"Always leave em wanting more," Nikira quoted, tipping back a glass of cheap Sake. She was sitting in New Kansas with Tamrin, Lee, and Drew. Alita had opted out almost as soon as they had finished their set, saying she had a case to work on. Raisa had work later that evening, and needed to get ready. Which left Nikira with the Guys.

"You certainly did that," Lee said with a grin, "For a second there, I thought they really were gonna riot."

"Oh, come on," Tamrin interjected, "They might have called us back for an encore, but a Riot? I mean, they liked us!"

"They liked us, and then we left," Lee returned, "It's been known to happen."

"They weren't gonna riot," Nikira stated softly, "I left them on a soft, sad note. Not exactly inspired emotions for a Riot." She grinned slightly, taking another swig.

"That's another thing," Lee stated, "I want to know where you learned to do that! I've never seen someone work an audience like that before. I want to work an audience like that."

"Like I said," Nikira replied, nursing her forth cup of Sake, "You gotta give the leche's what they want. But it's way more than a flashy outfit; it's the attitude. You've gotta make them love you-- beg for you! Dominate them completely, and then caress them with a kit glove. It's all about the Presence. I don't know how else to explain it."

"How did you learn it?" Tamrin asked.

"I learned to sing- and to play guitar- from a brilliant woman," Nikira stated with a soft smile, "She taught me more by example than anything else. If I wanted to get noticed on the stage next to her, I had to develop my own powerful Presence."

"Where's she now?" Lee asked, his voice equally soft.

"Dead," Nikira sighed, "It seems like everyone I care for is gone now. Yet another reason for me to wander; there's no one left that I care enough for. Well, not out there anyway. I've got new friends now." She flashed a grin at those assembled.

"Well," Lee said, standing, "Your new friends need their sleep. See ya at practice tomorrow, eh?" She nodded in reply, watching as he and Drew walked out of the bar. Then, smiling slightly, Nikira turned back to Tamrin.

"So," Nikira inquired, "What could possibly keep you from that nice fluffy bed back at the apartment?"

Tamrin smiled slightly. "What, you think I'm gonna let a beautiful lady such as yourself walk home alone after dark? What kind of gentleman would that make me, eh?"

"A smart one," Nikira stated, throwing back the remnants of her fourth Sake and pouring herself a fifth. "I just hope you can take your liqueur, boy."

"You call that liqueur?" Tamrin asked, nodding to her bottle of rice wine.

"Course not," Nikira stated, a sinister grin on her face. Smiling profusely, she waved Shumira over to their table. "Konban wa, Shumira-chan! Ni vodka no oobin, kudasai. Arigatou!"

"Settai!" Shumira replied, heading off to get the order. Tamrin raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly. "What exactly did you just order? I thought I heard the word 'vodka' in there somewhere."

"Two bottles full," Nikira stated, "One for you, one for me. You did say you could take your liqueur, ne?"

"An entire bottle--?" Tamrin choked, "How do you expect us to get home?"

"I expect to carry you," Nikira stated, "slung over one shoulder, you having passed out under the table at least half a bottle before me. You got anything different to say?"

"Yeah," Tamrin stated, his jaw setting, "I'll bet you the cost of tonight's tab that you go under the table before me."

"Oh my," Nikira returned, grinning, "He don't know me werry well, do he? You're on, bright boy. I just hope you remember saying that tomorrow morning."

"We'll see who winds up plastered!" Tamrin proclaimed, eyes glinting.

***

Three hours later, Nikira opened the door to the apartment. Over her left shoulder was the limp body of Tamrin, a bit of drool dragging on the ground behind them. Nikira picked her way carefully through the commons and up to his room. There, after opening the door and maneuvering past the disassembled drum kit, she deposited him on his bed.

"Poor idiot..." she muttered, half shaking her head. Carefully, she closed his door. Then, a slightly evil grin flicking onto her face, Nikira picked up the pen from his dry-erase message board and wrote a short message onto it. She read it aloud as she wrote.

"Rule three: never challenge a Russian to a drinking contest." Satisfied, she returned the pen to its holder and headed into her own room.

***

"So," Raisa inquired of Nikira, "What are rules One and Two?" The pair of them, as well as Avid, were scavenging the kitchen for a bunch type meal. Lee was still on the couch, asleep, and Tamrin was where Nikira'd left him. Drew was gone, having gotten up two hours before the rest of them.

