Read Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, and Episode 4
When we last saw Clif Hangar, has-been nose model, and Simone Makaronni, has-been elbow model, they were trapped in a corner of Clif’s south-sea decorated great room by a dangerous deadly drooling Komodo dragon.
“A nose has to do what a nose has to do.” Clif had to solve this deplorable dilemma.
Luckily, before his platonic friend Simone arrived, Clif had stuffed a packet of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts in his shirt pocket. Now he drew it out and shook it, calling loudly, “Want a treat?” Want a treat?”
Simone grasped his arm to make him stop. “Don’t urge it to come closer!”
“Simone, trust me. I have a plan.” Wrenching himself free, he shouted more loudly, “Want a treat?”
There was a scribble-scrabble noise in the hall, then suddenly a chihuahua wearing a spiked collar burst into view and shot right over to them, tongue lolling in anticipation.
“But Clif,” said Simone in despair. “Dogs can’t eat chocolate.”
The Komodo dragon growled like a defective vacuum cleaner being turned on and off four times.
Boo-la-Base the chihuahua, previously fixated on the treat, now noticed the giant, ten-foot-long lizard. The diminutive pooch barked so hard his yaps overlapped themselves. The dragon moved its head from side to side as if it couldn’t believe what was happening.
Now barking faster than a M134 Minigun, Boo-la-Base advanced towards what it saw as competition for its well-deserved snack. The dragon retreated, draping a trail of drool onto the conch-shell-patterned carpet as it went. The chihuahua continued its onslaught, expertly bouncing back and forth over the trail of drool.
Clif and Simone yanked the decorative south sea net from the wall and tossed it over the Komodo dragon, rendering the startled creature harmless. Retrieving a bottle of cleaning spray that boasted the ability to kill 99.99 percent of germs, Clif doused the drool. He would have to ignore the .01 percent of surviving germs. It was best not to overthink things.
“Who would do such a thing?” asked Simone. “Who tried to kill you?”
“That’s the 99.99 dollar question.” Clif was overthinking the germ thing after all. “I think I have an idea.”
Does our hero really know who almost killed him and his platonic friend via Komodo Dragon? Will their comebacks as nose model and elbow model ever get back on track? Tune in next week to find out.
Now available: The Climate Machine–A Novel
