Kung-Fu for Dharmi Chapter2 the Regulator
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Transcript of Kung-Fu for Dharmi Chapter2 the Regulator
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8/14/2019 Kung-Fu for Dharmi Chapter2 the Regulator
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Charles J. Lee
KUNG-FU
for
DHARMI
CHARLES J. LEE
First published by Char les J. Lee, December 2009
All rights rese rved .
Copyr ight Char les J. Lee 2009
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Charles J. Lee
Kung-fu means Skill or Ability.
It applies to all life experiences.
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CHAPTER TW O
The Regulator
A compact, unassuming man entered a quiet bar in Pimento City. It
was late in the day, but his clothes looked as though they were freshlyironed. Not one hair was out of place on the mans head, although there
were no signs of hair gel or oil.
This man had no memorable features. No scars, no pimples, no
birthmarks, no creases, no furrows, no wrinkles, no moles nothing at all.
He was formally, but not fashionably dressed. He carried no scent with him.
Good afternoon, Mister Barkeep, the compact man said. Ill have a
plate of peanuts, please.Peanuts? The bartender stared at the man. Just peanuts?
The compact man nodded. Low sodium and low fat, if possible. I
prefer plain, but Ill understand if you only serve roasted here.
No... nothing to drink with that? The bartenders voice carried a low
rumble, like that of distant thunder.
Oh, Ill also have a lemonade, please.
A-le-mo-na-de, the bartender repeated, his eyebrows rising like darkpuffs of smoke.
The compact man had seated himself at a stool. He looked into the
bartenders eyes and smiled. Thats right. A lemonade, please.
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The bartender would normally ask more questions, but something in
the way the compact man looked made him hold back. A lemonade it would
be. Not spiked. Not watered down. Without an unreasonably large amount of
ice that reduced the real lemonade in the glass. Just a lemonade as
lemonades should be made.
Lemonade and peanuts, coming right up. The bartender tried to
make his voice sound as normal as possible. As though men normally
ordered lemonade and peanuts in bars.
Thank you, the compact man replied.
The compact man had not introduced himself. The bartender was not
even thinking that this small man could be anyone famous or important or
powerful. But something told the bartender that when this nondescript man
asked for peanuts and a lemonade, these items had to be served without fail.
*
The compact man produced a slim, narrow and longish package from
his pocket. It almost appeared to be a parody of a box of cigarettes, or even
a cigar case. The man opened the case, but there seemed to be nothing
within that could be smoked. What was inside was shiny and long and
metallic.
The bartender was at the end of the bar, but the flash of silver caught
his eye. In his job he was accustomed to reacting to flashes like that...
The bartender moved quickly behind some furniture, reaching for a
heavy club. Then he realized that the flash came from a pair of silver
chopsticks with a monogram embossed on them.
The bartender put down his weapon, but his heart rate speeded upconsiderably. Even though he could not see the monogram from where he
was standing, the bartender now knew who this compact man was.
An unassuming man who never raised his voice, never used foul
language, was always neatly dressed, who never drank let alone throw up
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after drinking. A man who said his pleases and thank yous. Every bartender,
every casino manager, every bail bondsman, every collection agent, every
slum landlord, every bounty hunter, every mortgage specialist and every
fund manager shook with fear when he saw this man.
The man that Michael Booze Lee was trying to meet.
This compact man was Frederick Estes Delano, but no one ever called
him Fred. His enemies were many, and they called him all kinds of vulgar
names. His disciples referred to him in respectful terms. Everybody else
addressed him by his title: The Regulator.
*
The Regulator continued eating his peanuts, picking them delicately
from the plate with his chopsticks. He sipped at his lemonade by moving the
glass with just the tips of his fingers.
More men entered the bar. Tough, powerful men, some so tall that
they had to stoop to enter and others so broad-shouldered that they had to
turn to get in. They did not hesitate or break their stride when they saw a
small man seated in the middle of the bar counter with empty chairs beside
him. When they came near and noticed the silver chopsticks with the
monogram, however, they changed their minds about sitting at the bar.