"Rule One:" Nikira quoted, "Never get involved in a land war in Asia. Rule Two: Never challenge a Sicilian when death is on the line."

"Isn't that from a vid?" Raisa asked.

"The Princess Bride," Nikira sited, smiling slightly, "Rule Three is my own addition." Nikira paused slightly, pondering over a glass of yellow liquid that claimed to be orange juice. "That's funny. I didn't think you Scrapyarders had the kind of access to Vids that we did out at the farms. I mean, archeological digs are much more common out in the wastelands."

"I spent my fair share of time in the Wastelands," Raisa replied. And on Tiphares, where the ancient classics are just short of required learning.

"Oh yeah!" Nikira chirped, "You'd said you'd been to Farm 14 before! I nearly forgot."

"Anyway," Raisa went on, "I'm meeting Alita later today for the Solstice Fair. Lots of great shopping opportunities await. You two want to come along?"

"Can't," Avid said apologetically, "If I don't get this stuff done, I can kiss my job goodbye. I'm gonna have to take another Rain-Check. And on the performance tonight too."

"I'll go!" Nikira bubbled, "I've always enjoyed fairs."

"Good oh," Raisa said, nodding as she returned her attention to the day-old sandwich she'd dug out of the fridge. "A day of shopping, a stop by Alita's most recent Ramen discovery, and a night of singing in New Kansas. Now that's what I call a full day." Nikira and Raisa exchanged a quick chuckle as Avid went to find some juice.

***

"… And so we're meeting at The Silver Thread at, say, four-ish?" Alita prompted. She, Raisa, and Nikira stood at the outskirts of the massive street fair that had engulfed the normal shopping lanes of the Scrapyard, and spilled out into the residential sections. An annual celebration, it was dwarfed in importance only by the celebration of the Winter Solstice, also known as Christmas. And, while Christmas was a celebration of family and gift giving, this was a celebration of shopping, wild parties, and general debauchery. Or something like that...

"Sure thing!" Nikira agreed, "Now, if you ladies will excuse me..." A strange glint struck Nikira's eye as she slipped into a sprinter's squat. "DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR!!!" she yelled suddenly, charging into the market, wallet in hand. "BANZAI!!!"

"Oh yeah," Raisa scoffed, "that was original."

"How can she be so perky after a night out drinking with Tamrin?" Alita wondered aloud. She shook her head, smiling.

"Come on, Lita," Raisa said, shaking her head in turn, "Lets not let yon we lassy out do us, eh?" Alita nodded in agreement, then rubbed her neck slightly.

"Banzai!!" Raisa and Alita called, charging after Nikira.

***

Nikira dug her way through the assorted shirts, jackets, and accessories at her chosen booth. The clerk was a teenaged girl with bright orange and purple hair, styled in a Mohawk-- the place HAD to have something she'd like.

Nikira paused for a moment, marveling at her own mental wit. Grinning, she plucked a black hat from the rack to her left and donned the western-brimmed number. It fit well, but wasn't quite her style. Removing it, Nikira flipped it over and checked the tags. Then, with a sigh, she replaced the article on its rack.

"Must be getting old," Nikira murmured to herself, "I missed a perfectly good opportunity for a Fiona joke." With a sigh, Nikira turned her attention to the Leather selection. The Biker jacket, top, and pants combo, collectively refereed to as 'Biker Leathers', was very nice, but a tad out of her price range. She could afford the jacket, but it would tap her until Hot Oil's next gig, assuming they had another gig. Lee had seemed positive about the idea, but Drew and Alita seemed resistant to being in a band. Ah well, what would be would be.

Biting her lower lip absently, Nikira replaced the beautiful jacket and moved to the jewelry rack. Some of the stuff was rather chintzy; cheap nick-knacks made by some Factory Worker in his or her spare time. The rest of the items, however-- they were vintage. No doubt dug up by some excavation team and fenced to the locals. To think, some valley girl from before the war could be a minor treasure trove for a current archeologist. It was actually rather amusing.

"Nice," Nikira murmured, examining a necklace that consisted of a little knife with a tiny dragon curled around it. The dragon's eyes were made from red rhinestones… a very nice piece. The chain it hung from was polished silver, also good quality. But, again, it would tap her purse for the day. These bits of buried treasure didn't come cheap, unlike the comparative cheapness of black-dyed cow skin. "Not today," Nikira started to say. Then… she blinked. For a moment she stopped breathing.

