CHAPTER 244: Angel Of Death

Every morning it was the same.  The unit known as Leanne McGregor awoke, donned her body cohesion suit and did her stretches and exercises to make sure her human body was functioning at peak condition.  Since changing her appearance she had found that she was more prone to liquefying and that she had to don the suit more so than in her previous form.  The tell tale signs of a thin layer of bodily fluids covering her flesh followed by a sudden looseness of limb function gave her some time to either don the suit or else spend time in the bio-conversion chamber.  This was her third human form since arriving on Earth and it was proving the most troublesome.  The problem wasn't her looks, although she was still very fond of her second form, it was that the bio-conversion technology was still experimental and there was still so much that was unknown about genetically altering the body over and over again until all cohesion broke down.  Such was the price she was paying for the mission...

As she was stretching and working out her legs suddenly gave way.  She could feel her inner structure weaken and she ended up on her knees, trying to get her legs to function.  

"No!  Not now!  There's so much I have to do today!  Just...keep...going..." she said out loud with exasperation in her voice.

The suit did its job and repaired the cartlidge that was breaking down and soon she was able to stand again.  Another hour wearing the garment should fix the problem but she thought that maybe she had done too much exercising and had weakened her systems.

She went to lie down on her bed whilst the suit did its job.  She couldn't relax but instead sat there inwardly cursing that her plans would have to be delayed because this stupid form was proving troublesome.  She thought about home and whether she would ever see it again.  If she did how would she and the others of the advance party would be welcome by her own kind if they knew they had been altered?  Then she thought about how she came to be in the advance party in the first place.  Unlike the others she had not volunteered.  She had committed too many crimes on the homeworld and her punishment was to be genetically altered so she could shapeshift and then be sent to this backwater planet.  She was spared conventional punishment because her talent for murder made her useful to the cause.

An alarm went off telling her it was time to change.  She took off the suit and changed into conventional human clothing, noticing that she was solid.  Already behind schedule she grabbed her secret communicator and opened a channel to her supervisor.

"Probyka, Lurgid" she said to the person who answered the call.

"Yop English, Kar-el" came the reply.  The voice on the other end was masculine and a deep baritone.

"My apologies, Luke Kendall.  Is this a convenient time to talk?" she said, switching languages.

"It is.  Is everything alright?"

"We have a potential situation, Luke Kendall.  My surveillance of hu-manns on our risk list as detected a problem."

"What is the nature of the problem?  Which hu-mann poses a risk?"

"It's two.  One you're aware of, the other is new and you won't have encountered them before.  They are Jeremy Saint and Darrin Lew."  said Leanne, wondering if Luke Kendall would be angry or annoyed by what she had said.

"What have they done?" asked Luke.

"The two men had a meeting two days ago where Jeremy Saint asked Darrin Lew to investigate the Landgraab Corporation's most secret files.  Darrin Lew has access to them and I believe he is going to turn them over to Jeremy Saint."

There was a long pause on the other end of the communicator, then Luke said slowly and softly.  "Most secret implies our dealings with the Landgraab family and the work they are doing for us."

"It does...it also implies the things the Landgraab family did before our first contact with them.  I believe they had some of their competitors assassinated." Leanne replied, matter-of-factly.

There was another long pause so Leanne decided to fill the space with a suggestion.  "Luke Kendall; I propose the safest solution is to eliminate both Jeremy Saint and Darrin Lew.  Stop them before they can get started."

"Nancy Landgraab and Malcolm III Landgraab have requested that they deal with Jeremy Saint and that we are not to target him" came Luke's reply.

"As I am responsible for mission security, I must disagree with this policy.  I can eliminate both without a trace and if the Landgraab family are proving too great a hindrance then I can eliminate them as well..."

"Enough!" Luke cut her off short.  "Already your assassination of Geoffrey Landgraab is attracting the attention of the hu-mann investigators.  We must only eliminate hu-manns if it becomes absolutely necessary, not as a precaution.  Our existence must remain a secret.  Say yes if you understand me."

