Las Vegas

A few days, and thousands of miles later, Sabrina and Harvey biked into the bright lights, large crowds, blasting music, and showgirls that was Los Vegas.

"This is my town," shouted Salem, ogling some girls that were leaving one of the hotels.

"Not unless someone's built some kitty casinos," said Sabrina.

They continued to drive down the strip.

"Sabrina, do you want to get married at the drive through chapel? I'm game if you are. But my mom probably wants me to send her some pictures of an indoor wedding." Harvey said as they passed by.

"Spend the most important moment of my life on your bike, wed by some Elvis impersonator. It's not exactly what I had planned."

"You two can get married at the hotel. I can be minister, best man, organist, photographer, or all four combined." Salem told them.

They drove up to the Sharper Juice Joint. It had valet parking. "Can I take your bike, sir?" asked the valet, a young Englishman wearing a pinstriped suit, and sporting a crooked fedora.

"It's brand new, no way I'm gonna part with it" Harvey realized the meaning of the question. "Oh yeah, ah, sorry sir, I'm a bit overprotective of my bike, it's brand new."

"So I see, sir," the valet said drolly.

Salem edged in. "We want to see Bugsy Sharper. Tell him its his old friend Salem Saberhagen."

"And he's carrying a black cat. And his girl, who he's-I'm going to marry," added Harvey."

"I'll tell him. Won't you wait to be paged in the hotel lobby, sir and madame," the valet said.

The hotel lobby was exactly what you'd expect to see in Los Vegas. It was large, and the entrance to the Casino was off to the side, and the bar to the other. The lobby was made to look like a "Sharper Juice Joint," the place looked like a very large, very opulent version of a twenties speakeasy. The front desk looked like a bar. The furniture were all from the twenties, and so were the paintings and the chandeliers. Sabrina was reminded of the Halloween Mystery Train.

"Not exactly my choice for a hotel, but - why not? It's fancy, I don't see any cockroaches, seems great."

"Cool," said Harvey. "This is a lot better than the Roadside Economy Flamingo Inn. But even that dump would be great if I was there with you." They kissed again.

A bellboy came up. "Mr. Sharper will see you three immediately." They followed the bellboy across the lobby, to a private elevator on the far side. They rode the mirrored, mahogany car up to the penthouse. The bellboy led them to a set a double doors, and knocked. Then he retreated, ran is more like it, toward the elevator.

The doors opened, revealing a large, very long office with old time furniture. At the end of the office, there was a large desk. Sabrina, Harvey and Salem were zapped right to the desk.

"Alright," said Sabrina. "I was going to walk, but this is better."

"Bugsy, pal, is it you?" asked Salem.

"Salem," said Bugsy, swivelling around. He was wearing a striped suit, smoking a cigar. His long face was scarred in three different places. "Long time, no see. Haven't met you since your world domination plans fall through."

"So the bulls got me. Been having a pretty good racket, served on hands and knees by two over the hill broads. That is until this tomato took over my care and feeding."

Realizing Sabrina was giving him a dirty look he added, "When I say tomato, I mean sweet, intelligent young woman."

"About time you've come to my joint," said Bugsy Sharper. "Feel free to use the bar, the casino, have a bunk, I'll loan you a showgirl to carry you around. This ain't no dump, or flophouse. I've got the best of anything in both realms. If I don't, I have one of my boys round it up, make some one an offer they can't refuse, if you get my drift."

"You sure go out with this gangster routine," said Harvey.

"Yeah, and I thought me and my aunts went all out for Halloween. Your hotel . . ."

"Ixnay on the gangsterday," hissed Salem. Sharper's smile turned into a leer. Both Sabrina and Harvey shut up.

"You two stoolies seem like nice kids, your not stoolies are ya?"Bugsy said friendly. "Good," he added, reading the expressions on their faces. Then, he added, more friendly, "You getting married?"

"I was wondering if you'd put 'em up a night or two," said Salem. "Come on Bugsy, dooo it. For your old pal Salem."

"Yeah sure, why not? It's the off season. Tell you what, I'll have the chapel booked, and even give you the bridal suite. It ain't booked, so you can rest easy I'm not going to bump anyone off-I mean cancel their reservations-to do it. But if you want any drinks, want to get splifficated or something, zap up your own liquor, it ain't covered."

Salem, Harvey and Sabrina thanked him. Sabrina thought to herself, "You know, besides being a witch, when I was a kid I never thought I'd be friends with a guy who tried to take over the world, and having the man who probably had a hand in the St. Valentines Day massacre cater my wedding."

"If you excuse me a moment," said Bugsy, "I have an urgent appointment in the other realm."

"See, what did I tell you," said Salem.

"I didn't know staying at your own friend's hotel would mean have the criminal underworld involved in my wedding," observed Sabrina.

"His name's Bugsy," shrugged Harvey. "I guess it should of been obvious."

Bugsy returned, "So its a deal?" he said.

They agreed.

"Ain't that twenty-three skidoo. I have another old friend who want's to meet you."

Sabrina wondered "Who is it? Al Capone? Meyer Lansky? Bugsy Siegel? That gangster from the Warner Brothers Cartoons?"

It was Cupid, Sabrina recognized him from the time he had saved her from Roland the troll and the time she tried to put a love spell on her Aunt Hilda.

"You know, I figured that you two would be the last people in the world who would ever be friends."

"Love is love, but business is business," Cupid replied.

"Cupid?" said Harvey, who didn't know him.

"Yes, you know, the diaper and the arrows," explained Cupid. "Anyway, wanted to stop by and say hello.

"Hello," said Salem.

"Enough of this," said Bugsy. "Can I have the arrow?"

"Yes," said Cupid. "The moment this super-strength Class A arrow strikes the showgirl, for 24 hours she'll be crazy about with the first man she sees." He gave Bugsy the arrow, and disappeared. Bugsy put the arrow on his desk, beside Salem.

"Now, you three goofs, if you'd excuse me, I have business to attend to," said Bugsy.

He zapped up a barely-dressed flapper, the one that were featured so prominently in the brochure.

Salem's eyes bugged out. So did Harvey's.

"Ooh, what am I doing here, Bugsy?"

"I have something for you, baby doll," said Bugsy deftly moving toward the girl, arrow ready.

"He's gonna make her . . . with that arrow?" asked Harvey, disgusted.

"Why?" said Salem. "Do you think he blew all that moolah on an ordinary arrow."

"Not if I can help it," said Sabrina.

She zapped Bugsy as he was ready to stab the girl. He tripped.

"Not smart," muttered Salem.

"Bugsy! You was going to stab me?" The girl was indignant. "I quit."

She picked up the arrow, stabbed him in the behind, and walked off . . . as Bugsy flew ten feet into the air, hit the ceiling, and fall flat-on-his face, on top of his large mahogany desk.

Painfully, he raised his head, and glared angrily . . . then sappily at Sabrina.