On 10/15/97 12:43 PM, Ranma Al'Thor at ranma@falcon.cc.ukans.edu wrote:

[We see Ami is tinkering with an optical scanner while Bailesu reads
'Africa and the Victorians'.]

Ami:  You know, Dr. Price hasn't sent us anything to review in a while.

<Ominous music plays in the background>

Bailesu:  [drops the book]  Never speak the name of an evil being! It
attracts their attention!

Too late, I think.

[The nearby monitor flickers to life.]

Dr. Price:  How true it is.  I've decided to celebrate ee cumming's
birthday by sending you a little tale by Travis Butler.

Bailesu:  That sounds really disgusting.

Ami:  Travis is not disgusting!

Um, thanks. :)

Ami:  [rushes down the hallway to the theatre]  At least he didn't
remember to give us a guest commentator.

<Sigh> You'd think she'd have learned by now...

Windir, Frito, and Lyra, taking a break between fanfic reviews, stumble 
upon the dead body of Ranma Saotome... the third example to show up that 
week. After talking to their friend Kaede the ex-ninja, they realize that 
this is far higher than it should be -- worse, they weren't intended by 
the authors. Another dead Ranma turns up, his throat cut in a way 
strongly reminiscent of the Bloody Card; a deduction confirmed by an 

Ami:  So it's the only one in the entire universe?

Bailesu:  Shhh.  This is just a flashback.

Yup. It's mentioned in passing in "A Pair of Jokers"; even the Pair don't 
know of anyone else using a Card, except for a few fanfic authors. (I did 
some checking on this IRL when writing APoJ, since I don't have any of 
the TV episodes; no one I talked to knew of anyone else using a Card in 
the canon material.) 

The mysterious figure stood on the roof, laughing evilly as he looked 

Bailesu:  Is he wearing a sign that says, 'Hi, I'm the real bad guy?'

No... it actually says 'This is a really bad cliche that's going to be 
demolished right after the title sequence.' ;> By another cliche, of 
course, but who's counting? :)

down at the bank and listened to the bug planted in the vending cart. As 
the conversation reached a critical point, he dug inside his jacket... 
and, with the flick of a wrist, sent the Bloody Card screaming down on 
the foursome, skimming it 'round in patterns that just missed the 
panicking crew. He indulged himself in a final, cruel chuckle as the 
ninja eventually brought down the card; a hand signal sent an 
impersonator running away down the alley, long black hair streaming over 
her 3WA uniform...

Ami:  If he's on the roof, won't it be obvious that the toss came from the
roof instead of the alley where the impersonator is?

The sign ought to be flashing really brightly right now... :)

End part 1.

Ami:  Hey...it's over?

Bailesu:  I guess we have to sit here until part 2 rolls.

Hulk:  Hulk want to play a game!  Let's wrestle.

Ami: ...

Bailesu:  PLEASE don't take too long to write the next part!

I'll try. :) Hope to have Part 2 ready for the prereaders by the end of 
the week.

[Fade to black to the sound of limbs breaking]

Ack!

New CS Lewis Quote :)

Have you ever heard the Books-on-tape version of the _Screwtape Letters_, 
read by John Cleese?



Travis Butler
(The Professor, formerly of Myth and Magick!, Lawrence, KS;
 tbutler@tfs.net, now from the Wandering Powerbook;
 <http://www.tfs.net/personal/tbutler/>;
 Mac page <http://www.tfs.net/business/tbutler/>)

...Cats are the proof of a higher purpose to the universe.