"Yes" she said with a heavy sigh.

"You will not eliminate the Landgraab family nor will you eliminate Jeremy Saint or his associates.  Say yes if you understand me."

"Yes" she replied, still annoyed that she couldn't eliminate anyone.

"You did the correct thing in alerting me to this issue.  Keep me informed and I will issue your instructions when the time comes.  Nilharoi, Leanne McGregor"

"Nilharoi shebber shenty, Luke Kendall" she replied, shutting off the communicator.

If it becomes absolutely necessary... she thought to herself.  She began to concoct a plan.

Leanne McGregor's suspicions were well founded as Darren Lew had indeed been up to something and that wasn't good for her mission.  He had been digging around in the archives for evidence that would seriously undermine the Landgraab family; possibly even destroying their reputation forever.  Darrin Had spent nearly two years in the company, secretly collating any information that they didn't want the world to know about. He knew where the dirt was.

The tricky part was how to get all this information to Jeremy.  He couldn't just smuggle the document out himself, not when he knew he was being watched by company hawks like Alice Ethington, there had to be a secret way.  

When he left the documents room he saw a work colleague walking past him.  She called out "hey are you going to sign Carstairs's birthday card?".  That gave him an idea.

Like a lot of men of his generation he had been in the United States army, including two years in the cryptography division.  That had taught him a few skills that would now come in very handy.  He would have to access the company computer but was confident he could smuggle the information out in an unusual form.

It took patience and precision to mock up a Birthday card And print a suitable message that would contain a clue as to what the true nature of the card meant.  He just hoped Jeremy was smart enough to  work out the clue in the card.

Leanne McGregor was working on her own schemes but she needed more information before she acted on them.  She didn't seek approval from Luke Kendall before she went to visit Affluista Mansion but once she had carried out her plan then she was sure he would approve of her actions, retroactively.  She had waited outside the mansion, out of view, until she had seen both Big Mal Landgraab and his grandson, Malcolm, leave the house.  She knew that Big Mal was not easily intimidated by her or her kind and little Malcolm...well, she thought him amusing and would entertain thoughts of having intercourse with him in the human way before absorbing him, was but a distraction which she could do without right now.

Nancy Landgraab would be alone, her family plus her new cleaning lady were gone, and Leanne knew Nancy was more frightened of her than any other Visitor.  She thought about the previous cleaning lady, the one who panicked and fled after she had performed a mind scan on little Malcolm.  At some point she would have to be tracked down and eliminated.  Leanne had so much on her plate she thought about delegating that task to one of the others.

Leanne didn't bother to knock on the door or ring the bell.  Instead she used her MultiDevice to unlock the front door and then walked straight into the mansion, where she found Nancy pondering a game of chess.

"Greetings, Nancy Landgraab" said Leanne.

"Wait?  What!  How did you...." spluttered Nancy when she saw Leanne.  She didn't finish her question because she already knew the answer 'how?'.  

"Do you know that on Earth it is customary to knock first?" said Nancy, indignantly.

"Most inefficient" Leanne replied, sitting herself opposite Nancy at the chess table without being given permission.  This too annoyed Nancy.

"What do you want this time?" said Nancy, who was resigned that this Leanne would never respond to lessons in etiquette so instead shifted to trying to get to the point with her.

"I hear you've had another breach in secrecy, Nancy Landgraab" said Leanne.

"We're dealing with it" Nancy replied in a deadpan voice.

"Hmm, that is what you said last time before Jeremy Saint confessed to the FBI.  We had to take serious and immediate action when that happened.  Do we have to take the same steps this time?"

"Now wait a minute!" said Nancy, becoming agitated.  "You murdered my husband!  We said we would deal with that situation and we were:  He would go to prison for a few years, that's all, but that wasn't good enough for you so you went and murdered him!"

"He presented a significant risk.  Your argument is both emotional and sentimental and therefore invalid.  Geoffrey Landgraab was eliminated because you refused to have Jeremy Saint killed.  Now we face the same problem all over again:  Jeremy Saint and his new co-conspirator, Darrin Lew."

