                          Leda Deerden

You are Leda Deerden, the artist.  THE
ARTIST.  TSITRA EHT.  Le Artiste....you are
a devoted disciple of almost everyone you
happen to read about, and you were quite good
at making things like bagels and human torsos
out of papier mache or milk cartons and selling
the results.  Recently, however you have been
trying to find a more lucrative career as the
market for studio art seems to be bottoming out. 
You want to make a lot of money. 

Which you need.  You keep a loft in lower
SoHo and sit around at four in the morning at
clubs in garages drinking something that smells
like fingernail polish remover and discussing the
sexual motivations of Archipenko.

You can only build plaster of paris abstractions
of the spinal column so many hours a day, so
you, like the rest of the bright young things,
spend your time in and out of clubs, private
parties, and public restrooms where it is
fashionable to do lines on the toilet seat.  You
try your best to impress nearly everyone you
meet with how terribly important your art is.

Dinner at Odeon (very retro), or some deli
where the waiters are all eastern europeans with
mental disorders,  then out to some club that
embodies the bright culture of this wonderful
city where everything changes.  You meet all
sorts of interesting people, and it isn't worth
remembering them because by the next time you
meet them they have a different hair color, or
name, or sex, or personality.  If it really is them
again.  You aren't even sure if it is always you
again.

What you are sure of is that if New York is
heaven, D.C. is hell.  It has been stricken with
blight.  There is not one decent club in the
entire city where you can sit for hours waiting
for service, while your waiter relives birth
trauma on the counter.  You are frankly quietly
freaking out.  This is like all the pose in New
York society, and well...nothing ever actually
happens.  But you do have your poise.  

The reason you are here is the promise of steady
work.  One of your friends is Karyn Seidmann,
who is straight during business hours and works
as literary agent.  She only got out of women's
prison a few years ago, and is such a dear.  You
met her at a soup kitchen, while you were
starving one week, which is sort of an on and
off thing with your lifestyle.  Karyn put you in
the way of this very lucrative deal.  It involves
writing, which you don't know a lot about, but
you are an artist after all, and you can certainly
adapt.  You will consider it a challenge.  

You are of the opinion that Karyn has found
some dead person's work and attributed it to you
or some other such contrivance, since you have
not in fact ever written anything longer than a
grocery list, but you have recently purchased a
typewriter, and you have been producing at least
a page a day, and Karyn says you will get much
faster as soon as you are under deadline.

This publisher named Drake, which rhymes with
Fake, wants you to chop up the work of some
southern hack writer and make it "speedy and
interesting."  You have an idea to make it
somewhat post modernist, and plan to tell him
so, as soon as you figure out which one he is. 
Drake not the artist.  You had dinner with
Drake, and you know you talked quietly and
intelligently about this job, but you do not
remember precisely what it was that you said.  

You and Karyn went to someplace called the
"Fifteen minutes club" last night, presumably
because even the natives can't stand the place for
any longer than that, and then you wandered off
into the night.  

You last remember being in some miserable
little discotheque where they were closing (at
THREE THIRTY...on a FRIDAY NIGHT!) and
calling Drake who dragged you here, and telling
him that if he didn't have a plane ticket for you
to New York in the hour (of course there aren't
even PLANES that fly in Washington at 3:30am)
you were going to strangle him, because you are
ever so slightly high strung, and you had done
some of the local Bolivian Marching Powder that
did not agree with you, more to the point, flatly
contradicted you, which is behavior you do not
care for in stimulants.

While you were wandering about, you happened
to pass Mr. Ballistas as he was checking his
heavy duty 9mm pistol.  This place is not your
idea of fun.  You do not think Mr. Ballistas saw
you.  You are certainly glad that you drove
down with Mr. Drake in his limousine, since
you did not have to leave behind the 32 caliber
revolver you always carry in your purse.  It just
isn't safe for a young lady in the worst possible
districts of New York without a very powerful
firearm.

Drake promised you that Jeff Saxon, and Ollie
Stewart, and Anthony Blaine and several other
seriously disordered literary people would be
here.  Which might make the occasion more
bearable.  In the mantime, you are trying to
interest Karyn's friend Linda in terra-cotta fruits
and vegatables, and try to remember that Karyn
doesn't like you to mention that she was in
prison.

When you wake up this will be New York.....

"There's no place like home..."
THE OTHERS

What they know about you:

Leda Deerden: A New York author, or visual
artist, guest of Grant's Publisher.  Ms. Deerden
is known for her terra cotta figures, which are
widely sold in gift shops in the Village, and her
work at the 42nd Street Gallery, but is a
newcomer to the writing field.  Her first project
is projected to be a collaboration with Grant
Cochran.