At the far end of the display, dangling from a delicate silver chain, was a necklace that Nikira hadn't ever expected to see again. Pushing past another customer, Nikira nabbed the necklace from the display, flipping over the black stone charm at the end of the pendant. Carefully, she wiped away the dirt, examining the stone's back surface with exceeding care. Indeed... it appeared that a word was carved there.

How? It must have been before the White room. The Factory must've sold it. Oh, you're gonna hear about this one boy…!

"I'll take this," Nikira stated, turning to the cashier.

***

Several hours later, Nikira waited next to The Silver Thread, a rather unassuming spot; just one more storefront indiscriminant from its neighbors save for a small neon effigy of a steaming bowl of noodles in the front window. It was one of Alita's preferred Ramen shops, and she'd been on about showing it to Nikira. So, here she was, waiting for her friends to show up. After all, without cash, she wasn't about to order much on her own.

Raisa, meanwhile, had spotted her prey lounging next to the entrance to the cafe. Slowly, carefully, Raisa crept up behind the blonde. Reaching slowly out, Raisa made to slap Nikira on the back as she cried "WAAA!!"

Unfortunately, Nikira stepped to the side at that very moment, turning Raisa's roar into a shriek. The redhead hit the ground face first. After an embarrassed second, which wasn't helped by Nikira's laughter, Raisa pulled herself up.

"Oh very funny," Raisa growled, "But you'll be laughing on the other side of your Wallet when you see what I found at the market today."

"Oh," Nikira jibbed, "I will, will I?"

Intent on proving her point, Raisa pulled herself close enough to Nikira to whisper in her ear. "You must be joking," Nikira returned, jerking around to face Raisa again. Nikira's spiky blonde tresses flared out, spinning around her face as she spun.

"No lie, Nika," Raisa implored, "I really did find one!" The redhead ran one hand through her closely cropped hair, glaring at her companion disgustedly for her skepticism.

"All right, then," Nikira stated, crossing her arms, "Show me!"

The redhead's green eyes narrowed. "We wait for Alita, got it?"

"Aw, Rai, you're no fun!" Nikira cried, accusatorily, "Why are you being so stubborn? Why won't you let me see what you found?"

"Didja ever think maybe I enjoy listening to you whine, Nika... now, stop acting like a little kid! I said, we're gonna wait for Alita!"

"Wait no longer, kiddies," Alita called, trotting up to join the pair, Kimji riding on her jacket shoulder. "Shall we?" she inquired, gesturing towards the door. Nikira and Raisa nodded in unison, falling in behind Alita.

***

The excitement was building as they shucked their jackets and gave their server their order: three hot teas, one of which was to be a Black Mint, and three bowls of Triple Surprise ramen. As his perch on Alita's shoulder became unstable, Kimji took flight, soon settling on a lose nail in the side of the building. She didn't worry like she once did about the flighty ball of fuzz getting lost. If it ever did manage to blow away, however, Alita knew that most likely she'd find him at Ido's, playing with Shumira.

Their waiter had just started away from their table when Nikira started in...

"Well, Rai, we're here now! Would you please show Alita and I just what it is you've been so secretive about?" Her wild blonde hair slid down around her grey eyes, which flashed with unspoken anticipation. Raisa reached around behind her to open her satchel, adjusting her windbreaker as she did so. Her facial expression changed from concentration to satisfaction as she drew her clenched fist forth from the satchel's mouth.

Smiling, she placed her prize on the table. It was something long and narrow, and was covered with a red silk kerchief. "Oh, get on with it, will you?" Alita demanded.

Jeez, Raisa, you carry on like you've found the Holy Grail!

Raisa became contentment personified as she withdrew the kerchief, exposing the object beneath. Nikira blinked, gazing at the beautiful wind instrument before her. Alita, too, was duly impressed. About thirty-five centimeter long, its hand-wrought features were highlighted by the bright sun though the window next to which they sat.

Gaelic flute, mid-nineteenth century. Wonder what dead collector the fence dug up with that one? Good find.

The gauntlet thrown, Raisa turned her narrowed green eyes to Alita, smiling too much like that disappearing cat she'd read about in an ancient children's tale. "Well, 'Lita, what did you find today?"