"I said we are dealing with it.  These two men are being closely monitored..." said Nancy.

"Not good enough" interjected Leanne.

"I don't want any more killing!" said Nancy, with the first signs of panic in her voice.

"It's not about what you want, Nancy Landgraab.  This is about the secrecy of our mission and your wealth and power."

"Saint's out of the company...he poses no more threat to us if he is merely isolated and has no more information that can harm us."

"But others are feeding him that information.  Darrin Lew must be neutralised"

"I forbid any more killing!" said Nancy, pounding her fist on to the chess table.

"I see I have to make you more amenable to our strategic aims"  Leanne replied, touching the temples of her head and concentrating until a beam emanated from her forehead.

Nancy was struck by the beam and became dazed.

"Darrin Lew must die!" thought Leanne as she transmitted that thought into Nancy's brain.

"Darrin Lew MUST DIE!" she said again.  "Say it after me...Darrin Lew must die!"

"Dar...rin....Lew must....d...d...d..."

"Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Darrin Lew must die!" said Nancy, completely mind controlled by now.

"Say it again!"

"DARRIN LEW MUST DIE!" shouted Nancy.

"You ordered it"

"I ORDERED IT!"

"By your command!"

"BY MY COMMAND!"

"Now say it again, all of it"

"DARRIN LEW MUST DIE!  I ORDERED IT!  BY MY COMMAND!  I AM RESPONSIBLE!"

"Good!" said Leanne, with relish and then she stopped transmitting.  Nancy slumped into her chair, dazed.

Leanne reached for her communicator and tapped a few buttons on it.  Then she watched Nancy's face, contorted with a mixture of pain and confusion, with a sense of sadistic pleasure.  "Hu-maans are so easy to manipulate", she said.

After a few minutes a man entered the house and like Leanne he did not require to be let in.

"Ahh, Davis Goode, you have arrived on time." said Leanne to the new arrival.

"Is Nancy Landgraab complicated?" Asked Davis.

"No, she's quite a simple hu-maan.  Driven by a lot of base desires" replied Leanne.

"No, that is not what I meant.  Is she complimentary?  Is that the Earth word?  You know, balugliag?"

"The word you are looking for is 'compliant'.  Yes she is, I have her under control for the next two hours."  Turning to Nancy, Leanne said "This is Davis Goode.  He is a Visitor.  He will look after you while I complete the mission you ordered.  Say 'yes' if you understand me"

"Yessssssssssssssss" gasped Nancy, still looking off into the distance.

"If the son or the father return, keep them under control, Davis Goode" 

"I understand" he replied.

Leanne returned home and changed outfits so that she would look more like a woman of business.

And then it was to Landgraab Corporation headquarters to carry out the final phase of her plan.

Using a combination of her disguise skills, advanced gadgetry and her innate powers over humans she was able to access Darrin Lew's files and trace what he had been looking for on the company computer.

As she had suspected, he had accessed files on the hidden pocket dimensions dotted around the city and also had delved into the history of the Landgraab family:  Especially the parts that related to their contacts with her own kind.  That was troublesome:  If this information were to fall into the hands of Jeremy Saint and Suzy Humphries this could jeopardise the whole mission on Earth.  She cursed her supervisor, Luke Kendall, for being so blind to the threat and weak about the response.  It was time she acted for the good of the mission.  Only one thing confused her.  At a recent point in time, Darrin Lew had used the company computer to produce a birthday card...she was aware of this human custom, but it was odd that Lew had done something so frivolous.

She had learned that Darrin Lew was on a lunchbreak so she went downstairs to the lobby and lay in wait for him.  Patiently she sat there as staff came and went but eventually he arrived.  He let his gaze momentarily linger on her; he didn't recognise the woman sitting there but she was very smart and attractive.

She stood up and walked over to him.  "Mr Darrin Lew?" she said.

"That's correct...you are?" he asked.