PEOPLE YOU KNOW....WELL:

Anthony Blaine:  Anthony can be a bore
sometimes, but he has marginal entertainment
value.  You like to make a point of the fact that
you haven't read his books, as you feel it
defines you as part of the cultural elite.  You
try not to read anything the doesn't have
pictures if you can possibly help it.

A New York writer considered a protege of
Grant Cochran, Blaine is handled by Jonathan
Drake, the same publisher as Cochran.  It was
rumored that Blaine and Cochran had a very
serious argument while appearing together at a
promotional convention after the publication of
Sightless King.  Blaine is best known for his
Fantasy-Horror novel Wunderking, and his most
recent work The Dinner Guest.  

Emily Breezewood: a fascinating person, and
a friend of Karyn's.  She shared an apartment
with Karyn while she was in New York, and
Karyn did not even rip her off for the rent, and
Karyn rips nearly everyone off for the rent. 
Emily lacks self-esteem, clarity and career
motivation.  You were teaching her to make
small brightly colored animal figurines, but she
had to go back to Washington.

A college friend of Grant Cochran, and a prep-
school friend of Margot Matthews, Emily is the
daughter of Senator Breezewood of Connecticut,
a very powerful senior U.S. Legislator.  Emily
was married to Matthew Allen Carter, and
divorced him, in a particularly messy case
during which Mr. Carter was represented by
Gary Morant.  They are reported to be on barely
civil speaking terms now.  Emily is living with
Mike Ballistis.

Linda Kane: is someone else who has visited
up in New York.  She is a really interesting
person, though you wish she had more of an
interest in art.  

Parapsychological researcher for the Institute for
Parapsychological Studies, 1567 23rd St. NW. 
Graduate of Columbia Prep, and Mary
Washington College.  M.A. Barnard.  Kane is a
literary agent for Matthew Allen Carter and is
rumored to be his lover.  

Jonathan Drake: Is going to be your new
"boss", sort of.  He is very lucky to get
someone of your talent and caliber, and you
have been telling him this at some length.

Publisher of Grant Cochran, Drake is Editor of
Horror at Electra publishing, a division of
Robert W. Thormond and Sons, Inc., one of the
nations largest publishing houses.  Despite the
failure of Cochran's latest novel, Drake is
reported to be successful and on the rise.  He
handles many other writers including Anthony
Blaine, and is also in charge of titles under the
smaller, but profitable Medea imprintaur, for
occult paperbacks, which includes the works of
Jeffrey Saxon.

Jeffrey Saxon: Is really the best writer, and
practically the only person you have read who
does not publish in comic-books.  He is just SO
"on it" and he really understands...everything.

A noted Parapsychology/Occult writer and
Astrologer, author of Health Signs, Astrology for
You, and Psychic Defense, and several other
successful books published in paperback. 
Jeffrey is rumored to be practically the only
person in New York who does not suffer from
an incapacitating drug addiction.

Karyn Seidmann: poor Karyn has really risen
above her past, when she served time for fraud
and perjury in a New York State Women's
prison.  You only wish she was more interested
in social concerns. 

A New-York literary agent, Seidmann is not
well known in literary circles, though there are
some dark rumors about her past, including a
lawsuit.  Seidman handles small time occult
authors, and until recently her biggest literary
success was Jeffrey Saxon, the popular occultist
and astrologer.

Oliver Stewart:  Ollie is such a card.  Really
you wish everyone were as deranged and
intense as he is.  

A comic-book author and illustrator for
Universal Comics, a major competitor of Marvel
and D.C. Oliver is responsible for the satirical
Captain Flapjack miniseries, but is best known
for his work with Blood Hound, a revitalized
1960's Superhero, and with Revenant, a dark-
horror miniseries.  Stewart handled a graphic-
novel adaptation of Grant Cochran's Sightless
King, which was somewhat more successful than
the actual novel.  Oliver is a New Yorker, but
has maintained a friendship with horror writer
Grant Cochran, and has come down with some
of his other New York acquaintances to make
his birthday an interesting affair.

OTHER PEOPLE:

Mike Ballistas:  a wealthy international
consultant with impressive offices downtown. 
Ballistas has numerous prominent government
contacts, and is generally known to be an
influential businessman.  He donated heavily to
the Reagan Campaign.

