“His butler’s on that other planet, you know,” Ernie pointed out. He lowered himself into an armchair facing the holovision and picked up the remote control from a nearby table. “The reports claim he’s the brains behind Phule. So why’s he there instead of here?”
“Because Phule wants everybody to think he’s really there,” said Lola, sitting on the bed and watching the holo picture shimmer into visibility. As usual, the default setting when the set warmed up was an advertisement for the Fat Chance’s various attractions, beginning with a closeup of Dee Dee Watkins impersonating a damsel in distress in a costume that managed to be revealing and vulnerable at the same time. Ernie let out a low whistle of appreciation, and Lola glowered at him. “Too bad you’re not the one I’m trying to kidnap: Your hormones outvote the brain every time. I wish it was as easy to get Phule interested in a few square inches of skin.”
“Hey, you can’t change human nature,” said Ernie, grinning. “Some guys are cold fish, like him. Other guys are natural lovers, like me. Which one would you rather have, babe?”
“Believe me, you really don’t want to know the answer to that,” said Lola, staring at Dee Dee’s performance on the screen. The diminutive starlet was singing, “Where is my knight in shining armor?” Her dance routine had her pursued by several performers dressed as dragons, ogres, and trolls. The music changed, and onto the stage danced a heroic figure in holochrome armor, to rout the evil creatures and carry Dee Dee off in triumph, still singing and smiling brightly at the cameras. “Say, there’s an idea,” she said. “It just might work, too.”