[pshrynk]

Vera and Vivaldi walked down the avenue in front of the hotel where Montsnmags was housing them. She thought growing up in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin had been boring. Here, the kids all gathered around the newly whitewashed fence to watch it dry.

"Well, when he said that we were going to be in a quiet... neighborhood, he was ceratinly right," said Vera.

"You live the life I've lived so far and you'll appreciate boring."

"I wonder what that building up there is?"

"The one with 'Ice Plant' written on the big sign over the door?"

"Maybe we could get a bucket of ice to cool our drinks tonight."

She walked down the street, dragging the small grey dog behind her on his leash. A low grade complaint muttering followed them. Outside the plant, there was a large truck parked and men were loading ice into the back of it.

Vera tied Vivaldi's leash to the post in front of the building. "Be a good boy and stay here."

"Sheesh, you run away from a bath just one time and you get treated like a criminal. This is inhumane, I tell you!"

"Just wait there. And don't talk to anyone. I don't want someone getting vaudvillian ideas on you."

"Who's the villain named Vaude?" Vivaldi yelped out, but Vera was already walking through the doorway. "Typical. Not even a little peice of bacon to give me incentive..."

With his canine hearing, Vivaldi heard Vera knock at a door and say, "Hellooo? Anyone here? I'd like to buya bag of... What the Hell?"

"I thought she wanted a bag of ice. I wonder if What the Hell is a brand name?"

Then he heard a short, sharp scream and a man saying, "Bring her along, we need to be moving fast. We'll deal with her later!"

The door to the plant crashed open and two men came out dragging a tied up and gagged Vera between them. They threw her into the back of the ice truck, locked the door, and jumped into the cab and drove off.

"Hey!" Vivaldi yelled, "Come back here! Who's going to feed me? At least cut me loose from this post so I can scrounge for myself!"

The truck turned a corner and sped off.

"Typical!"