Avery Carson: attended George Washington
University and has many acquaintances from that
period, and immediately afterward.  Avery met
most of Grant's circle of friends in the seventies
while they were working in Washington after
graduation.  Mr. Carson occupied a position in
the staff of the late Darrington Ripley, U.S.
Ambassador to Sweden.  Currently employed by
the State Department, Avery Carson is rumored
to actually work for the Company, or No-such-
agency.
Matthew Allen Carter:  A well known mystic,
Carter is associated with decadence, drugs, and
bizarre mysticism.  It is unclear where his
money comes from, though he is known to be at
least moderately wealthy, and eccentric.  
M.A Carter provides spiritual consultation to
some of Washington's most prominent social
figures.  He has appeared on several area talk
shows, notably Panorama in July 1979 where he
was involved in an altercation, and declined to
appear on Good Morning America in August of
1982 on the topic "Senators who follow the
Horoscopes."  He has assisted Federal
authorities as a consultant on "Cult Related
Cases", and appeared before a Senate
Subcommittee Special Hearing in 1983 to
discuss "Cult Phenomena and Crime."

Grant Cochran:  Grant Cochran is a horror
writer whose early work brought him wealth and
recognition.  His first acclaimed work was a
collection of short stories in 1977 entitled Look
Ma, No Hands!  Grant achieved a more limited
success with The Sickness in John Harrol, 1977;
The Collection, 1979; but his mainstream horror
novels  Dark Symbols,1980; and Trinity, 1982;
were extremely successful.  His Lovecraftian
fantasy-horror The Sightless King, 1984 was
universally panned.  Grant also wrote the
screenplay for the 1981 film The Blinding.
Numerous short stories including The Metallic
Taste of Blood Omni, Feb 1982.

Grant's work has tended more towards the
occult and fantasy side than Stephen King, and
his success has been less marked, but his early
novels were commercially successful.  Born
1955 to a wealthy Virginia family, Grant
graduated from George Washington University
in DC in 1975, aged twenty.  Writer and
playboy, known to have inherited some money
from parent's death in 1974. He is widely
rumored to have been hospitalized recently for
rehabilitation.

Thomas Cochran:  Grant's failure of a brother. 
Thomas dropped out of school, and was deeply
involved in drugs.  He narrowly avoided jail on
larceny charges.  He lost his share of the family
wealth, and is currently employed by his brother
as a handyman. 

Sarah Lamont: Sarah Lamont is an old Prep-
school and College friend of Margot Matthews,
Linda Kane, Emily Breezewood and others. 
Sarah went to work for Gary Morant as a
paralegal, and is now his chief secretary.  

Margot Matthews: Margot was a friend of
Grant Cochran, and several other attendees in
college, but went on to become a prominent
Washington socialite who rose out of the ranks
of minor political followers due to her
connections with the late U.S. ambassador to
Sweden Mr. Darrington Ripley.  Margot is
giving this party in honor of Grant Cochran's
birthday.

Margot is currently employed by the Department
of State, where she is rumored to the mistress of
a powerful political appointee.  She was
mentioned in People magazine shortly after the
inaugural ball, and her fortunes have definitely
been on the rise with the Reagan government. 

Gary Morant:  Washington Attorney. 
Graduated from George Washington University
in 1974, GW Law in 1978.  Formed Morant and
Steele with Harlan Steel in 1980.  Known for
handling some of the messiest and most
prominent divorce and lawsuit cases in the
Washington social spectrum.  Morant is a rising
star in the social constellation of Washington,
and is Grant Cochran's attorney, and is currently
representing him in all of his sordid legal
affairs. 

Mort Nicholson: a well known private
detective.  Nicholson has worked for Gary
Morant, and was a research reference for the
character of Detective George Panopalous in
Grant Cochran's Trinity.

Roger Pierce: a Professor/practitioner of
Psychology at George Washington University. 
Young but promising, for several years his 400
level course on Personality Disorders has been
considered the "most fun" class in the entire
psych department.  Many of Dr. Pierce's
associates consider him to be "that strung out
quack", Dr. Pierce considers himself a
"perceptually enhanced alternative practitioner." 
It is obvious that Dr. Pierce either has
something on the University, or has tenure.

"Psychological disorders can be not only
instructive, but entertaining as well..."
(American Psychiatric Yearbook, 1980).  

Tony Randall-Smith:  Olympic Equestrian
Medalist, winning two Silver and one Bronze
medal at Los Angeles in 1984.  Native of
McLean Virginia, the child of a former
ambassador to England.  Personally acquainted
with Princess Margaret, has appeared in Sports
Illustrated, and network television.  Currently
holds American and European Championships in
several categories of jumps.  Professional status
has been called into question, but intends to
compete in 1988.  

Craig Webber: An acquaintance of Margot
Matthews, Mr. Webber is a well-to-do local
business consultant, rumored to have
connections to smuggling and the underworld. 
Webber is said to be a business partner of Avery
Carson.

