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indriSUMMARY: Giles and Ethan, the electric Kool-Aid funky Satan groove year, in the early seventies. Rated M. Spoilers to Band Candy. Acknowledgements and disclaimers.
17.
Ripper glanced over at Gary, who gave a nod. One, two, three, four-- and then Ripper went into the final chorus. Jim was going strong on the drums behind him, and Gary wasn't yet so tired that he was dropping notes, which he sometimes did. Ripper didn't have to think about the chords or the words any more, he just played and sang.
"Goodnight everyone," he said finally. "We're Wave Two."
He could see Adrienne clapping wildly from near the front. He gave a quick bow and then went offstage with Gary and Jim. There wasn't a backstage to go into, just a back corridor that led through to the kitchen and then back out to the bar.
"God, I'm parched," Ripper said.
"I thought that went all right," said Gary. "I got a little fumbly in Waterloo Sunset but I came good later."
"Do we have to keep that one in the set?" asked Ripper.
"Crowd pleaser," Gary said. "Audience loves it. It's Cygnet Committee we should drop. Makes no sense and too long by half."
Jim was oddly silent. When Ripper first arrived, hours ago, for the setup, Jim had been visibly nervous and it had taken Ripper a while to remember why -- that stupid fight on Sunday and Jim asking him to leave the flat. Ripper had said to reassure him, "Found a great new place near here," and Jim had nodded and looked a little more comfortable.
Ripper went to pick up some beers from the bar and then took Gary and Jim to meet Adrienne. She'd dressed for the part tonight, in a low top and a short skirt that showed off her thighs. Ripper hadn't even known she owned a skirt. But he couldn't help thinking that she was also taking the mickey slightly.
She extended her hand to Jim. "I'm Ripper's new girl," she said.
"Fast work," said Gary, under his breath.
They all pulled up seats next to Adrienne, who crossed her legs and smiled.
"How was it from the front stalls?" Jim asked her.
"Very loud," she said.
"Good crowd," said Gary. He rubbed his fingers together to indicate money.
"Flat fee," said Jim. "No share of the takings tonight."
Gary grumbled.
"You're a good drummer," Adrienne said.
"Thanks," said Jim.
"So when and where next, then?" asked Ripper.
"Jesus, Ripper," said Gary. "We only just finished this one."
"Have to know where my next drink's coming from."
Jim put his beer down. "It might be a while," he said.
Adrienne glanced around the table and then stood up. "I'm going to powder my nose," she said.
That left Gary and Ripper sitting there, staring at Jim.
"I've got to take a break," said Jim. "Alison's going to need help with the baby."
Ripper put his beer down too. "You can't do this," he said.
"Put an ad in the paper for a temporary drummer, that's all."
"What sort of tosh are we going to get out of that?" He could feel the anger rising in him. He had to close his eyes and breathe slowly.
"A temporary drummer," Jim said. "I'm taking a few months off because I can't work my day job, be in the band and have a new baby in the house all the same time. I'm not going to be doing anyone any good that tired."
"Get your mother-in-law to come and help," said Ripper.
"No, I want to help Alison, I want to be home for my kid, I want to take a break from the band."
Ripper stood up.
"What are you going to do, Ripper?" Jim said evenly.
Ripper forced himself to breathe. In-and-out, in-and-out. He could hear Gary saying, "You're giving up, Jim."
"Not giving up," said Jim, "growing up. I've got a perfectly good job at the post office. What kind of job is a drummer?"
"So what do you think the rest of us are doing?" Ripper asked, in a voice that was very low and quiet. "Do you think we're just playing games?"
"I think," said Jim, "that we have different priorities right now."
Adrienne came back then. She saw Ripper standing and came and took his arm.
"I'll call you in a few months," said Jim.
"I don't have a phone."
Adrienne found a napkin and wrote her address on it. She handed it to Jim.
"Let's go home now," she said to Ripper.
"Yes," said Ripper, "let's."
18.
Ethan didn't go straight home from the gig at the pub. Instead he walked down to Euston Station and found a telephone. He stood there for a minute, trying to calm himself down and hoping that he wouldn't be spotted by anyone he knew. Then he dialled the number Adrienne had given him.
The phone on the other end rang out five times and Ethan began to wonder if anyone would answer. Then someone picked up and said, "Hello?" in a South African accent.
"I was given your number," said Ethan, as evenly as he could. "I'm a friend of--"
"We know who you're a friend of," said the voice. "Are you willing to help?"
"Yes," he said, "for the terms offered."
"Good. Can you meet me tomorrow at eleven thirty? Opposite the shop?"
"Yes," he said, thinking crazily for a moment that the speaker meant Terry's magic shop. He must mean Adrienne's work.
"Then I'll see you there. Dress for the office." The speaker hung up.
Ethan put down the phone and found that his hands were sweating. He felt slightly faint and also a little ridiculous. He really should get something to eat, but he was too nauseous to look for anything close to the station.
