Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 06:32:35 -0600 Reply-To: Highlander TV show stories Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Jennifer Lynn Hedberg Subject: The Emperor's New Clothes, Part 2 The Emperor's New Clothes Ch 2 [credit where credit is due -- to whomever suggested the scene where Joe can't serve Richie because of his age] by Gwe Vohs Mac and Connie walked into Joe's laughing so hard they had to lean on each other to keep froom falling down. Richie saw Duncan's old friend and prayed he was as gentle as Mac said he was. Connie was 6'3", and wearing huge steeltoed boots that made him 6'5". He wieghed 190 if an ounce, but it was all muscle. his eyes were slatey blue, like a Midwestern sky just before an afternoon thunderstorm, and showed just as much jeapardy if provoked. Fortunately, he wore his hair long, clean, and tiesd back which, if Duncan was any indication, showed a romantic nature much more prone to friendship than emnity. Duncan taught Richie to gauge a potential foe and plan accordingly. The only plan Richie could make in this case was, "Don't EVER let this guy become your enemy." "Hey Richie! Meet Constantine Andrew Shepherd." Connie winced. He hated the sound of his full name and knew Duncan had introduced him by it as a good-natured jab. "It's CONNIE, and the next person to call me Constantine Andrew will answer for it." Richie and Coonie shook hands and headed towards Mac and Richie's usual table. Joe shouted at them over the noise of the World Cup crowd by the big screen,"Hey MacLeod!! Two scotches and a Coke?" Duncan nodded. Richie wiinced, hacked off that he was old enough for combat but not old enough to have a beer with his friends legally. Duncan winked sympathetically. "Don't worry. We'll stay till after hours and you can have whatever you want." Joe brought over their drinks and winked just as Duncan had. "You guys gonna help me close tonight?" Duncan grinned. "It's Tuesday, isn't it?" Joe walked back to the bar laughing. Connie smirked. "So y'all know the owner here, eh?" Duncan's grin widened."yeah. he's a friend of ours." *************************************************** NYC, 1928 Duncan and Connie were putting up chairs on tables in their favorite Italian restaurant where they'd been enjoying a late supper. As they worked, Connie leaned over and whispered mischeviously,"Duncan, I think Julianna likes you." Julianna, the owner's fifteen-year-old daughter, made a fuss over them every time they came in. "Are you daft, Connie? Let Marco hear you talking like that and he'll take my skin off in strips!!" Connie just snickered. Finally Marco came back out with a couple of bottles of good red wine. "A toast, gentlemen..." "Sure, Marco...what to?" Their host filled their glasses and raised his own in salute. "Gentlemen, F**K Prohibition!" "F**K Prohibition!" they chorused. ******************************************* Connie and Joe were playing some Brazillian funk off the latest Assad brothers cd [AUTHOR'S NOTE - these guys are great - check them out if you haven't already]. After the jam session, Joe decided it was time to ask the question he''dbeen dying to ask all night. "So am I the only mortal in the room?" Duncan, Richie, and Connie all started guffawing drunkenly. Richie recovered first, so he answered, "'Fraid so, Joe." Of course the fact that the answer rhymed made all four men dissolve into hysterical. Then Joe began to sing in an overbluesy voice, "I ain't got no sword, Don't feel no buzz, I'm plain old Joe, I guess it's just because I got the blues, Those low down mortal blues." This time Duncan nearly wet himself laughing. End part 2 =========================================================================