or I'd be damned if I didn't knock him on his ass!

  "How come you don't know all this?"

  "We were in Nortica for the past year on the 'Legend of the Snow Monster' documentary," Kit answered, receiving the information from T6. "Number two, this method also depends on us asking about a lot of things we know the answer to. That's how the slip-ups work. It can be VERY important to note what's NOT mentioned by certain people, huh?"

  He nodded, raised an eyebrow, shook his head, grinned, looked thoughtful and nodded again. Tab sent Kit a graphic picture of him with his head in the shape of what Z called a ham with a sour expression on the face and Kit hid a grin. Talk about a ham!

  Ahl finally left. Tab lounged back in his chair, raised an eyebrow and looked thoughtful, then sent instructions to T6, who would enjoy doing something more than sitting on a pad listening in on all of this.

  "It's all too possible dear Mort wants to get rid of Knar," Tab sent to Kit (They would hold these discussions silently to avoid being overheard). I don't see how it would help with that. It's just possible Ahl's here to stir up trouble. I want to see that contract and I want to know about Mort's finances and about Tar's finances and about Sar Vell's finances and about Pli's.

  "Pli may have made a deal that's a bit too much to swallow for Mort, Tar may be trying to get into the game a little deeper than someone else feels is prudent. There's a lot he should've told us about all this if it's true. He'd have to know about the deals with Pli. See what he gets if something happens to his clients, T Six. See what any of them have in insurance policies or guarantees, beneficiaries, performance clauses and the rest of it.