He went home and cooked some sausages on the grill, cutting them up to put through the remains of Diedre's stew. Then he went upstairs to see Randall.
Randall was in the drawing room. He was drawing, appropriately enough. Large expansive curves on butcher's paper, quite unlike his usual style at all.
Ethan sat down nearby and ate his stew. Eventually, Randall sniffed the air and turned around.
"Are those sausages?" He came over to pick a chunk out of Ethan's bowl.
"There's more downstairs," said Ethan, "on the griller. But I want to ask you a question first."
"What's that?"
"Do you have a suit I could borrow?"
19.
Adrienne held his arm on the walk home. She didn't say anything for blocks. Then, just as they reached the last corner before the house, she turned to face him.
She said, "You're angry now, Ripper, but tomorrow you'll see this was a good thing. You've got a good voice and you'll do better on your own. They weren't the right band for you."
"You're right," he said, "I am angry."
She let go of his arm and walked ahead of him after that.
They got to the back of the house and as Adrienne opened the back door, he heard a sudden scream. He dashed forward, but all he found was Dee waving excitedly at Adrienne. The kitchen smelt of sausages.
"Rock chick!" Dee was screaming. Adrienne did a twirl in her outfit and then the girls collapsed with laughter.
"What?" said Ripper. He was not sure that this improved his mood.
"Rock chick!" Dee said again, pointing at Adrienne. She seemed incapable of saying anything else.
Adrienne tried to regain her composure. "Sorry, old joke. Back at school, Diedre was going to grow up to the Lady, and I was going to be the--"
"Rock chick!" said Dee.
Ripper felt as he were perhaps the butt of someone else's joke. He made his expression as surly as possible and went to carry his guitar upstairs.
"Your man in a band," said Dee.
And then Ripper could just make out, from behind him, Adrienne saying, "Well, actually, I think they just broke up."
"How rock and roll!" Dee said.
Randall was on the first floor landing, smoking a cigarette, standing next to the (closed) bathroom door. He nodded as Ripper passed by.
Ripper dropped his guitar in his room without turning on the lights. It was colder up here than it had been outside. He kicked the wall of the room a few times, until he started to feel it through his boots.
When he went back downstairs, he found that Ethan had joined Randall on the landing. He was wearing a dark suit that was a little too loose around the shoulders and far too short in the legs.
"Doesn't fit you," Ripper said.
"Thank you," said Ethan, "I'm aware." He looked Ripper up and down. "I don't suppose you have a pair of dark trousers you could lend me?"
Rising up from below came twin soprano voices singing "With a Little Help from My Friends".
17.
Ripper glanced over at Gary, who gave a nod. One, two, three, four-- and then Ripper went into the final chorus. Jim was going strong on the drums behind him, and Gary wasn't yet so tired that he was dropping notes, which he sometimes did. Ripper didn't have to think about the chords or the words any more, he just played and sang.
"Goodnight everyone," he said finally. "We're Wave Two."
He could see Adrienne clapping wildly from near the front. He gave a quick bow and then went offstage with Gary and Jim. There wasn't a backstage to go into, just a back corridor that led through to the kitchen and then back out to the bar.
"God, I'm parched," Ripper said.
"I thought that went all right," said Gary. "I got a little fumbly in Waterloo Sunset but I came good later."
"Do we have to keep that one in the set?" asked Ripper.
"Crowd pleaser," Gary said. "Audience loves it. It's Cygnet Committee we should drop. Makes no sense and too long by half."
Jim was oddly silent. When Ripper first arrived, hours ago, for the setup, Jim had been visibly nervous and it had taken Ripper a while to remember why -- that stupid fight on Sunday and Jim asking him to leave the flat. Ripper had said to reassure him, "Found a great new place near here," and Jim had nodded and looked a little more comfortable.
Ripper went to pick up some beers from the bar and then took Gary and Jim to meet Adrienne. She'd dressed for the part tonight, in a low top and a short skirt that showed off her thighs. Ripper hadn't even known she owned a skirt. But he couldn't help thinking that she was also taking the mickey slightly.
She extended her hand to Jim. "I'm Ripper's new girl," she said.
"Fast work," said Gary, under his breath.
They all pulled up seats next to Adrienne, who crossed her legs and smiled.
"How was it from the front stalls?" Jim asked her.
"Very loud," she said.
"Good crowd," said Gary. He rubbed his fingers together to indicate money.
"Flat fee," said Jim. "No share of the takings tonight."
Gary grumbled.
"You're a good drummer," Adrienne said.
"Thanks," said Jim.
"So when and where next, then?" asked Ripper.
"Jesus, Ripper," said Gary. "We only just finished this one."
"Have to know where my next drink's coming from."
Jim put his beer down. "It might be a while," he said.
Adrienne glanced around the table and then stood up. "I'm going to powder my nose," she said.
That left Gary and Ripper sitting there, staring at Jim.
"I've got to take a break," said Jim. "Alison's going to need help with the baby."
