Chapter 10 -- Faster!

Zed switched off his mind as he drove the roads told by Marilyn. The fact that he was not on Earth didn't hit him as hard as the slight possibility that they might not find the bar and he will not get his drinks.

Marilyn was an able navigator. She knew the terrain like the contours of a lover's skin. They swerved and skidded through tight corners in the mountains and Zed drove faster and faster to keep up with the pace of the road. It felt to him like the road was egging him to go faster. The needle in the speedometer danced in regions close to red.

"Where the hell is that bar?" he yelled over the sound of the engine as he turned the wheel hard to fight another curve.

"Drive faster!" Marilyn yelled back at him, "and stop asking questions!"

Zed knew his car and he was surprised that the engine had not overheated and seized by now. They had been driving at breakneck speeds and the engine was under massive stress. Another turn, another screech of wheels, and Zed saw a straight dark road ahead of him.

The road ended in swirling mass of colors and the high beams shone upon the colors like a mad disco light.

Amazed by the sight, Zed took his foot off the accelerator and Marilyn's shrill scream almost deafened him.

"NO! Drive faster!"

He looked at her for the first time in their mad drive. Her face was ashen, and her eyes had gone all black. The look on her face scared and fascinated Zed at the same time.

The slowing car picked up speed.

The speedometer needle spun a full circle and spun faster.

The car headed towards the wall of colors. The road ended and Zed felt the wheels of the car lose any traction. They flew through the air towards the swirl of colors and thus they were through. The car skidded on gravel and stopped in front of a shack.

There was an elephant's head fixed above the door. It was still bleeding.

The bar was called "Ten Thousand Elephants".

There was a loud blast and a creature crashed through a window of the bar and landed in front of Zed's car. The creature's tentacle rose up from the ground, quivered once, and fell on the hood.

"After you, my lady." Zed said and unlocked the passenger door.

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Tomorrow, Chapter 11, Inside "Ten Thousand Elephants" and a drink you only drink once.