| A TWICE WEEKLY SERIAL OF BIG TOP FOLK BY
SIMON PARKE |
|
EPISODE 16
SUPERIOR SORTS
"You simply shouldn't get into fights, Georgio," says the Great Davido, as he picks his pudge-faced sidekick out of the mud.
"It was some oiks," says Georgio. "They jumped me."
"You no doubt provoked them."
"I just called them oiks."
"Just oiks?"
"I may have used one or two other words as well, but really, that's all they are – damn oiks, who don't know their betters."
"Well I know that, Georgy, and you know that – but we have to be a careful how we put things. We need to be making friends now, not losing them."
"I just feel completely superior to them."
"And you are, Georgy, you are. But these days it is not enough just to be superior."
"It always used to be."
"I know it did, Georgy; but those are the good old days. These days, you have to temper your superiority and pretend you care about them as well."
"Care about them??"
Georgio was a man experiencing utter amazement.
"Care about them, yes."
"Care about the oiks?!"
"Well, fair's fair, Georgy – they're not a completely different race."
"You've changed your tune!"
"Of course I've changed my tune! How else do you think we'll get what want?"
"But what about all our old friends at the Champagne Club? What are they going to say?"
"Well, to be honest, Georgy, we don't worry too much about that. Indeed, a little distance between us and the Champagne Club wouldn't come amiss."
"What – even Torquil 'the Terrible' Elkington-Smythe?"
"Particularly Torquil 'the Terrible' Elkington-Smythe."
"But I'm spending Christmas at his father's castle!"
"So am I."
"Right, I thought you were. And another thing – how do you do care?"
"How do you care??"
"Yes, I mean I know the word, care; but what does it actually mean?"
"Just remember you're a contortionist, Georgio."
"That will help?"
"Yes, it's the same principle in care and contortion – unnatural action which draws applause."
More clowning around |
