UF: Friends of Foes
Time: 11 pm to Midnight
Place: The Hive, during the party
by Nancy Kaminski

Nancy put the finishing touches on her makeup, then looked down at the
floor. "Well? How do I look?" Decked out in sleek black trousers, an
ice-pink low-cut jersey blouse, stiletto pumps, and some
modern-looking silver jewelry, she felt she could at least not
embarrass the guest of honor---Janette. Nancy would never be able to
achieve that effortless Parisian chic that Janette carried off so
well, but right now she was happy that everything was clean and the
right size.

At her feet, Carrie Ann wagged her tail in approval. The
cinnamon-colored dachshund was also dressed for the party, sporting
her most festive, rhinestone-studded collar.

"Now, remember, don't beg," Nancy pointed a reproving finger at the
dog. "There will be lots of food and none of it is yours. You've had
your dinner."

Carrie Ann delicately put a paw on Nancy's ankle and looked up
winsomely.

Nancy sighed. Carrie Ann would no doubt finagle all sorts of goodies
from the party guests tonight. No one could resist that look.

"Okay, but just ask for veggies, okay?" she said. "There will be a
veggie platter, I'm sure."

"Are you talking to the dog again?" Kathy's voice floated through the
door. "People are beginning to talk."

"Sometimes she's the only one here who makes sense," Nancy said
darkly.

"What, you mean the talk about the mysterious stone out in the
wilderness?"

"Yeah, can you see Julia, for instance, roughing it out in the cold
and damp? She just doesn't strike me as of the camping persuasion. I
know you've camped, and I've actually slept in a tent in the middle of
the winter---two feet of snow and no bathrooms---but the rest of the
UF?" She shook her head. "I just don't see it."

"And do we want to find Nick a cure?" Kathy mused. "Wouldn't that
upset the UF dynamic? It's a subject that needs some deep discussion."

"You look great, incidentally," Nancy commented. "That silver lame'
top is positively elegant. We are definitely up to standard tonight.
And yes, this needs serious discussion, preferably over some wine or
beer."

"Ready to go downstairs, then?" Kathy asked, picking up her sparkly
clutch purse. "I hear a Heineken calling my name."

"Yup, let's go mingle." Attaching Carrie Ann's leash to her collar,
Nancy followed Kathy down the hall towards the grand staircase and the
sounds of festivity coming from below.

A half hour later found the pair chatting amiably with the other party
attendees, clutching their drinks of choice---beer for Kathy,
Australian shiraz for Nancy---and keeping an eye out for Nick and
Lacroix. The UF duo hadn't yet made an appearance, but they had both
promised to attend.

Janette had drifted past a few minutes earlier, the merest hint of
some expensive perfume in her wake. She had smiled coolly at the pair
of Uffers, stooped to pat Carrie Ann, murmured, "charming," and then
drifted away.

"Well, I guess the dog made an impression," Nancy said. "Here ya go,
you party animal, have a carrot stick." She made a circular gesture
with the carrot stick, and Carrie Ann obligingly rolled over----her
one and only party trick. She was rewarded with her low calorie treat.

Kathy nudged Nancy in the ribs. "Hey, isn't that Nick over there?" she
said. She pointed at a scrum of Knighties on the other side of the
room.

"I dunno, can't tell," Nancy answered, craning her neck to try to see
over the crowd. "Blast being so short! Let's go over and see..." she
broke off the sentence and looked down at the limp leash in her hand.
"Oh, no! Carrie's slipped her collar!"

Thoughts of chatting with Nick forgotten, Nancy and Kathy immediately
started searching for the short-legged, determined fugitive. Knowing
her dog's primary motivations, Nancy headed towards the hors d'eauvres
table, stooped over so as to better look among the sea of legs.
Unfortunately, the dim light and the beautiful parquet floor were
perfect for camouflaging a cinnamon-colored dachshund. Kathy decided
to stake out the door to the outside, just in case Carrie Ann decided
to explore the gardens.

Ten minutes later Nancy was no closer to finding the
independent-minded dog. She was on the verge of standing on a chair
and making a general plea to the party when she heard the mellifluous
voice of the NightCrawler, not from a radio speaker but in person, and
directly behind her back.

"What is the meaning of this?" he intoned.

Nancy whirled, immediately full of guilt even though she had nothing
to be guilty about except putting a loose collar on her dog, but
Lacroix was not addressing her; rather, he seemed to be talking to the
floor.

To Nancy's horror, she saw her dachshund standing at Lacroix's feet,
one front paw placed delicately on the vampire's silk sock-clad ankle,
and looking up at him with the same winsome look she had favored her
owner with not an hour before.

Lacroix stooped down and, grasping the dachshund behind the elbows,
hoisted her up to eye level, her long body hanging down like a
sausage. He stared directly into her dark brown eyes with a frown. "I
have see you before, have I not? I seem to recall you presumed upon me
in the same way during the last war."

Carrie Ann's tail wagged in agreement. She stared directly into the
vampire's icy blue eyes, and then deliberately, slowly, reached
forward with her long muzzle and licked him on the nose, just one,
delicate slurp. Her tail wagged again.

"Aughgh!" Nancy darted forward and put her hands around the
dachshund's midsection. "I"msorryI'msorryI'msorry," she babbled as she
tried to retrieve Carrie Ann. The vampire and the mortal both held on
to the dog, who didn't seem at all concerned that she was the middle
portion of a wiener dog sandwich.

Lacroix's and Nancy's eyes met over the top of Carrie Ann's head.
"This is yours?" he inquired.

"Yes, I'm sorry, she got away from me, the collar wasn't tight enough,
she was just looking for a carrot or something, I'm sorry," Nancy
continued to babble while attempting to gently wrest the dog away from
Lacroix.

"I see." He loosened his grip and Nancy thankfully slung Carrie Ann
over her shoulder, one arm securely around her middle. Carrie Ann
leaned backward, craning her head around to watch Lacroix. He tail was
still wagging. "She seems to---like me."

"She has good taste," Nancy said diplomatically, backing away slowly.
"Um, thanks for capturing her. It won't happen again."

The Eyebrow was raised---Nancy almost felt honored to be subjected to
its power. "There was no harm done," Lacroix said regally. "She is a
most discerning canine."

With that he moved smoothly away through the crowd, which parted
magically for his passing.

Nancy sighed in relief. She put Carrie Ann on the ground, securing her
between her ankles as she put the collar back on, this time one hole
tighter than before. "You like to live dangerously, don't you?" she
said, straightening up.

Just then Kathy came up to her. "So you found her, huh? Did she get
into any trouble?"

"No," Nancy answered. "She just did a little---socializing. She's quite
the party animal."

Kathy groaned. "Let's get another drink," she said.

"The more the better," Nancy agreed. "And this time, I'm getting a 
bigger glass."

The End