Blood Dolls

He's not going to be happy.

Don't worry about that, I can handle Mr. Travis.

There are just a few things you need to be aware of.

What are they?

Well, you know how billionaire geniuses

tend to be eccentric.

Not from personal experience, but I'll use

it as an operating principle.

Well, if there happens to be a dwarf or a clown in there,

don't be alarmed.

Dwarf or clown.

Okay.

And don't be surprised if there are some girls

playing music in a cage.

They're his private rock band.

They're pretty talented, actually.

So why are they in a cage?

Oh, and don't be surprised at the mask.

The mask?

Yes, Mr. Travis always wears a mask.

Why?

Well, if you feel inclined, you can ask him.

Is that you Cindy darling?

Yes, Mr. Travis.

Ms. Agami, Mr. Loftus, please come in.

Thank you.

Nice to see you again Ms. Agami.

Nice to see you, Mr. Mascaro.

I'm sorry, I didn't see you there.

Don't!

I'm not a dog you know.

Yeah, sorry.

How're you doin' girls?

Hey girls.

How're you doin'?

Hi Ms. Agami.

Don't fuck with me you bitch.

How you doin' Razor Baby, Cotton Baby, Black Baby?

Shirley.

Good morning Ms. Agami.

I do believe Mr. Travis has a little surprise for you.

Oh Shirley, I don't think Mr. Travis can

surprise me anymore.

I betcha he can.

Please, don't let me interrupt you crazy kids.

When do they start biting the heads off chickens?

You think they don't?

Cindy my dear, come on over here and bring

your charming young friend.

This way please.

It's good to see you again, Mr. Travis.

I detect a note of irony in your voice,

Cindy dear.

Howard isn't it?

Don't worry, I won't ask you to shake.

Please.

These are my new, oh one moment please.

Hylas, my boy.

Some music.

Selection number three, I think.

Number three!

Play, play!

As I was saying, these are

my latest acquisitions.

Some dolls.

Have a look.

My, how racist.

It's surprising how even rudeness

can be pleasant coming from an attractive woman.

I am of course racist, but an equal opportunity one.

It's charming.

It's strange but they look very familiar.

Do they?

Well enough of this.

Etiquette requires some polite conversation before

getting down to business.

Said obligation has, I think, been discharged.

I must now inform you that I am extremely displeased.

I do not like reading about myself in the papers,

especially when my name is coupled with

the phrase billion dollar loss.

If you wanna blame someone, blame the judge,

blame the federal prosecutor.

I make no excuses.

I accept none.

As for the judge and the prosecutor have no worries.

As a good business man, I always balance my books, always.

Mr. Travis sir, I can understand how upset--

Really?

And how could you understand?

Have you ever lost a billion dollars to the ineptitude

of a pair of overpriced shysters?

Please don't answer, it's a rhetorical question.

That's not at all fair.

Indeed.

Well, no one ever claimed that life was fair.

And certainly no one ever claimed that I was.

What the hell?

Mr. Travis, what do you think you're doing?

Your failure compels me to take direct action

to remedy this dire situation.

You leave me no choice.

This is crazy.

Let us out of these things.

Three competitors are responsible

for this situation.

Don't know that.

No, you don't know it, I do.

Mercy Shaw, George Warbeck,

and most importantly, Harrison Yulin.

Through their devious and underhanded imaginations

they have orchestrated this financial catastrophe,

this veritable holocaust of corporate destruction.

Bringing me to the verge of financial ruin.

I relied upon you to stop them.

You have failed.

Now one of you is going to assist me.

Mr. Travis, you're not asking us to do anything illegal.

Well actually, I only need one of you.

Now which one of these chairs had that little extra

built in?

Well I just can't quite remember.

Let's find out.

No!

No, no, no!

No!

Volume up please Hylas.

Volume up.

Well, I don't suppose there's any more

need for secrets between us.

Close your mouth, Cindy dear, it's rude.

I've never spoken to you about my mother, Eugenia,

have I?

She's a remarkable woman.

All together ahead of her time in so many different ways,

including genetic engineering.

You see, she made me.

I'm perhaps her most perfect creation.

Although not as you can see altogether perfect.

What do you want?

What do I want?

A very good question, Cindy my dear.

I've searched high and low for answers to that question,

but I have yet to find any that speak

to my peculiar circumstances.

I have thus been forced to make my own way.

Your incompetence has put all of this in jeopardy.

Now I must insist that you make it right.

But I think it's time to end this pleasant conversation

and proceed with the matter of your assistance.

Mr. Mascaro?

If you please.

No.

I take it you're familiar with the iron maiden?

This is crazy.

This is crazy!

Well, this is rather different, though it does

share some qualities in common, but it's designed

not to transfix victims so much as to compress them.

I can only judge from the reactions of the previous

occupants that it is a rather painful process.

Oh, by the way, you mentioned the federal prosecutor,

Mr. Averill, and the judge, the honorable negro

Arthur Morton.

They'd be able to describe the process to you,

if they could still speak.

You could ask them.

Mr. Mascaro, let's begin the sequence.

No, no, no!

Hylas, selection number seven please.

No!

Play!

Play number seven you bitches!