Not one of the men made a u-turn and a hasty exit. Every single man
steeled himself, and walked cautiously at a normal pace towards a seat far
away. Showing fear and making a hasty departure would have been out of
place. The Regulator was known to notice things that were out of place.
The Regulator once said: Anything that is out of place may provoke a
reaction from me.It was not wise to provoke any reaction from The Regulator.
*
The Regulator had spent years training his kung-fu. He remembered
his masters advice well.
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Delano, I have taught you how to fight. And to attack quickly if need
be. But always remember to be patient. The essence of our kung-fu lies in
our ability to regulate ourselves. No matter how dangerous the situation is,
we remain calm. And wait. When an opponent makes a mistake, only then
do we make our move
Be patient.
Wait for the right moment.
Wait for your enemy to slip up.
I have a long way to go before I can fill Masters shoes, the Regulator
thought as he caught himself looking at his watch. I am still too impetuous.
Five-thirty in the afternoon.
They are taking too long, the Regulator thought. Have they... have
they been intercepted along the way?
The Regulators silver chopsticks clinked against each other. He looked
down at his plate and found that the peanuts were finished. He glanced
forward and saw that his lemonade was finished. And he made up his mind.
Raising a modestly-sized, smooth-skinned hand, the Regulator called
for the bill. The bartender did not raise an eyebrow when the Regulator paid
exactly what was on the bill.
Asking for any undocumented payment from the Regulator was asking
for trouble.
*
After he left the bar, the Regulator got onto his Otto and traveled
down the highway that he expected Michael to come by.
When the Regulator saw an abandoned Karl by the roadside, a badfeeling chilled his bones. But being the Regulator, he did not show his
feelings. He parked his Otto and got off, warily scanning the surrounding
area to avoid being ambushed.
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Having detected no one in hiding, the Regulator approached the Karl
cautiously.
At first he was not sure about this Karl. It looked like a rental. But he
saw the empty baby seats inside the Karl all empty except for one baby
who looked a lot like a boy from the Regulators childhood memories. And he
knew this had to be Michael Lees Karl.
The Regulators face remained impassive, but his lower lip twitched
slightly.
My childhood friend, Michael. And wife Cindy. They would never have
abandoned a baby just like this! They must have been forcibly dragged off
by bad people... leaving one this must have broken their hearts...
No!
The Regulator fell to his knees. He burst into tears. And he howled to
heaven and earth, vowing to find and rescue his old friend. He beat his chest
and cursed whoever was cruel enough to separate a newborn from its
parents.
The Regulator permitted these emotions to run wild for a grand total of
ten seconds. True to his well-regulated nature, he stopped being emotional
and started looking for clues.
Now, how did Michael and Cindy vanish? Who took them, and how?
The Regulator carefully examined the surrounding area, looking for
signs of fighting.
Nothing. Michael and Cindy must have been subdued fairly easily.
These cannot be common criminals. Hmm...
The Regulator went through a mental list of the people who might beresponsible.
Not much of a fight. Legal attacks often leave no physical marks. Did
Michael do anything to incur the wrath of a lawyer? What did he say over the
phone again?
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And then the Regulator realized.
The Collectors!
On looking inside the Karl, the Regulator saw the thick stack of papers
a Collector had tossed inside earlier. He climbed onto the front passenger
seat and picked up the enormous document.
The Regulators master had ordered him to read dense manuals and
sacred tomes filled with abstract text and secret jargon. So the Regulator
developed the ability to speed-read. He now employed this kung-fu and
flipped through the document at a tremendous pace, stopping only at
several pages to re-read the contents.
Hm!
Although his face betrayed an increasingly stern displeasure, the
Regulator did not stop until he had finished flipping through to the last page
and read every single Final Clause and Supplementary Final Clause and
Appended Supplementary Final Clause and Exception and Exception to
Exceptions and Exception to Exceptions to Exceptions.
After spending only fifteen minutes going through this massive tome,
the Regulator slammed the document down on the drivers seat.
