CH 9: HENRY MERCI THROWS HIS VOICE | OH HENRY! CRAB LOUIE V

Mayor George Miller gave Henry Merci one more chance and Henry was in the process of blowing it big time.

Ordinarily Henry was a people pleaser but something snapped when he turned around and saw the couple to whom Mayor Miller told him to give the royal treatment. Henry's heart sank. Julia Miller was standing next to Verge Fountainbleute while he pinned a festive corsage to her sweater.

"This is my daughter! Don't mess this up!" Mayor Miller grabbed the front of Henry's shirt, pulled him closer and growled in his ear. "Do you hear me?"

Henry nodded yes.  Mayor Miller released him and shoved him towards the gondola. 

Henry couldn't help himself.  He wanted to be a good gondolier, but how could he, under these circumstances? How could he just stand there and watch the debonair Verge Fountainbleute sweet talk the love of his life?

With a heavy heart, Henry steered the gondola out into the harbor.  

Before Henry Merci's parents had so mysteriously vanished, they ran a booth near the arcade where they put on puppet shows on weekends, holidays and special occasions like birthday and anniversary parties.  Over the years Henry had become an accomplished ventriloquist as well as an excellent mime, just like his parents.  Without premeditation he called upon these strong skills in this the hour of his despair.

Verge was suave.  He was nonchalant.  His mother told him to woo Julia and he never considered the possibility of disappointing her.

"Julia, you look..." Verge planned to say 'amazing' but, "...like a scrawny stalk of slimy, rotten asparagus..." seemed to come out of his mouth.

Henry threw the awful words and made them seem to come out of Verge's mouth.

When Julia looked back at Henry, she was even more shocked because he mimed with great haste that his heart was bursting with love for her.  When Verge saw Julia's eyes bug out, he turned to see what Henry was doing but saw Henry was suddenly as expressionless as a guard at Buckingham Palace.

"Verge..." Julia started to speak.  Once again, Henry threw his voice, imitating her voice so perfectly that it was frightening.

"I think we should return to shore as soon as possible so I may see about becoming pregnant by the gondolier," Julia seemed to be saying.

It was by far the worst date Verge had ever been on and in spite of his mother's aspirations,  he did not want to see Julia Miller ever again.

~ TO BE CONTINUED ~