Oy vay! Well this is my morning smile! great Peter.

Down Roger! Down boy! As the literary critic said..the guitar went to a most deserving young player last week. End of story.

well maybe not.....

"Beyond the Valley of the Maltese Casablanca Goon Dolls, part the deux"

Scene: Rick and the invisible man walk through the fog, considering orientation choices, and Vichy water vintages. From the darkness, the weasely form of Peter Lorre appears...

PL: Mr Rick, Mr. Rick, I've got something you should see. It's right here in this brown paper parcel.

R: Didn't I break your arm in another movie Joel? What's in the parcel?

PL: First I'll have to be paid Rick, you know, shipping and handling charges. I think ten million Francs will do nicely.

R: The Fat man told me you drive a hard bargain Joel, but here's a photograph of a five million franc note, and a small statuette of DeGaulle carved in butter. That should keep you quiet.

"PL greedily grabs the statuette and bites off De Gaulle's huge appendage. he hands the brown paper parcel to R.

I.M.(invisible man): Don't do it Rick, it will only lead to another adventure, another broken heart, another film that you'll have to fight Ronald Regan for the lead role. Come up to flat and look at my collection of erotic Nazi bully beef cans. You can have the Eva Braunshweigger one!

"Rick greedily tears open the package, fingers the peghead, and pulls his gun out".

R: Why this is nothing but a (very early) Takamine, Cairo! I'm going make a few soundholes in you!

PL: No, no! Please don't Rick...the Fat man assured me it was a Martin 000-28! We're not all nurds like you! It had six strings and a hole....I thought that was good enough!

R: You've got a lot to learn, Cairo. (turns to I.M.) Ok, let's go look at your salami.

They walk off into the future. Strains of "Idiot Wind" can be heard in the background.