Torpedo Ray said, “Damn Flay! I may be
a mack daddy, but you still the mackest of the macks!!” Most of
Flay's offspring made it to the bash: his sons Cornelius, Moxon, and
Jaffa; and his daughter Octavia, who was there with her boyfriend
Euphrates Straw of the Aggregate (who was also there to keep an eye
on Javier). Octavius' daughter Bethel was a devout Christian and she
was in church that night. She would eventually marry her pastor,
Judah Greene, and have a lovely daughter Scheherazade. All five
children of Octavius were from his marriage to Ulysses' sister
Rochelle Reale, making the Flays and Reales cousins.

Ondine and Ulysses have been
discussed, but one beloved member of their crew from elder days was
missing: Paul Cutler, the quiet, kind addict had finally succumbed,
leaving behind three beautiful daughters, all ofwhom attended the
bash: Naomi, who brought her 10 year old son Hobard Torino “Hobie
T” Reale, to the party but not her estranged husband Godfrey Reale
(Ulysses' son); Zandalee, who was at the time dating Hiawatha Hand
but had her eye on his half-brother Black Torpedo Ray; and Pauline Cutler
aka Cotton Suede, much discussed in these pages.

Black Torpedo Ray hosted the
Lucifer Club Burlesque Film Festival. It began with vintage clips of
Erszebet and many of her peers; and continued with three shorts
specially made for this festival. These were the work of directors
Matthias Creed, Cornelius Flay, and Luca Stenorettli, all honored
guests at this Yule Bash. Luca and Henry were not the only members of
the infamous Christensen Quintet to adorn the party. Javier was
present, naturally, as were Judd and even Nels, who'd been living