Calmly, Alita reached into her satchel and likewise placed her hands on the table. With similar flair, she kept the suspense high for several long seconds. "Oh, nothin' much... just this little gem, that's all." With a bit more flare than necessary, Alita removed her hand. The surpriser and the surprised reversed roles as the little gilded object lay there, gleaming in the sunlight. Raisa's jaw fell open as she realized, her own splendid flute notwithstanding, that this was a one-of-a-kind work of art... a hand-made harmonica left over from an age where jazz and blues dominated the contemporary music scene.

Nineteen forties, maybe fifties, Nikira thought to herself, must've been a rush on ancient instruments recently. Maybe some lucky archeologist found a museum?

"Guess lunch is on you today, eh, Raisa?"

Their server returned with their tea and ramen as Raisa gawked for several moments at the golden harmonica on the table. "Where did you-- I mean, how could you have possibly-- oh, hell, WHERE DID YOU FIND THIS ?!?!" Raisa finally stammered.

"From Merlo, that's where," Alita replied. Glowering at her, Raisa refuted, "But, there's no way he'd ever part with something like this!" Her secret out, Alita chuckled softly. Raisa and Nikira exchanged a glance, then once again turned to stare quizzically at Alita.

"No. You didn't..." Raisa implored. Arms folded, Alita said nothing; the corners of her mouth simply turned upward into a mischievous grin. "You did, didncha?" Raisa stammered. Alita nodded. "You mean to tell me you actually arm-wrestled him to get this?" Raisa demanded, eyes wide with amazement.

Heh. "Don't know my own strength, I guess" Alita replied, in all her nonchalance.

Raisa pounded her fists down on the table as she stood, causing the bowls and cups to jump. Wagging a finger at Alita like a mother scolding a child, she howled, "Fer cryin' out loud, Alita, you know the rules; just 'cause you'cn go ahead and strong-arm people into giving you what you want--"

"Now, hold on one minute, Raisa," Alita retorted, now glaring back at her accuser, "I beat Merlo fair and square. No tricks, no gimmicks, just a precise application of pure, unadulterated ch…?"

Alita stopped in mid-sentence as she noticed Raisa's mouth drop open again. She followed the gaze to Nikira's hand, which held a precisely forged chain necklace. At the end of the silver pendant was a sharp black stone that caught the sun like a fine blade. One side seemed almost translucent. Though by far the simplest of their finds, it stood out as the most odd.

"What is that?" Alita asked, indicating the stone.

"Obsidian," Nikira replied, "Volcanic glass." She brushed a piece of the chain from the rock's surface, touching it like one would a delicate flower petal.

"Isn't obsidian... worthless?" Raisa ventured, "I mean, if that's real silver, then they could have found something more valuable, right?"

"It was crafted to show off the stone," Nikira explained, "I saw it and… it was just so pretty. It-- it reminds me of a necklace I once owned."

"I think it's beautiful," Alita said. Such a simple object deserved a simple description.

"Yeah, yeah, fine. So, who's going to pay for the--" Raisa began.

She was cut off by the sound of a cafe table splintering as a security drone crashed through it headfirst. Grabbing Nikira and throwing her roughly to the concrete floor, Alita's reaction to the incoming attack came a mere split-second too late. She turned just in time to catch a rocket-assisted grapple midriff, blowing her completely off her feet. Stunned by the initial blow, Alita was helpless to resist as the grapple slammed her into the cafe's concrete wall, pinning her solidly.

Shaking her head to stop the spinning stars, Alita heard a low chuckle. Turning her head as best as the restraint would let her, her blurred vision could just barely make out its source.

"Now dat de odds ees mare even...ye and I hafta sett'l da scoah, ya blond bimbo!" the face said, although Alita couldn't immediately place the voice.

The massive cyborg stood there leering at Nikira, who sat dazed on the patio. His eyes blazed with a pent fury. "Five days ago, ya left me baby brutha crippled, beetch!" he screamed, spittle flying from his mouth, "Yer hands ah drippin' wit 'is blood!"

"That bastard was trying to rape me!" Nikira shouted back, sliding into a crouch.

