propellers. If there was something he was a sucker for, it was a pretty face, especially a pretty face with a pair of big brown eyes. With a deep sigh, he opened the door. “All right, I’ll take ya to Mustgo.” He added under his breath, “I’m gonna hate myself in the mornin’...if I make it to mornin’, that is.”

Mustgo, The Glorious People’s Republic of Thembria
An Hour Later

Mustgo, cold, bleak, treeless, and grey, huddled underneath unchanging overcast skies. The majority of the city consisted of rows and rows of government-issued houses exactly identical down to the pitch of their snow-covered roofs and the weak wisps of smoke issuing from their bare stovepipe chimneys. All were overshadowed by the imposing government building that stretched across the entire northern edge of the city.

On a snowy street corner stood the only store in town. An extremely long line containing countless Thembrian citizens extended from the front door. Like their houses, they looked almost identical. All were dressed the same drab, well-worn clothing with the same hopeless look on their faces as they waited to spend their meager government-issued earnings on the bare necessities. Each of these poverty-stricken, broken spirits - who had never had a day of fun in their whole lives, because fun was illegal - cringed whenever an armed member of the Glorious People’s Army or the Sludge Police passed by.

Despite the number of people in the line, the city was eerily silent save for the bitter wind howling around the houses.

The frigid silence was broken by a loud voice crying, “Come one, come all to the Amazing Louie’s! The Amazing Louie knows all, sees all, futures told, fortunes found. For the price of a crisp dollar bill or even a crisp turnip the Amazing Louie will gaze into his crystal ball. Don’t crowd, folks.”

The voice belonged to a young reddish-brown orangutan wearing a shimmering purple cape and a bright pink turban along with a green and blue Hawaeen shirt. He stood, shivering in the ankle-deep snow, in front of a orange-and-white striped tent that was on the sidewalk beside the store. Tacked to the top of the tent was a sign reading: The Amazing Louie, Seer Without Peer. He looked like a colorful bird of paradise in contrast to the dull surroundings.

When nobody approached his tent, Louie said, “Allow me to demonstrate absolutely free of charge.”

He strolled up to a peasant standing in line and said confidently, “I bet I know what you’ll be eatin’ for supper tonight.” He put his fingers to his temple, closed his eyes, and went into a ‘trance’, swaying on his feet. “Oh, Great Spirits, make me a winner. Give me a sign. What is for dinner?” Opening his eyes, he said, “The spirits tell me turnips an’ bread.” He grinned confidently. “Am I right, ma’am?”

Astonished, the woman stammered. “W-why...yes.”

A child, tugging at her ragged skirt, whispered, “Mama, we alwayseat bread and turnips.”

“Hush!”

Louie pulled a deck of cards from his pocket and deftly shuffled them. “For my next trick, I’ll..." seeing two members of the Sludge Police approaching, he concluded, “disappear.”

Before he could get far, one of the burly policemen caught Louie by the cape. In a thick Thembrian accent, he said sternly, “I told you before to leave our glorious citizens alone.”

“Thanks for clearin’ that up, man,” Louie choked out as the officer gave him a rough shake. “Musta had wax in my ears those other times. I thought you said don’t leave ‘em alone.”

“Take him to prison,” the second policeman ordered, pulling a set of handcuffs from his brown uniform.

Rolling his eyes back in his head theatrically, Louie went limp. “Be-bop-alula-a-do-ee-day. The great spirits say somethin’ cold and wet’s comin’ your way.” He scooped up two snowballs with his feet and lobbed them at the policemen’s faces, causing the officer to drop him.

While the cops spluttered, Louie ran to his tent, collapsed it with a push of a button, and tucked it under his arm. “Hate to fortune tell an’ run,” he called over his shoulder as he hurried down the slippery street. “See ya in the next life.”

“Get him!” the first cop exclaimed, blowing his whistle.

All of the peasants in line watched impassively as the policemen tromped down the street in their heavy cleated boots after the fortune teller.

A few blocks away, Louie skidded into an alley and hid behind a pile of crates. He crouched there, panting. Hearing heavy footfalls, he cautiously peeked around the crate.

As the policemen ran by, one of them growled, “When I get my hands on that trouble-making pipsqueak, I’ll make sure he gets two thousand years in Prison Camp Sunnyvale.”

“Or better yet, hung,” the other officer laughed.

Scared, Louie put a hand to his throat and quickly shrank behind the crate. He waited for what seemed like years. Just as he was about to move from his hiding place, he heard voices, but these voices weren’t Thembrian. He cautiously peeked around the crate and, seeing a vision of loveliness, eagerly bounded out of the alley.

