"Siempre tarde. Apurense."

I can hear music playing and conversation. The door's open and a very strange and not entirely friendly looking plant is stationed just inside of it. I'm hurrying my charges along, but it's not easy to organize a group this large.

"Cinco, seis, ocho, once... Where's James?" All I see are sheepish looks being exchanged. "Come on, speak up. We're already late."

"He got hungry." It's the pretty blonde one. He's nothing but trouble.

"Well, go get him. And don't let him eat anything. You know that you shouldn't eat before a performance." Since we have to wait, I busy myself checking the costumes, making sure the seams on all the stockings are straight, all the ties are straightened. I check one last time that the music is cued to the right spot. Just then, the two vampires stroll up. I only have time for a stern look.

"Ok, remember what we've practiced. You all are ready, you look great. If you make a mistake, asi es no mas. Just keep going." I give them a final look and we go into the party.

They immediately clear a space in the middle of the room. A group of 12 vampires will do that. I set the radio on the ground and turn the music on. Carlos Gardel's voice floods the room and the Dead Can Dance Tango Troupe starts their performance. It's no mambo, but they do a fine job and it's sexy as hell. They finish and leave silently to do... whatever it is that they do when I'm not around. I've found it's usually best not to ask.

I spot Penny over by the couch and walk over to introduce myself. I give her a kiss on the cheek Chilean style.

"Hi, I'm Kat. My husband and I own the hotel in the Bresilico and the Dead Can Dance Studio. Welcome to Sang Sacre. I hope you liked the performance."

Yay, Kat's here and she brought dancing undead! How cool is that?

I scamper over to grab a kiss before she's whirled away in the party.

Ooh. Kisses from Hec. My favorite kind. I flash Penny a quick smile and gesture towards the radio.

"Do you tango?"

"Do you tango?"

"I do in Sang Sacre! Astor Piazzolla, if you please, Penny."

What a great show! I immediately decide to buy tickets to the entire Dead Can Dance season. Luckily, I have a CD by Tango Viveza that meets with Kat's approval. We push back the furniture so everyone can dance.

Oh, crap, they reformed the dance troupe. I always half suspected that Aeshma hadn't been the one responsible for all the deaths at the dance studio. Darn it, Bob moves gorgeously, I don't know why they refused to let him on the team. Vampire politics, I stay out of it.

I finish writing out the baby gargoyles instructions for Penny. As noisy and busy as it is in here, I know she wasn't able to follow everything. A baby gargoyle will bond with creatures it grows up with, but Penny would have to keep an eye out taht the rough-housing didn't get too enthusiastic. So long as the gargoyle didn't mind the occasional claw-sharpening from the cat, everything should be fine.

I tuck the note on Penny's desk then go to find Bob. He's in the farthest corner from where the dancers performed, combining the contents of his usual flask of blood with a bottle of whiskey.

I decide not to bother talking. "You want to go?" I say quietly.

He drained his glass and nodded, not talking.

Penny's busy talking politics on the far side of the room, so I just wave at her and lead my sulking vampire out. I shouldn't be so pleased, but putting him in a better mood was always a great deal of fun.

I wave Bob and Connie off into the night and drag Slacker onto the dance floor.

"Come on, time to work off some of those nachos."

"Where am I going to put my backpack?"

"Under the table, for heaven's sake. No one is going to take your playstation. Why would they want to?"

"Fine .I'll dance with you, but I had a much better view from the buffet."

"One dance. And if I catch you ogling those little girls I'll set the houseplants on you."

"They're not so little. . . "

I fix Slacker a look and start to dance. He's not very good, which suits me fine.

"You dance like a spaz."

"Look who's talking, rock boy."

Soon we're giggling and trying to out-gesture each other on the floor. The vampire dancers raise their delicate eyebrows, but they don't seem to mind our clutziness, probably because it makes them look even better.

"I'm gonna dip you."

"What? Oh, hell!"

I'm actually enjoying dancing. I make a mental note to buy one of those dance games for the Playstation tomorrow. The only bad thing is that working up a sweat means I'll have to take a shower.

Man, it's late, and I have to work at Sex on a Stick tomorrow. I'd skip it, but I can't pay my cable bill without cash.

Oh well, there's no law says you have to be coherent to sell penis popsicles. The demographic's been pretty carefully researched. They kind of sell themselves.

I keep dancing.

I'm hiding behind one of Penny's pot plants, intimidated by the dancing feet and a little worried about Clovis. He went to find Jilli and Am nearly an hour ago.

And you know something? I distinctly had the impression that Miracleman was the Mayor from the way Am talked about him. She's always been a sucker for power-- silly bint.

Perhaps if I can hitch a ride on one of the penguins?

Slacker gives me a good spin and I find myself heading waaaaay across the floor. I lean against a table for a moment to recover only to see that tiny, evil bear hiding behind a, um, fern.

"Edward? What's up?"

staying safe. waiting for clovis

"Clovis? You mean to tell me that some great jesus cloven-hooved hell-beast is coming to my housewarming?"

Edward looks puzzled, and begins rolling up the hem of her skirt.

clovis? my clovis? the devilbunny?

"Devilbunny? How big is he?"

Edward raises her tiny paw to the crown of her own head, which cracks me up.

"Devil bunny! Okay. I thought he was something else."

Edward glances nervously at the crowd of dancers, any one of whom could easily kick her across the room without realizing.

"Say, Edward, would you like to go to the sun room? I have snacks and videos."

Edward thinks a minute, then nods and holds her arms out to be lifted. She is so cute, she could probably get away with murder. I choose not to think about that too much.

I take Edward into the sun room where a crowd of small creatures, including some human children, are watching Sleepy Hollow. I place Edward on a tiny velvet cushion and head back to the action.

Sheesh. Devilbunny. What next?