"My name is Leanne McGregor.  I wish to speak with you on a matter of urgency"

"Leanne McGregor you say?"  The name seemed familiar to him but he couldn't place where he'd heard it before.

"Yes...if I can just take up a few minutes of your time I will explain my predicament" she pressed.

"Well, what is this about?  Would you like to step into my office and you can tell me more?" he asked, confused as to who this person was and what she wanted.

"You see, it's about security..." she began to say, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Security?  That's not my department..." he replied with a nervous touch to his voice.  Was this another of Nancy's honeytrap company spies, he thought?

"I think you'll find that security is all our concern, Darrin Lew" she said, taking a step closer whilst trying to entice Darrin.  Leanne knew all about manipulating men through sex and desire and she was trying to exude her charms to keep him from leaving her.

"Did...Mrs Landgraab...send you to check up on me?" he asked, haltingly.

"Mrs Landgraab has authorised me to deal with you, Darrin Lew" and once she had locked her gaze on to his she hit him with a thought wave.

"Must...resist!" gasped Darrin.  He tried to look around to see if there was anyone there who could help him but there was no one.  Then he tried running away but found his feet stuck to the ground.  He could feel his mind slipping away and soon he lost all autonomy.

"Follow me, Darrin Lew" she said to the transfixed man.  She walked ahead of him and he dutifully followed, his mind no longer his own:  A virtual automaton completely in her thrall.

She went to a little used and known place in the corporation building, where only the maintenance crew would go.  She used her device to open the lock of the door and the two of them walked in.  Then she locked the door behind her.

"No one will disturb us, Darrin Lew" she said.  As he stood motionless, she surveyed the room.  There were machines, pipes, pumps and power generators which hummed, whirled and chugged along.  Leanne nodded and added "and no one will hear us either".

Darrin started to fight back against the mental paralysis he was under and was able to force his mind and voice to say something.

"What...are...you...doing?  Who...are...you?" he strained to say.

"Who am I, Darrin Lew?  I go by the name Leanne McGregor but my real name is unpronounceable to your kind.  And this is not what I actually look like but I do admit, I have a certain fondness for this form."

"I...need...to...know....who...you...are..." Darrin continued to say although every word he spoke hurt his voice and mind.

"Oh you do, do you?  Well, I suppose it's only 'fair' to let you know who you are dealing with before we continue.  Well, here we go...be prepared for your puny brain to be shocked." she said, mocking him.

Then something both amazing and terrifying happened.  Darrin watched as she appeared to shimmer, her body becoming a blur to his eyes.  He clothes dropped to the floor and for a brief moment he saw her naked human body before it first changed colour, then form into something completely different, something utterly alien.

"Oh no!" Darrin exclaimed, as the realisation of who this 'person' was and what it represented hit him like a brick through a glass window.

"Oh yes!" she replied, laughing.  "I am not human!  Go on, get a good look at me, take it all in."

Darrin's mind suddenly snapped free of her control as it confronted this shocking revelation.  "The Visitors!  It makes sense now!  The Visitors are aliens!"

"This is the part I really like; especially when it's one of the smarter hu-maans who works it out.  Like that artist or that historian...it made the process of absorbing them all the more pleasant."

Darrin was slowly starting to regain control of his body and began to back off.  "Absorb!  What's that?" he gasped.

"Something that is inevitable, Darrin Lew" was her reply.

He continued to back away but he was cornered with no where to escape to and he lacked the full control over his movements which could get him to charge past her and run out into the busy part of the building or even the street.  Instead he movements were leaden and stiff.

"It'll be better for you if you didn't prolong this, Darrin Lew" she said, still teasing him.  She began to move towards him, he body moving sensually as she enjoyed her natural form.  To Darrin it looked like a macabre dance, utterly transfixing and terrifying at the same time.

"Please...don't!" he gasped, pathetically.

