Zac was back on IMHBITD and had been for the last couple of weeks alongside Carmen. Carmen, when she realised that Zac had her in mind to take over the show permanently, had freaked out.
“You’re kidding?” she said. “Me, take over your show? I couldn’t do that!”
“Why not?” Zac asked. “You’re perfect for the job. The audience loves you.”
“Yes, but... but...”
“Look, you don’t have to if you really don’t want to,” Zac had told her seriously. “I’m going to need a decision soon, but I don’t need one right now. In fact, I won’t accept it right now. I just... don’t say now because you’re afraid or anything silly like that, okay?”
“Okay.”
Now, as the season came to a close, Carmen was feeling calmer about the whole idea. She had reviewed the reviews of the show since she had come on, and on a whole the response was positive. Thus it was that she agreed to take on the mantle.
Zac, as he had been the last few episodes, was already on stage when the show started and would be all night. He could walk, but at this early stage in his recovery preferred not to do his walking in front of a live audience. Guy’s gotta have some dignity!
“So, Uncle Zac,” Carmen said cheerfully. “I wonder if you remember this:”
Across the speakers came a rather familiar song: Hungover as sung by the furbies. Zac shook his head in disgust.
“Yes, yes, I remember that,” he grumbled. “They played that as the intro of the episode we filmed on my 33rd birthday. Happy now? For those of you who have just joined us we’re celebrating my final episode of I Must Have Been Insane That Day with a few clips from the show over the years. What you just heard were the furbies that I gave my brother Ike’s 20 children trained to sing the song ‘Hungover’ which he and Tay wrote for the sole purpose of embarrassing me. I got them back good.”
Zac chuckled.
“But it was cool,” nodded Carmen. “We had so much fun getting them to sing that. I still have mine, by the way. Right here, in fact.”
She pulled out the furby in question and Zac gave her a dark look.
“Carmen -”
But it was too late, Carmen had already turned the thing on and it was now singing the chorus to ‘Hungover’.” Zac growled, then beamed at everyone.
“See? I am doing the right thing by leaving the show in her hands,” he grinned.
“Just think how much fun I’ll be when you and Dad and Uncle Tay come by for your guest appearances on the show when you start touring again,” Carmen grinned back. “Now that will be an interesting show.”
“You’re just itching to kick me off, aren’t you?”
“I don’t need to when you’re leaving of your own accord.”
In addition to clips from previous shows, they also had a number of old friends leave short message for the show. Most wished Zac the best of luck, expressing their interest in Hanson’s impending comeback and teased Carmen about having big shoes to fill.
“Yeah...” Carmen said eyeing off Zac’s feet. “I don’t think they’re going to fit.”
“Probably fall off all time.”
“Not really comfy.”
“They are for me though.”
“They’re your shoes.”
“That may have something to do with it,” Zac agreed.
The show ended that night with Zac giving the audience his best. What he really wanted to do was to give an elaborate bow, but reluctantly acknowledged preshow that such a gesture when he was still unsteady walking was probably just asking for trouble.
**********
While the show was going on, security noticed three young teenage boys abruptly appear at the back of the audience. Also a guard was sent to check it out, the three boys vanished before he could get there. The event was shrugged off as a glitch in the tapes.
See Chapter 12 of Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe (Anomalies) for an explanation of the mysterious boys.