their “ once in a lifetime meeting ,” and he took another sip of his Pepsi . He was the center of everyone ’ s attention , the way it should be , he thought .
Two hours later , he was back at the hotel , alone , outside on the rear loading dock , looking down on the empty husk that he had just cast off . His late-night snack this evening had been a middle-aged woman . Slight of build , with nicotine stained fingers and a back bent by years of service to others . Her blood had tasted thin and worn down , not unlike the woman herself , who had many years before seen her prime and was only now going through the motions awaiting the anonymous death which tonight had finally found her . There had been no thrill of the hunt tonight . Just the necessary activities required to secure sustenance . Some days were like that , he thought , and went upstairs to while away the late evening to early morning hours .
* * *
Randy Penwalt was a star . He had been one of the nation ’ s top drawing comedians for several years now , only working the best clubs and pretty much setting his pay scale at the onset . Hollywood was calling with a number of scripts that they wanted him to look at and even Washington had taken notice , inviting him to prestigious dinners to make jokes about world leaders and other people of importance . But things had been much different when Randy had first set out to pursue that which would become his life ’ s passion . Back in the old country , in what seemed a hundred lifetimes ago , Randy had been Ari , the middle of three children , the first son , born to a family of gypsies . His family traveled throughout the continent , performing magic , acrobatics , juggling , singing songs and acting out skits , appearing before the regional monarchs of the age . His grandfather led the troupe which included his father , two uncles , an aunt and their respective spouses and children . It had been over twelve hundred years ago , but those days still blazed in his memory as if they were yesterday . Back before he had
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