"Your time as Darrin Lew has come to and end...time to be absorbed" she replied, reaching a hand out to touch him.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Within a few seconds, there was no physical trace of Darrin Lew left.  Leanne was alone in the power room and she kneeled where he had last stood, enjoying the sensation of absorbing someone.  It was something she lived for, like the hit of a hard drug.  She was in no rush to move on and instead would linger in this place as she enjoyed the sensation.

Once the buzz began to fade she stood up and resumed human form before putting her clothes back on.  Then she unlocked the door to the power room and left the building leaving no trace of Darrin Lew left behind.

CHAPTER 209: What The Maid Saw

 

There was something about the way George looked this morning that was bothering Edna.  She looked at him suspiciously as he was eating his breakfast...He was wearing the blazer and sweater she had bought him recently; inspired by the same one Geoffrey Landgraab often wore, but that wasn't it.  Finally, the penny dropped.

"George...you're not wearing your glasses" she remarked.

"Well...I...didn't want to wear them today.  I've got my contact lenses in." he replied.

"But you don't normally like wearing those" said Edna.

"No...but we're cooking a lot of spicy food in the hotel kitchen today and there are times when contacts are better to wear than glasses whilst cooking certain food" was his reply, which was a bluff.  He had put his contact lenses in for other reasons which he would never explain to his wife.

"Oh well, I'll defer to your professional judgement.  You look very smart without your glasses, especially in that blazer and sweater I bought you." she said with a hint of pride in her voice.  "Anyway, I must go and get changed for work.  This is the big one today, George; today I submit my candidacy papers for the City Council!"

"There'll have to be an election first, Edna" he replied, sounding a note of caution.

"Pshht!  A mere formality!  I mustn't be late...I want to hand in my candidacy papers as the official League of Decency representative!"  she said, standing up and pointing to the ceiling.  

As she went to the bedroom to get changed, George put the dishes in the dishwasher.  He checked his watch:  He was due at work in just over an hour...not his regular job at the hotel but his secret, second job.

She had booked a taxi to take her to City Hall and as soon as it had arrived and she headed off George quickly ran to the basement bunker to get his special suitcase.

...and then back upstairs to begin his transformation into Beulah.

He had the use of the car today so he drove to Affluista Mansion being careful to park the car on a nearby road down the hill so to protect his true identity from his employers:  The Landgraabs.  As he walked towards the mansion he cleared his throat and practiced his Southern Belle voice.

"Ah dew declay-ah.  Oh mah, Mistuh Geoffreh!  Another mint julep, Mistress Nanceh?"

He was met at the door by young Malcolm Landgraab who seemed indifferent to Beulah's presence, which was a contrast from his father's flirtatious fawning and his mother's amiable patronising.

"Oh it's you, Beulah.  I'd forgotten today was the day you come to do the cleaning.  Come on in, I trust you know where all the equipment is?" he said in a bored tone of voice.

"Why thank you, Masteh Malcolm.  Yes siree ah know where everything's kept..." Beulah replied.

"Oh good God, I hope not..." he said, enigmatically.

Malcolm went to the downstairs living room and flopped on the sofa to watch TV.  He was using a new fangled remote control to switch from channel to channel, never settling on any show for too long.  Beulah got on with the job in hand, starting to clean the rooms from the upstairs to the down.  Eventually she got to the lounge where she saw Malcolm, still seated on the couch and watching television.

"Ahm done in all the bathrooms, Masteh Malcolm.  Ahve also vacuumed your bedroom and the upstairs office so if y'all got work and stuff to do you can go right ahead." she said.

"That's fine, thank you.  I will be going upstairs in a moment." he replied.

As Beulah went to leave the lounge, Malcolm turned to her and called out her name.

"Come here, I want a brief word with you" he said.

"Ah trust everything's satisfactory, Masteh Malcolm?" she replied.

"Everything is satisfactory, I just want to bring up something that is going to happen.  You can sit here..." he said, patting the space next to him on the couch.