Suddenly, it hit Alita. The rapist who had gotten away must have been Sethrey, younger brother of Malachi. Malachi himself was a gang leader, and had been caught in a conflict of interest while he served as a Hunter Warrior. While he'd managed to talk himself out of being executed outright for helping several of his gang members hide from the other Hunter Warriors, the Factory had expelled him permanently. His family had controlled the Wehrmacht gang for several generations, and was known for their loyalty to one another…

Oh, shit.

"Duzn't matta. We canna let dis sicheeashun go unrectified," Malachi continued, "End jest ta makka shue yer pal heah duzn't gets eny bright ideahs-- " Nikira watched as Malachi nodded to the man holding the chain-grapple, a device that just barely escaped the ban on projectile weapons by being attached to its own launcher. The second man pressed a button on the launcher's side.

The fuzziness in Alita's head vanished in a flood of pain as the retainer field hit her like a tsunami. The pain seemed to come from every axon of every neuron in her body as the field penetrated deeper and deeper, threatening at any moment to rob her of consciousness. Her struggle to fight the effects of the field seeming only made them worse. An unbidden scream issued forth from her throat.

Blinking in shock, Nikira glanced over at Raisa, just in time to see the redhead's eyes flash red. Slipping from her fighting crouch, Nikira unclenched her right fist, revealing her silver necklace. As Malachi stepped forward, Nikira opened the clasp and put the pendant on.

Raisa grabbed the leather-wrapped pommel at her waist, stepping between Malachi and Nikira. With a crack, she brought the whip free, the tail hissing as it cut the air. Its tip brushed the ground, carving a small trench before leaping back to Raisa's grip. She stood ready, glaring at Malachi, eyes glittering.

Malachi hesitated for a moment, then began walking towards Raisa. He began to laugh as he approached her slowly. "Oh me stahs and gahtahs! Ya gonna whippa me good, beetch? Jest supposin' I likes it. Whatcha gonna do then, huh?"

Raisa showed him. Flicking her wrist, the whip flew at supersonic speed, causing a loud crack to resonate off the walls of the buildings lining the street. Malachi's bravado dissolved into shock as his right arm fell clean off, landing with a loud thump on the street café's floor.

Malachi lunged again, his remaining arm reaching for Raisa's throat. She jumped left, barely avoiding his ham-sized fist, and brought her whip up again with a loud snap. Raisa hissed in a tone that made Nikira's hair stand on end.

"Game over. You lose!"

Faster than any one could see clearly, the silver streak caught Malachi in the neck, severing arteries, nerves, and his spine. Blood spurted in all directions as his torso simply collapsed in on itself, causing Malachi to crumple to a bloody heap on the floor. Raisa snapped around, facing the other thugs as Malachi's head rolled towards her. Stopping it with her boot, she leaned upon it as she spoke.

"Who else feels lucky?" Raisa said with all the nonchalance she could project.

"You killed Malachi!" one of the thugs bellowed, "You're DEAD, bitch!" Each of the gang's ten members produced a formidable assortment of cutlery and charged at Raisa. She curtsied, jumped off the patio and sprinted across the street. The thugs followed, bound and determined to avenge their leader, screaming obscenities as they followed. When she was far enough away to be sure she wouldn't hit anyone else, Raisa turned to face them.

"Bai bai," she called, snapping the pommel in mid air. A few of them had a chance to cry out before collapsing in a bloody heap, but others just fell, shredded by the tiny pieces of shrapnel launched at super-sonic speed from the end of the whip.

Nikira took a moment to ponder the physical impossibility of the weapon for a moment as Raisa sauntered her way back to the cafe, trying not to get any blood on her boots. Alita cast an admiring glance at Raisa as she placed a ¢1000 chip into the proprietor's hand, saying "Sorry about the mess."

"George Lucas..." Nikira coughed, standing.

As Raisa helped Alita break free of the de-energized grapple, Raisa winked and ribbed her good-naturedly. "It was my turn to buy anyway, right?"

"Smart ass," Alita chuckled, loud enough for Raisa to hear. Alita had known her long enough to appreciate her rather dry wit, and Raisa knew a compliment when she heard one. Her legs still slightly unsteady from the effects of the impact and retaining field, Raisa flashed Alita a smile as she and Nikira helped their friend to the gate.

From its perch on the nail, Kimji took flight. The fuzzy creature flew over to Alita and landed atop her head as the three of them made their way into the street.

