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back to the hotel, slipped into the building via the underground parking
garage and ascended to the seventeenth floor on the service elevator.
Adam shut the door of room 1720, ripped off his false beard and turned to
face his roommate.
"Bugs," he demanded, "how did you manage that?"
Bugs shrugged. "I told them about how I have all their records and how I
thought theirInterior Contusion album was the best thing ever recorded. Then I
told them that I always drum along with their records and asked if I could do
a song with them. They wanted to know if I was good and I told them yes, so
they let me play."
"Well, you certainly made an impression."
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Bugs nodded abstractedly. "I played with Endomorph," he breathed. "They
actually let me play."
"Let's go to bed," groaned Adam. "I have a terrible headache."
"You go ahead. I'll listen to some music on the headphones."
"It's almost two," Adam pointed out.
"That's okay. You won't be disturbing me."
Adam hurried into his pyjamas, switched off the light and crawled into bed.
From the wall the Endomorph poster glowed down at him. He blinked. The regular
drummer seemed to fade out and in his place Bugs appeared, moustache and all.
Adam shut his eyes and concentrated on sleep. But in his ringing ears he could
still hear the crowd at Dante's Inferno chanting, "Bugs, Bugs, Bugs!"
I have this headache
"Oh, Bugs, how could we oversleep like that?" moaned Adam at nine-thirty the
next morning as he and his roommate hurried towards Banquet Room A. "Darby is
going to kill us."
"Mmm," said Bugs absently, drumming in the air as he walked.
The two boys opened the door and tried to slip in unnoticed. The band was in
the middle of the1812 Overture when Mr. Darby motioned for silence.
"Webb Potter," he announced in mock joy, "how good of you to join us. May
we know the reason for this late honour?"
"We overslept," said Bugs casually. "Sorry."
"Oh, you overslept, did you?" Mr. Darby's eyes narrowed. "Did it occur to you
that if everyone overslept there would be no orchestra, no music festival and
no concert at Ontario Place?"
"We're sorry, sir," said Adam. "It won't happen again."
"It would appear to me," said the bandmaster icily, "that a flautist from my
weakest section and a drummer who cannot seem to figure out what a rest means
would endeavour to come early. Your punishment will be to miss this evening's
group activity, a performance ofMacbeth at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. You
will remain in your room until breakfast and tomorrow morning's practice, to
which you will comeexactly on time. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
"Yes, sir," said Adam.
"Thank you very much," said Bugs gratefully. To him, missingMacbeth was more
reward than punishment.
"And now," said Mr. Darby, "while we are at a hundred percent attendance,
we'll take it from bar twenty-one."
* * *
BiBi Lanay hurled theToronto Star's entertainment section across the room.
"The nerve," she cried. "There's not one word about me!"
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"Now, BiBi," soothed Claire, "you can't expect them to print something about
you every day. What's the headline story?"
"Oh, there was a riot last night at some stupid little night club called
Dante's Inferno," said BiBi in disgust.
"Why, I've seen that place," said Claire. "It's right around the corner from
here. Let's see what it says." She retrieved the newspaper and began to read
aloud. "A riot broke out at Dante's Inferno last night after the opening
performance of the rock group Endomorph. The band had been joined briefly by a
mysterious drummer one Bugs Potter by name who jammed with the group for two
numbers, creating a sensation. The unknown drummer then ran out and
disappeared into the night. The audience was left screaming for more and
fighting over possession of two drumsticks Potter had thrown into the crowd ."
She paused to read silently. "It goes on to say that Endomorph was pretty
good, but that the real hit of the show was this Bugs Potter. Apparently
nobody knows who he is. The police had to come and break up the ruckus at
around three. Have you ever heard of Bugs Potter, BiBi?"
"I hate him."
"Oh. So you know him?"
"No. I hate him because he kept me off the front page of the entertainment
section. I was dining and dancing at the Imperial Room, and nobody reported on
that."
"Well, you didn't start a riot," laughed Claire. "Maybe that's the secret."
"All right," snapped BiBi, "cut the comedy. You're my publicity secretary.
Get me some publicity beforeRedhead in the Big City opens.''
"The emerald," insisted Claire. "I still say the emerald is the key to your
publicity."
"I said I wanted to be in the papers," said BiBi glumly, "but I didn't mean
the obituaries."
* * *
"Hey," exclaimed Bugs over the lunch table that day, "did you girls know that
Endomorph is in town?"
"No," said Laura dryly. "Is it contagious?"
Adam kicked Bugs under the table. "Come on. Let's go up and get some more
salad." Before Bugs could open his mouth Adam added firmly, "Roommatesalways
get salad together."
Bugs frowned and obediently followed Adam to the salad bar. "I don't really
want any more salad," he said, puzzled.
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