"I will be receiving a visitor any time around now..." he continued.  "A young lady..." he said with a wry smile.  "When she arrives show her straight in and tell her I am in the upstairs study; she knows the way.  Now this is the important point, Beulah:  Under no circumstances are we to be disturbed, except that if my parents arrive home and she is still here you are to alert me, do you understand?"

Beulah nodded.  She had heard that Malcolm was quite the ladies' man around high school.

"That's a good girl...and if all goes well there will be a little bonus from me to you when you leave" he said.  "Now I'm going to my room, please show the young lady up when she arrives"

"What name does she go by?  So I can tell if it's her who comes a' callin'" asked Beulah.

"There's no need for names...it will be her, just show her in"

Again, Beulah nodded to signify she understood.  

Beulah then cleaned the kitchen and the two other bathrooms located on the ground and 2nd floors before she heard the doorbell chime.  She suspected this was Malcolm's mystery girlfriend so she answered the door like a proper household maid.

"Y'all be the young lady Masteh Malcolm is expecting" said Beulah.  The young lady merely nodded and walked past her.  

Beulah followed as the woman walked upstairs to the top floor and along to where Malcolm was.  This young waif's age couldn't be determined:  She looked as though she might be a high schooler but at the same time there was a maturity in her walk and poise and even though her dress was so short it almost gave Beulah/George one of their funny turns it was clearly expensive and beyond the resources of a mere teenage girl...unless she came from money like Malcolm.

"Masteh Malcolm, you're lady caller is here" said Beulah.

"Thank you, Beulah, that'll be all for now" he replied.  Beulah started to go downstairs.

"Leanne, good to see you...please, come on in to my study" said Malcolm to his visitor, who followed him in to the room.

They sat down on a couch side by side and Malcolm looked at the girl from head to toe.

"I can't get over how completely different you look these days." he said.

"The transformation was extensive" she replied, flatly.

"So I can see...you even look younger.  What my mother wouldn't give to have access to the technology you use"

"She would not like it.  It is not a very comfortable process" replied Leanne.  "So this is where you run your little empire, Malcolm Landgraab?"

"An ever growing empire, Leanne" he interjected.

"Of course..." she replied.  "Anyway, to business.  I did what you requested and Mr Green is no more."

"Did you erase every trace of him as you promised?" asked Malcolm.

"That proved more difficult.  He resisted absorption too much...I had to dispose of him using other means but, rest assured, his cause of death will keep your law enforcement baffled."

"You mean there's a body!" said Malcolm, loudly in panic.  "If there's a body then the cops will examine it and they might trace Green's death to you...and eventually me...and that can't happen!"

"Relax...there is no way to connect you, him and me unless you have been careless at your end.  As I said, there is a body but the causes of death and motive will keep the police too busy to come looking for you.  They will suspect Alan Cuffe's assistant; I have planted clues to ensure they go after her and not us.  Besides, they are sure to assign detective John Action to the case and he has had his memory wiped of my existence."

Meanwhile Beulah had heard Malcolm's shouting and went upstairs to see if he was alright.

As she approached the upstairs study she could start to hear the conversation between Malcolm and his visitor.

"You assured me there would be no trace, no body...he would just disappear!" exclaimed Malcolm.

"You need to calm down and be less emotional, Malcolm Landgraab." the girl replied.

"You should have been more careful!" he fired back at her.

Beulah was now starting to become concerned at what she was hearing but what happened next truly shocked her.

"I am now starting to think you are the unreliable one here, Malcolm Landgraab" said the girl.  "I must know if you are to be trusted anymore"

"Wait...no!  Not that!" the boy exclaimed, the look on his face was one of terror.  The girl put her fingers to her temples and Beulah watched green waves of light shoot out from her head and into Malcolm's.  The boy's body quivered and convulsed as he let out an unnatural sounding gurgle.

Beulah had seen enough and ran down the stairs, terrified.  She remembered to grab her purse on her way out as she sprinted to her car.

"Oh my God, she's a mentalist!" she gasped.

Beulah got to her car, quickly started the engine and sped off back home.  She was almost hyperventilating all the way.