***

"The subject's tactical performance rating is much lower than expected," the voice said into his earphone.

"So I've seen," the controller replied dejectedly.

"However, it appears we just might have stumbled onto a second subject even more capable than the first."

Best news I've had all night.

"Continue your investigation. Keep me apprised of any change in the status of either subject. Original subject shall forthwith be referred to as Subject Alpha, and the other, Subject Beta." He paused a moment, then closed the comm channel before his operative could reply. There was something bothering him, something that just seemed wrong for a reason he just couldn't readily define. Looking grim, he stood up from his station and removed his headset.

Absurd! That renegade was said to have died in the Outlands over a year ago.

But, come to think of it, a body was never recovered.

The controller hoped his hunch was wrong.

***

"So," Nikira inquired of the others, "What are we gonna dazzle em with tonight?" Once again, Alita and Raisa were embroiled in setting up the sound equipment. Tamrin was working on his kit, while Drew helped Barkeep with the electrical connections. Lee, of course, was tuning his instrument.

"We did most of the Dubstar music last week," Lee noted, "Not to mention the Might Purple selections and that one by BoA you like. Which leaves us down to that stuff by Def Leppard."

"And," Nikira corrected, "Those X songs I dug up for you."

"We haven't translated them yet," Lee pointed out.

"Ah, who needs translations?" Nikira inquired, "If it rocks, it doesn't matter what language it's in."

"Still," Lee replied, "We need a hook. Something to grab their attention and keep em focused. Then, maybe, we can try your idea. I just hope you don't stumble over the words." Lee paused, then laughed. "Hell, knowing you, you're probably fluent in the language."

"Nani?" Nikira inquired smugly, "Gomen, ne…"

"Show off," Lee said, shaking his head, "Anyway, what are we gonna open with?"

"A peppy version of 'The Drinking Song' might be nice," Tamrin suggested, "Lee, Drew, and I could handle most of the vocals on that one."

"Fine by me," Nikira stated, smiling, "I've got plenty to sing already. Just one thing--" With a sly grin, Nikira headed to the back of the stage and motioned for Tamrin to stand. "If you're gonna sing tenor to Lee's lead, you need to be up there with him. Don't argue; I'll handle your drums for you. You just leave everything to little Ol Nika!"

"Why do I feel a sudden imposing sense of doom?" Tamrin inquired, laughing as he relinquished his kit to the blonde. The time moved quickly on by as the mixing board, speakers, and microphone checks all fell into place. Soon, 'Hot Oil' was tuned up and ready to go.

"And now, for the second week running... Hot Oil!" Barkeep announced. Thus introduced, Lee headed up to the main microphone, Tamrin at his side. Without warning, Lee began, strumming his first notes as he began, his voice alone.

Suddenly, Tamrin's voice blended with Lee's, but an octave higher.

Drew waited for the refrain before joining in. Behind, Raisa and Alita 'ooooo'ed and hummed under the notes, softly adding their own colors. Nikira kept her mouth shut, merely applying a soft drum accompaniment, matching Drew's bass.

Suddenly, Nikira's drums came to life, beating a loud 'One Two Three' beat into a sudden flourish.

Lee suddenly cut out, as did the others. Nikira's voice floated from the back, picking up the next two lines. By unspoken agreement, they were hers and hers alone.

Nikira fell silent once more as Lee and Tamrin returned to their microphone.

Suddenly, everyone fell silent but Lee and Tamrin. Alone, with only Lee's guitar, they launched into the final verse.

Humming, Alita and Raisa returned to the mix, Drew filling in the bottom for an impressive five way chord. Nikira sat back, smiling as her friends finished out the song.

Applause erupted as Lee and Tamrin took a quick bow. Tamrin flashed a grin, then headed back to meet Nikira at his kit. "Nice job," he complimented her, helping her up.

"No problem," she assured him, rehefting the vintage guitar, "It wasn't the most challenging part; just a little background beat."

"You don't give yourself enough credit," He told her with a grin, "Anyway, you'd better get up there. That crowd wants to hear you, not me."

"Not after that last song, they don't," Nikira told him, grinning, "But, I suppose they'll have to settle for little ol me." She flashed Tamrin a final grin, then trotted back up to the microphone. "Okay everyone," she called to the audience, "this is a little number I call 'Rose of Pain...'"