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Music. The comedy4cast network. Let's dog ear that for now.

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This is the 2023 comedy4cast Podcast Spectacular, brought to you by the fantastic Patreon patrons.

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Thank you! Why not join Darren, Stan, Zach, and the other amazing individuals,

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who support the show for as little as a dollar a month? This year's original 20-chapter story is called Big Shot.

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To hear it from the beginning, go to comedy4cast.com/2023.

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And remember, comedy4cast is all one word, with the number four.

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Now, here's Chapter 2, High Ten A.M.

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Music.

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Previously in our story, we learned that the Venus Arms Hotel and Tower's main revolving

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door is in need of serious repairs. Oh, and Danny Hillcrest was chased out of the hotel's

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fancy restaurant. The wishful thinking screenplay author seemed very nervous.

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I had to borrow an awful lot to send out all these scripts. I'm not sure certain people

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will be happy if things don't work out and I can't repay them.

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As he rushed out of the hotel, he accidentally left behind a package that contained some DVDs.

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A boxed set called the On the Lamb Collection. There's Some Like It Hot, Sister Act,

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My Blue Heaven, and Snakes on a Plane.

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Interesting indeed.

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As this chapter begins, we shift our attention from the Venus Arms Hotel and Towers

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and its clearly inadequate main doorway to another part of Chasm Valley,

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namely the valley's one and only train station.

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This quaint facility is located in a rift that runs between Middling Fair and its half-sister town,

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that hard luck haven, Grassssssside Greene.

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We've arrived just in time, too, because the daily train through Chasm Valley

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headed toward Pleasant View will be stopping here in just a second.

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Oh, that's right. This train never arrives on schedule. Well, except for that one time.

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Since we may be here for a while, why don't I tell you a bit about myself?

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After all, I'm more than just an omnipotent, third-person, reliable narrator.

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For instance, I recently acquired a sizable number of antique, oversized cufflinks to add to...

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Dang it! Well, let's dog-ear that terribly interesting anecdote for now and get back to the story.

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As we learned in the last chapter, most of the residents of Middling Fair are out of town for the month of April.

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Yet, as the train pulls in, there are still some individuals standing on the platform.

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Who can they be? We're from Grassssssside Greene. Of course. The town that spells its name with seven S's.

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The town that actually elected a dog as its mayor. Home of the world's longest-burning dumpster fire, continually smoldering since 1951.

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I think they get it.

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A lone figure emerges from the passenger car. Smoke obscures his form as he walks onto the platform.

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Hey, wait. This isn't a steam train.

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That's just smoke from the dumpster fire.

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Unbelievable.

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Excuse me. You. Me? Yeah. Is this Middling Fair?

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No. This is Grassssssside Greene.

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Then how do I get to Middling Fair? It's easy. You just take the funicular over there up to the top of that hill.

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Got it.

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I'm not finished. When you get to the top, you need to walk up the stairs to the Middling Fair monorail. Take that downtown.

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Okay. So then I'm at the Venus Arms Hotel? No. Then you get on the Middling Fair trolley and hop off that when you get to the Venus Arms.

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Can you repeat all that?

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Not even if I wanted to. I gotta get on board. Good luck.

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By the way, why the heck do you want to go to Middling Fair in April?

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I need to find a guy named Danny Hillcrest. Do you know him?

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No. Do you know Michael Gregovsky?

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No.

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Then we're even. Hey, conductor, why is this train moving so slow?

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The stranger waves his hands, punching a small break in the smoke, and begins to walk towards the funicular.

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Okay, Hillcrest, let's do this.

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Several modes of transportation later, the stranger hops off the street trolley.

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Venus Arms Hotel and Towers.

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Perfect.

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This shouldn't take long. Little does the stranger know, the revolving door is virtually inoperable.

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I'm glad I'm not the only one who got caught this time.

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Hey genius, I'm already inside.

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Oh, then I'll just... No, no, no, no. Somebody get me out of...

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Oh, it goes the other way.

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The... Um... The stranger approaches the... most revolving doors go clockwise, right? It's not just me, is it? I get in, and push on.

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The stranger approaches the front desk, where Giles is hard at work studying the hotel's

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master operations manual.

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Remove wrenched ankle? Wait, these are the directions for operation. Oh well, it could

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still come in handy if Cap ever needs the water on his knees replaced. You work here?

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No, I just enjoy meeting new people.

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What can I do for you? You can tell me where I can find Danny Hillcrest.

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Eh, eh, eh, eh, Dorsal fin! Find Danny?

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Why the heck would you wanna do a thing like that? That's my business.

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Do either of you know where Danny Hillcrest is? Shh, he's like Beetlejuice,

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except you only need to say his name once.

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I've already said it twice. So you have. That's odd. What room is he in?

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Sir? It is against hotel policy to give out such information.

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It's also apparently against our policy to remove a funny bone.

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I need to see Hillcrest. Can you call his room?

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I can, but it won't help. He departed the hotel a few hours ago.

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Oh good! Peace and quiet for a change, so I can get back...

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to... Pfffff Can you send him a text? Why would I have his phone number?

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The object is to avoid him. I suppose that means you also don't have his email address. Bingo!

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Bingo! Hang on. Let me get my card. Nope. No whammies.

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Next time try to throw the ball right down the... I think Cap's comfy chair is a bit too comfy.

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Sir, in spite of what you may have been told, I am not Danny's administrative assistant.

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He left in a hurry after lunch at our restaurant. Perhaps the maitre d' can help you.

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The host station is right there, across the lobby.

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Fine. The stranger crosses the ornate Venus Arms lobby, passing by an empty glass case at the

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center of the room. It's where Abby Falmacher plans on placing the actual arms of the Venus

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de Milo statue if they are ever located. The stranger walks up to the host station, where

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a well-dressed gentleman stands at the ready.

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Welcome to Le Restaurant Mal Allumé. Je regrette, we are currently closed.

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Are you in charge?

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Monsieur, I have been with the restaurant for over eleven years. Perhaps it is my penance

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for some unremembered offence. Who can say? I am in charge of the entire establishment.

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Except of course, the kitchen.

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And the sommelier. And the wait staff.

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How may I help you? I'm looking for Danny Hillcrest. Then may I suggest you look in the nearest sewer, monsieur.

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That clumsy ox is no longer welcome here.

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But he was here earlier, right? And he left in a hurry? This is true.

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Tell me what happened.

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Maybe something will help me find him. Why is this stranger so interested in finding Danny Hillcrest?

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Is he hoping to make history by actually being the first person who actually wants to speak to Danny?

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Maybe it simply has to do with that borrowing Danny did to send out his scripts,

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because that would make much more sense.

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For revelations, be sure to come back for Chapter 3, Puzzles Galore!

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Are you liking the show?

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Then be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. comedy4cast is listed on iTunes, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and more.

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In this episode, as the Grasssssside Greene resident, John Bell from the Bells and the Batfry podcast.

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thebatfry.com, as The Stranger, Grant Johnson,

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voicegranted.com, as The maitre d', Nathan Alvord,

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and the narrator was played by Gary J. Chambers, garyjchambersvo.com.

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Additional voices, as well as story and music, by Clinton Alvord.

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Copyright 2023, all rights reserved.

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See you next time, but for now, that's it, we're done done done done done, bye bye!

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Music.