In the Movies
"Missy?" Romana said, looking at the console room screen.
"Yes?" Missy said, as she agitatedly circled the room.
"You didn't do that, did you?" Romana pointed at the Berryman mansion. Smoke was pouring out of several windows on the bottom floor, in the back.
"Amateur," Missy said. "The little worm actually did it."
"Who did what?" Joyce asked, looking up from the chessboard, where K-9 was trying to teach her how to play.
"Someone's pathetic minion was pouring some smelly liquid on the carpet and walls," Missy said. "I told him he was doing it wrong, but humans never listen."
"If he wanted to burn it down, he seems to have done it right," Romana said. "Was there anyone else in there?"
"No," Missy said, grumbling. "Some little girl they needed for their scheme ran away and they were looking for her. I would have run away also. A bunch of amateurs. A setup like that is worth more if you don't set fire to it to hide the evidence. They could have gotten more out of it by replacing the girl."
"A little girl?" Joyce said. "Did she have a name?"
"Do I look like someone who cares?" Missy said. "Why would I know that?"
"The minion must have mentioned her name?" Joyce said.
"Not that I can recall," Missy said. "But she apparently ran off with some actress. Seemed a bit young for those kinds of antics. But humans are strange, even your pet. Why, Theta and I didn't run off to the circus until we were much older."
"Victorine?" Romana said, looking at Joyce.
"Sounds like her," Joyce said. "Her and Darleen. Should we do something about that?" She waved at the burning mansion.
"Let it burn," Missy said. "It's gone. Searched everywhere in that tacky place. If it's still in there it can burn with it."
"What's gone?" Joyce said. "The thing you lost? What is it?"
"A trinket given to a friend," Missy said, sniffing. "I'm sure you don't know how important it is to have trustworthy friends."
"You have friends?" Joyce said. "How did they survive?"
"Your pet is getting annoying," Missy said, looking at Romana, and poking Joyce. "Teach her to mind her manners before I do." Shaking her head, and muttering to herself, Missy left the console room.
"I'm not a pet," Joyce grumbled under her breath. "Can we go to the studio now?"
"Looks like they're busy," Joyce said from across the street, as they watched the crowd in front of Matchless Studios. There was the faint smell of burnt grass in the air.
"They appear to have had a fire problem here also," Romana said, frowning.
"We can come back after things settle down," Joyce said. "Not going to be much of a tour if they are busy cleaning up."
"Plenty of time," Romana said.
"Look, there's the snake lady," Joyce said. "She must live nearby. I wonder what happened to the snake?"
Joyce and Romana quietly slipped into the seats next to Darleen, Victorine, and Darleen's father.
"Hey Cousin, fancy meeting you here," Joyce said in a quiet voice. She nodded to Victorine in greeting. "We were going to come by the studio the other day but you looked busy."
"Cousin?" Darleen's father said.
"You remember, Papa," Darleen said. "They helped us when we were escaping the kidnappers." Before he could do more than introduce himself as Bill Darling, music started playing and the lights dimmed.
"Shhh!!" a small boy several rows in front of them said, glaring at them for talking.
Joyce and Romana sat through Episode Nine, of the Dangers of Darleen, occasionally looking over at the girls who were enjoying the movie, even though they were in it.
When it was over, they followed Darleen, Victorine, and Darleen's father out of the theater and down the street.
"Darleen said the two of you helped them to get home," he said, watching the two girls race ahead, laughing.
"They'd already rescued themselves," Joyce said. "Darleen had everything under control. We just added some extra camouflage."
"Camouflage?" he said, puzzled at the word.
"The kidnappers were looking for two little girls," Joyce said. "Not four people. Darleen is very brave."
"Yes, yes she is," he said, watch Darleen and Victorine. "Her mother would have been proud of her."
"I find making movies to be fascinating," Joyce said. "People really like the Dangers of Darleen and the scrapes Darleen gets into. What's next?"
"We start Episode Ten tomorrow," he said. "It looks to be another exciting episode, though I can't really talk about it."
"Understood," Romana said. "You wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."
"Correct," Bill said, "though to be honest there are always changes during filming. What we get in the end isn't always what we started with. Not sure what will happen with Jasper quitting. We'll have to find another villain."
"It's too bad we have to get back on the road," Joyce said. "I can do a great evil villain."
"We don't have time for that," Romana said. "And I'm sure Matchless Studios already has a plan for replacing their villain."
"Yes, yes, plenty of actors available to play a villain," he said. "An evil aunt or stepmother is always popular. I'll have to mention it to my brother."
"You're too nice to play an evil aunt, Cousin," Darleen said, she and Victorine having rejoined them.
"She could be the adventurer who rescues Daring Darleen in the next episode," Victorine said.
"An interesting idea, but I'm sure Charlie already has a plan," Bill said to her before turning to Joyce and Romana. "You're welcome to visit the studio tomorrow. There is always something interesting going on."
"Yes, please," Darleen said. "Papa is always in the laboratory, but we can show you around."
"We'll have to see," Romana said.
"We'll try to be here in the morning," Joyce said. "A tour of the studio would be fantastic."
"Then we may see you tomorrow, ladies," Bill said. "I'll let them know you may be visiting."