They're all witnesses to the witch, and say the things she's done. And Reverend Shuttleworth plays the minister who condemns the witch. Esther's our director. And Norm Pasquale directs the high-school band. You know, they play that Funeral March as the witch is dragged off in the sledge.' Marge paused for breath.
Mavis waved at the crowd, and spoke in a low voice to Marge.
'Hah? That there's Betty Hall. She's my business partner. No way she could play the part.'
Betty, unclear as to the nature of the discussion, clearly heard an insult implicit in Marge's dismissal of her, and said, 'What the hell?'
'No,' Marge said, again in response to a question from Mavis, 'Clarissa's usually played by some girl from the high school. Miss Sarah poison-your-guts Quilliam's supposed to play it this year.' She gestured in Quill's direction.
'Marge!' said Esther. 'For heaven's sake! This is a private rehearsal. As director, I must insist that your guest wait outside while we finish.'
'You've met before?' said Betty icily.
'Met before?' said Mavis breathlessly. 'Why, we worked together for this age!'
'Doggone good dogs,' said Marge cryptically.
'Doggone good dogs,' responded Mavis, and both women went off into gusts of laughter.
'The fast-food chain,' said Tom Peterson. 'It's out of Syracuse. You wouldn't know this, Quill, but they do quite a bit of recruiting from the high school.' He blinked his pale eyes slowly-rather, Quill thought, like a lizard in the sun.
'Yeah,' said Norm Pasquale. 'Hot dogs and paint are the only jobs our graduates get unless they go to college. It's not like the old days, when all the kids went back to the farm.'
'So what's your point, Marge?' said Elmer impatiently.
'Point is that Mavis here is a hell of an actress. She can do this part better'n anyone here.'
'Then she'll have to audition,' said Esther.
'She din't.' Marge threw a large thumb in Quill's direction.
'Yes, she did,' said Esther. 'I auditioned her. I'm the director, and I say who auditions and who doesn't:'
'Quiet!' said Elmer. 'Whyn't you tell us your experience, Ms. Collinwood. What exactly did you do at Doggone Good Dogs?'
John Raintree came into the room and settled unobtrusively! in a chair. Doreen tiptoed in behind him. Quill drummed her fingers in irritation and wondered who else from the staff was coming to watch her debut as an actress.
'Best hot dogs in the South,' said Mavis.
'Best in the whole damn country!' said Marge. 'Good plain American food.'
'I never knew you worked for somebody else before,' said Betty Hall stiffly.
'Oh, yeah. Managed a whole chain of 'em down to Atlanta,' said Marge. 'Mavis was in the Mid-Atlantic region. She was Human Resources Coordinator and - '
'That's just fine, Marge,' said Elmer Henry impatiently, 'but we've got to get on with this rehearsal.'
'Let me finish,' said Marge, 'and the best damn actress in the whole chain.'
'Oh, I don't know about that,' said Mavis modestly.
'Do they have actors in fast-food places?' asked Esther, in genuine bewilderment.
'Of course,' said Marge scornfully. 'We had an employee talent show every year and Mavis got the cash prize every time. Sang 'The Doggone Good Dog' theme song. Go on, sing it for' em, Mavis. She done a little dance, too,' she said in a helpful aside.
'I don't have my costume or anything.' Mavis sent a brilliant smile around the room.
Quill, acutely sympathetic to the agonies of performing in front of crowds, and still somewhat nettled over the 'poisoned-guts' remark said, 'Honestly, Marge. Let the poor woman sit down,' surprising herself. If she kept this up, she could handle a dozen Mrs. Hallenbecks in a week.
'Go on, Mavis,' said Marge.
'Well.' Mavis cleared her throat and said confidently, 'Now, y'all are going to have to do some imagining, and pretend I'm dressed as a hot dog.' She winked at Dookie Shuttleworth, whose eyebrows rose in alarm. 'The hot dog comes out in front of me, and out back - I'm in the middle of the bun.' Then she sang, in a contralto:
'You can slather me with mustard
and a dilly pickle, too. Tickle me with onions,
I'll be doggone good for you.
I'm a plump and juicy red-hot
In a toasted whole wheat bun.
For less than two and fifty
We can have a lot of fun.'
She and Marge locked arms and swayed together in