Parking up the car she got out, got her front door keys and went to go inside when she saw her path was blocked by a young, smartly dressed black man.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" said the man.

"WAAAA!  What do you want?" exclaimed Beulah, trying to maintain the feminine accent.

"Sorry to disturb you like this but are you part of a cleaning agency or do you work freelance?"

"What?" said Beulah, incredulously, before realising that she wearing a maid's uniform.  "Oh...no, no agency, I work alone." she added.

"The thing is, I need a cleaner for my home and I've seen you around and about here and thought I'd ask if you're looking for more work" continued the man.

"I'm, ah mean ahm not lookin' to take on any new clients, sah" replied Beulah.  The man's eyes narrowed suspiciously as soon as Beulah spoke in that broad, Southern accent.

"Is it because...I'm a negro?" he said, looking at Beulah with suspicion.

"Oh no, sah, not at all!  Ah mean, I know what y'all must be thinkin' with me being from the great state of Georgia but ahm not racially prejudiced an' all that!"  Beulah was frantically backpeddling now and still coming to terms with what she'd witnessed back at Affluista mansion and now being cornered by a passer by who was thinking she was a racist....and not forgetting that Beulah was a fabrication created by a man who was born in California and now lived in Sim State.

Beulah composed herself before continuing.  "Look...ahm very busy n' all with my current list of clients but ah don't want you to get the wrong ide-ah about me.  If the gentleman has a business card ah could have ah could see if I have space in mah diary for another client....oh you do?  Ah see sir works for that fine company; Dewey, Cheathem & Howe.  Well, that right there tells me y'all a fine gentleman."

"Are you....alright, ma'am?" asked the man as he saw Beulah acting all flustered.

"Oh it's just....women's things, that's all." she replied, fanning her face.

"Well, you have my card...call me when you can and I hope to engage your services.  Good day, ma'am"

"Y'all have a fine day, sir!" Beulah said, suddenly smiling and cheery.  The man walked on, turning briefly to see if Beulah was indeed alright.

Once inside Sneedley Burrow, Beulah headed straight downstairs to the bunker and poured herself a stiff drink.  She was hot and flustered and the wig was becoming uncomfortable so she took it off and started to become George again.

Once fortified with some drink, George began taking off his female attire, stowing it and putting on his regular male clothes.  Then he went back upstairs to ponder what he should do now?  Did he want to work for the Landgraabs anymore?  Edna was keen for 'Beulah' to work for them so that George could feed her information about their activities so if he did quit he'd have to come up with some cover story why Beulah couldn't be around anymore.  Another thing, did he even want to be Beulah anymore?  She had only come into being because he dragged up one day and got spotted by Geoffrey Landgraab, who has a crush on her!  George's little past-time was now in danger of getting out of hand.

"You assured me there would be no trace, no body...he would just disappear!" 

The words of Malcolm Landgraab heavily implied that someone had been murdered.  That sent another shiver down George's spine...what to do, what to do?  He was still pondering that when he realised he had to go to his regular job now...and forgetting that he hadn't taken his make up off...

As for Edna, things couldn't have gone better.  She had lodged her paperwork to stand for election for the City Council and then decided to treat herself to a new hair-do, make up, manicure and outfit...and she felt great.

Whatever her mood she found a drink or two enhanced it and so, knowing that George would be at work and desiring to show off her new look and start canvassing for votes she headed to her favourite social venue:  The Solar Flare Lounge.

"Hello, Mrs Sneedley, may I say you're looking radiant today?" said the barmaid.

"Why thank you; it's a brand new outfit...from Seares, no less.  My usual, please" 

The barmaid nodded in approval and poured Edna a large glass of red wine whilst Edna settled herself at the bar.  One of the things she liked about The Solar Flare was it attracted a more mature clientele and not a bunch of frightfully dressed teeny-boppers like other establishments.  Soon she got talking to an older man who was bemoaning how he never sees his kids these days as they're far too busy with their work and themselves...