Ripper put his beer down too. "You can't do this," he said.
"Put an ad in the paper for a temporary drummer, that's all."
"What sort of tosh are we going to get out of that?" He could feel the anger rising in him. He had to close his eyes and breathe slowly.
"A temporary drummer," Jim said. "I'm taking a few months off because I can't work my day job, be in the band and have a new baby in the house all the same time. I'm not going to be doing anyone any good that tired."
"Get your mother-in-law to come and help," said Ripper.
"No, I want to help Alison, I want to be home for my kid, I want to take a break from the band."
Ripper stood up.
"What are you going to do, Ripper?" Jim said evenly.
Ripper forced himself to breathe. In-and-out, in-and-out. He could hear Gary saying, "You're giving up, Jim."
"Not giving up," said Jim, "growing up. I've got a perfectly good job at the post office. What kind of job is a drummer?"
"So what do you think the rest of us are doing?" Ripper asked, in a voice that was very low and quiet. "Do you think we're just playing games?"
"I think," said Jim, "that we have different priorities right now."
Adrienne came back then. She saw Ripper standing and came and took his arm.
"I'll call you in a few months," said Jim.
"I don't have a phone."
Adrienne found a napkin and wrote her address on it. She handed it to Jim.
"Let's go home now," she said to Ripper.
"Yes," said Ripper, "let's."
18.
Ethan didn't go straight home from the gig at the pub. Instead he walked down to Euston Station and found a telephone. He stood there for a minute, trying to calm himself down and hoping that he wouldn't be spotted by anyone he knew. Then he dialled the number Adrienne had given him.
The phone on the other end rang out five times and Ethan began to wonder if anyone would answer. Then someone picked up and said, "Hello?" in a South African accent.
"I was given your number," said Ethan, as evenly as he could. "I'm a friend of--"
"We know who you're a friend of," said the voice. "Are you willing to help?"
"Yes," he said, "for the terms offered."
"Good. Can you meet me tomorrow at eleven thirty? Opposite the shop?"
"Yes," he said, thinking crazily for a moment that the speaker meant Terry's magic shop. He must mean Adrienne's work.
"Then I'll see you there. Dress for the office." The speaker hung up.
Ethan put down the phone and found that his hands were sweating. He felt slightly faint and also a little ridiculous. He really should get something to eat, but he was too nauseous to look for anything close to the station.
He went home and cooked some sausages on the grill, cutting them up to put through the remains of Diedre's stew. Then he went upstairs to see Randall.
Randall was in the drawing room. He was drawing, appropriately enough. Large expansive curves on butcher's paper, quite unlike his usual style at all.
Ethan sat down nearby and ate his stew. Eventually, Randall sniffed the air and turned around.
"Are those sausages?" He came over to pick a chunk out of Ethan's bowl.
"There's more downstairs," said Ethan, "on the griller. But I want to ask you a question first."
"What's that?"
"Do you have a suit I could borrow?"
19.
Adrienne held his arm on the walk home. She didn't say anything for blocks. Then, just as they reached the last corner before the house, she turned to face him.
She said, "You're angry now, Ripper, but tomorrow you'll see this was a good thing. You've got a good voice and you'll do better on your own. They weren't the right band for you."
"You're right," he said, "I am angry."
She let go of his arm and walked ahead of him after that.
They got to the back of the house and as Adrienne opened the back door, he heard a sudden scream. He dashed forward, but all he found was Dee waving excitedly at Adrienne. The kitchen smelt of sausages.
"Rock chick!" Dee was screaming. Adrienne did a twirl in her outfit and then the girls collapsed with laughter.
"What?" said Ripper. He was not sure that this improved his mood.
"Rock chick!" Dee said again, pointing at Adrienne. She seemed incapable of saying anything else.
Adrienne tried to regain her composure. "Sorry, old joke. Back at school, Diedre was going to grow up to the Lady, and I was going to be the--"
"Rock chick!" said Dee.
Ripper felt as he were perhaps the butt of someone else's joke. He made his expression as surly as possible and went to carry his guitar upstairs.
"Your man in a band," said Dee.
And then Ripper could just make out, from behind him, Adrienne saying, "Well, actually, I think they just broke up."
"How rock and roll!" Dee said.
Randall was on the first floor landing, smoking a cigarette, standing next to the (closed) bathroom door. He nodded as Ripper passed by.
Ripper dropped his guitar in his room without turning on the lights. It was colder up here than it had been outside. He kicked the wall of the room a few times, until he started to feel it through his boots.
When he went back downstairs, he found that Ethan had joined Randall on the landing. He was wearing a dark suit that was a little too loose around the shoulders and far too short in the legs.
"Doesn't fit you," Ripper said.
"Thank you," said Ethan, "I'm aware." He looked Ripper up and down. "I don't suppose you have a pair of dark trousers you could lend me?"
Rising up from below came twin soprano voices singing "With a Little Help from My Friends".
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