In a flash, he latched onto Natalia’s hand. “I must be in heaven, ‘cause I see an angel.”

“Hey, man, get your own girl,” Baloo growled, glaring down at the interfering ape.

“Whattaya know. It’s beauty,” he grinned at Natalia, then wrinkled up his nose in distaste when he glanced at Baloo; “and the beast.”

Baloo’s frown deepened. “You’re no Count Casanova yourself, shorty.”

“Flip ya for her.” Louie pulled out a coin. “Heads I win, tails you lose.”

“All right,” Baloo said readily.

Louie flipped the coin into Baloo’s outstretched palm.

“It’s heads,” the pilot said glumly.

“That means I win. Better luck next time, cuz,” Louie said cheerfully, taking Natalia’s arm and starting down the street.

Baloo stared at coin, scratching his head and muttering, “Heads I win, tails you lose...heads I win, tails you lose...” Then understanding dawned upon him. “Hey!”

He caught up to them and took hold of Natalia’s other arm. An argument ensued, with a very uncomfortable Natalia stuck in the middle.

“You cheated!” Baloo said accusingly.

“I didn’t cheat. You’re just dumb,” Louie said matter-of-factly.

“Dumb, huh? I know enough to know that dames like this ain’t a dime a dozen.”

“I gave you a dime. Go buy yourself another gal.”

“No!” Baloo said stubbornly, tightening his grip on her arm. “I saw her first.”

“Well, I saw her second, an’ two is a bigger number than one.”

“I’ll give you the ol’ one-two.” Baloo let go of Natalia and doubled up his large fists.

“Bring it on, fuzzy!” Louie exclaimed. He, too, clenched his fists and started dancing around like a boxer in a ring.

“Gentlemen! Gentlemen!” Natalia stepped between the two young men before they started fighting. “We haven’t been properly introduced yet. I’ll start. I’m Natalia, this is Baloo, and you are...?”

“Completely at your mercy,” Louie said with what he believed was a charming smile.

“What a wit!” Natalia said with a girlish giggle.

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Sugar Cubes.” Louie winked at her.

“Or just plain flat,” Baloo growled, clenching his fists again.

Louie clenched his fists too and danced around, cape billowing behind him. “That’s it! Let’s see what ya got, cuz.”

Catching a pleading look in Natalia’s eyes, Baloo relaxed his hands. “Nah. I don’t fight circus freaks.”

“The Amazing Louie is no freak,” he said, greatly offended. “He knows all, sees all, futures told, fortunes found.” He batted his eyes at Natalia. “Just ta show you what a nice guy I am, I’ll read your purdy palm for free.”

“All right,” she said, giving him her hand. “What do you see?”

“Hmm...” Louie pointed out specific places on her palm. “Smart, beautiful, and that finger is mighty bare. Just my kind of gal.”

“Hands off the hand, fuzzball. This is my girl, an’ we’ve got to get going.” Pushing Louie roughly aside, he took hold of Natalia’s arm and steered her down the street. “C’mon, Natty.”

Looking over her shoulder, Natalia saw Louie following them like a forlorn puppy. “Baloo...maybe we should help him.” She gestured behind them.

“What, are you still there?” Baloo said, exasperated.

“You got my last dime.”

Baloo flipped it to him. “Here. Call someone who cares.”

“That’s the problem,” Louie sniffed. “I don’t have anyone to call. I’m all by my lonely only.” He sat down on a nearby crate and wailed.

“Oh, you poor man,” Natalia said, rushing to his side.

“Oh, brother,” Baloo murmured, rolling his eyes.

Louie blew his nose on his cape with a loud honk.

“You can come with us to see my aunties,” Natalia offered, patting his arm consolingly.

“He can?” Baloo squeaked.

“I can?”

“Of course,” Natalia cooed with a sweet smile. “The more the merrier.”

Louie whooped and took hold of Natalia’s arm. “Lead on, fair lady.”

They walked through the streets of Mustgo until they came to a house on the northern part of town. Across the snow-packed street the government building loomed. Armed guards stood at every entry way.

To avoid being seen by the officers, Louie ducked behind Baloo, saying, “If there’s one thing you’re good for, it’s a windbreak.”

“I’d like to break somethin’,” the bear growled.

Natalia pulled a slip of paper from her purse. She read it, then looked at the other houses on the street, frowning in concentration. “Ithink this is the address...”

“You mean you’ve never been here before?” Baloo asked.

“No. You see, my deceased parents moved to Singamore after they were first married. That’s where they adopted me. I’ve never seen my aunts.” She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

After a moment, the door opened a crack. A high-pitched voice lisped a suspicious, “Yes?”

“Aunt Ivanna? Or are you Aunt Mischa?”

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