"I know...it's so terrible with young people these days, and it's just getting worse.  That's why, when I'm elected to the City Council, I'm going to bring more community service programmes and make the youth of today sign up to work in them."

In the background there was another regular; the teenage musical prodigy, Eliza Dudley.  The old man looked at her exquisite playing with joy on his face.

"She's very, very good...now that's the kind of community service we need around here" he said.

Edna was more circumspect.  "That gown, though...reveals far too much shoulder and the sequins are overdone..." she muttered.

She could only stop for two drinks as she wanted to go and see the Landgraabs about the possibility of campaign funding.

"Edna, I hear congratulations are in order" said Geoffrey when he opened the door to her.

"Thank you, Geoffrey, but today was merely the beginning.  I am an official candidate for office, that is all at the moment" she replied.

"Come inside and tell me more about it...would you like a drink?" he asked.

"Well...normally at this time of day I would say no, but on this occasion I will make an exception" she replied, somewhat dishonestly.

Drinks were served and the two of them retired to one of the many studies in Affluista Mansion to discuss matters.

"Edna...you strike me as a person with vision and purpose and I like that, I like it a lot" said Geoffrey.  "I...and my company...are prepared to support your candidacy for the local council and, perhaps, even higher office in due course"

"Oh Geoffrey, thank you for thinking me capable of such an honour!" said Edna, outwardly feigning modesty but deep inside she felt validated.  "You know I, and my league, want what's best for our fair city...a city your family has been at the centre of since its founding."

"Indeed, the Landgraabs and Sim City are intertwined and I don't wish to see it being undermined and subverted by the very people you and I despise....if you know what I mean?"

"I do, Geoffrey, I certainly do." she replied.

"So we will back your campaign; with money for advertising, TV and radio slots, posters and feet on the ground to convey your message.  Only....please leave our names out of your business; for form's sake we have to appear neutral." said Geoffrey.

"Of course, I will be the soul of discretion" said Edna, smiling obsequiously at him.

"Very good.  Just between you and me I think City Hall needs shaking up...Victor Feng has let things slip in this city and I will no longer be supporting him or his party." Geoffrey stood up "Alas, I have very pressing business to attend to, Edna, so goodbye for now and all the best."

Edna took the cue and stood up as well.  "Thank you, Geoffrey.  Give my regards to Nancy"

"I shall...and the same for George and that wonderful cleaning lady you found; Beulah.  She is such a treasure!"

"Hmm, do you know, Geoffrey...I still haven't met her" said Edna.

She went outside to wait for her taxi to take her back home but was shocked and horrified by the appearance of a young, teenage girl who was dressed scandalously.  Edna couldn't restrain herself and felt it was her duty to berate the urchin.

"What on earth are you wearing?" she yelled from across the street as she advanced on the girl.  The outfit in question consisted of a pair of extremely short denim shorts that showed signs of being torn and shredded and a billowy, Asian inspired top that exposed the girl's midriff.  The look was completed by a pair of fake-jewel sandals.

"That outfit should be declared illegal!" exclaimed Edna.

"Hey, don't get heavy with me!" replied the girl, with gusto.

"Heavy?  What are you talking about?" sneered Edna.

"Listen, lady, quit twisting my melon!  You know, man, this is what all the groovy people are wearing up in Haight Ashbury"

"Hate what?" asked Edna, not understanding a single thing this girl was saying.

"Haight Ashbury, it's like, you know, in San Francisco"

"Ugh, a Californian!" said Edna, shaking her head.  

"You know, lady, it's a free and beautiful place and it's happening, baby, it's really happening"

The girl could have been speaking in a foreign language to Edna, who shook her head disapprovingly and was only too happy to leave in the taxi when it arrived.

Back home Edna brushed aside the confrontation with the silly girl and took a moment to inspect herself in the mirror.  She was sure George would like this outfit on her, it was a shame he was still at work.  Still, the biggest and most exciting prospect was that now she was going to take on the big political parties and, with Landgraab support, she was going to enter the public stage...big time!