"You're not going to believe this, Inspector," said Zana, phone to her ear. The girls had hurried up to their room after the show and the unsettling sight of Fadda Bing, alive and well, sitting in the audience. The first thing to do was call the police. The police had verified his death, after all. Along with the coroner who, one would assume, had properly documented the facts of the matter, put a toe tag on Fadda Bing to quell any further doubts and placed his stiff carcass in the city morgue.
"Alive and well, eh?" the detective said. "Whaddaya know. This is why the papers need to be absolutely sure, you see? They're dead one day, back the next, these people. That's Toss Vague-Ass for you." He stifled a yawn.
Zana said, "Well don't you find it the least bit strange?"
"It's downright unorthodox," Rivqua threw in. She was resting on the bed, arm over her eyes.
"Did you hear what my sister said? Unorthodox. That's how weird this is."
"I've seen unorthodoxier," replied the detective.
"Not sure I have."
"What can I say? Welcome to-"
"To Toss Vague-Ass. Yeah, we know."
After breakfast the following morning Zana and Rivqua headed straight up to the penthouse offices to see the secretary bot. She was a robot but her programming included considerable mimickery of the emotions of carbon-based beings. So, just to be sure no circuits or fuses were blown upon hearing the extraordinary news, the girls had rehearsed a speech. To let her in on it easy. Fadda Bing was her boss and she was clearly attached to him, and had served him well for who knows how long. There was no doubt the news would come as a shock.
The secretary robot stood up behind her desk after the Blonde Plutoz had spoken. The girls were ready for her head to fall off.
"Yes I know," she said calmly. "But it's not Mister Bing. That is, Mister Fadda Bing."
"What?" The girls stared at her. "Who on earth is it then? A robot replica?"
A laugh of some kind came out of the bot.
"Alas no. It's his brother."
"His brother!?"
"Quite so. And he's in." She gestured toward the heavy door behind them, then pressed a button. "The Blonde Plutoz are here to see you, sir."
"Send 'em in!" a gruff voice barked. "I got sixty seconds!"
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