Tourist Trap

Chapter 15

They arrived at the Cloud Factory about twenty minutes later. A big bright sign read "Le Cloud Factory." The "Le" was evidently supposed to add a touch of class to the joint.  

Sarah paid Max's cover charge, but was waved in herself. Apparently ladies were given free admission. The bouncer had made a none-too-subtle remark about Sarah's qualifications to become a dancer, but he had shut up quickly when she shot him a look of pure death. Bobby locked up the rickshaws and he and Timmy paid their own way in. 

The club itself was small and somewhat dingy. There were three platforms spread out across the room, each one sporting female creatures in various states of undress writhing around lewdly to the loud arrhythmical music that was being pumped into the room. There were candy-striped poles on each of the platforms as well as some shoddy strobe lights that seemed to work or not at their own whim. The platforms were surrounded by slobbish, largely drunken creatures mostly of the male persuasion, although there were a few females scattered here and there in the audience. A few card tables were set up in the corners of the room and an obnoxious DJ would occasionally interrupt the music and announce a new dancer. 

Timmy was immediately distracted by a cocker spaniel dancing on platform one and trotted off to shove strands of floss into her G-string, which, curiously enough, also appeared to be made of dental floss. 

Max ordered a cigar and a maglar from a cocktail waitress and took a seat at one of the tables in the corner. Bobby took a seat next to him and gazed slack-jawed at platform number three where a female grizzly bear was hanging upside down from the pole. Sarah sat down on the other side of Max sporting a scowl. 

"Too bad Zeke's not here," Max sighed as he took a puff off his cigar. "He would have liked this place." 

"Of course he would have," Sarah muttered. "Men are scum." 

"Would you calm down?" Max asked. "What's the big deal? The female form is a beautiful thing. Besides, it's okay for chicks to look at other chicks. It doesn't make you a dyke or anything." 

"Gee Max, you have such a poetic way of putting things," Sarah said. "Look, under normal circumstances I don't really have a problem with strip clubs. I wouldn't choose to spend my time in one, but I don't really care one way or another that they exist. I just don't see how this is getting us any closer to finding my uncle." 

"Relax," Max said. "Order yourself a drink. Skip said he's been hanging out around here, so he might turn up. We can always ask around in a little bit. In the meantime I'm sizing the place up. That's the first thing any good detective should do when entering a new locale." 

"Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for Bubbles!" the DJ announced as a petite unicorn exited from the center platform to much hooting and hollering from the crowd. "And now, our next girl is a music store clerk by day and a naughty dancer by night, let's give a warm welcome to Tanya!" 

"Wubba hubba hubba," Max blurted in approval as a gorgeous blonde elf-like woman came slinking out onto the stage. 

"It's more like you're sizing up the dancers," Sarah folded her arms across her stomach. She stared at the ground for a moment and then began scanning the crowd. Suddenly she spotted a familiar-looking dog-like creature with singed hair slipping some floss to the girl on stage. "Hey, isn't that Cuthbert?" 

"Who?" Max asked absentmindedly, not wanting to tear his eyes away from the vision of perfection that danced on the stage in front of him. She hoisted her way up to the top of the pole and then reached behind her with her feet, undoing her top with her toes. "Yowza!" Max bit his knuckle. 

"You know our friend Cuthbert," Sarah said. "Remember, we rescued him from the hotel this morning?" 

"Right, right, cupid. Very fascinating stuff," Max said, unable to keep from drooling.