What in the...! The Regulator declared; incensed at what he had read.
The baby started crying. The Regulator quickly became gentle and
comforting. But his anger remained.
Michael was right, the Regulator said to himself as he rocked the
baby back to sleep. These Creditors and their Collectors are no good. Now
where can I find
Quite conveniently, the Collectors had kindly listed the address of theirhead office in one appendix to the contract.
Thats their lair? Ill deal with them! The Regulator vowed. After
carefully strapping the baby seat into his Otto, the Regulator went looking
for the Collectors.
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*
The Collectors head office was a massive building taken straight from
some Gothic fantasy. It was ornate beyond ornate and more baroque than
baroque. The walls were covered with poison ivy and thorny plants.
Gargoyles and similarly nightmarish creatures guarded the exterior at
regular intervals.
Whatever weathered stone exterior that showed through the ivy was
falling apart. Some of the windows were boarded up with thin, partially
rotting plywood. It looked vaguely like a crumbling film set for a haunted
house or an abandoned mansion taken over by squatters.
Punctilious as always, the Regulator read the sign that was displayed
on a piece of stonework outside the Collectors lair:
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS FOR DEBT RECOVERY ASSURED
COLLECTORS, UNDERWRITERS, LIQUIDATORS AND AGENTS
The vampires lair, the Regulator commented acidly and marched
past the rusty gates into the compound.
Hoi! You are not allowed to enter! A voice called out.
Says who? The Regulator turned around to find a portly armed guard
approaching him from the left. This man looked as though he had been
stuffed with offal drowned in tequila. There was another armed guard
approaching from the Regulators right, a thin man with greasy hair, greasy
skin and a couple of mean streaks in his eyes.
No one enters our grounds without permission! The thin guardsnarled. What do you want?
To speak to your Collectors, the Regulator answered.
Many people like to talk to our Collectors, sneered the thin guard.
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They are always asking for the same things. More time, mercy,
special considerations the portly guard guffawed. As if these losers can
get any from our mighty Collectors!
The Regulator did not move, but his eyes swept swiftly from one man
to the other.
I must speak to your Collectors. I suspect they have taken away a
friend of mine, the Regulator stated.
The portly guard sized up the Regulator. Here was a small man in a
suit and tie and seemingly without any weapons.
Oho! The portly guard roared. Then you have to speak to me first!
I have no time for that! The Regulator responded.
Then fight with me! The thin guard grinned. He was nearly a head
taller than the Regulator, and thought it would be an easy fight.
Stand aside! The Regulator waved his arm. Or face the
consequences!
Youre not getting in! The portly guard bellowed.
Get him! The thin guard cried out.
The two armed guards came at the Regulator, waving heavy
truncheons and batons. The Regulator let the guards make their attacks,
thereby opening themselves up to his countering moves.
With a swift wave of one arm, the Regulator grabbed the portly guard
and slammed him face first against a tree trunk. The guard crumpled onto
the ground, out colder than leftover turkey after the holiday season.
The tall, thin guard charged forward, but the Regulator moved to one
side, sweeping one foot along the ground. The tall, thin guard trippedviolently and was flipped over like a piece of bacon on a frying pan.
The Regulator now marched unopposed into the building.
There was a secretary sitting at the front desk. She was probably forty
years old but looked fifty, and she was practicing her specialized kung-fu of
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nail-painting and manicure. Her eyes looked as vacant as a cardboard house
on an ice floe in the middle of the Arctic.
Where are Michael Lee and Cindy Roth? The Regulator demanded.
Uh... I dont know...
Anticipating this answer the minute he saw the secretarys eyes, the
Regulator had marched off already. He strode straight into the nearest office,
where he grabbed a clerk and lifted him into the air.
Where are your Collectors?
Hall... end... I show... the clerk stammered.
The Regulator marched out into the hallway with the clerk still on his
arm. The clerk pointed to a huge set of doors at the extreme end of the
hallway with a trembling finger.
Thank you, the Regulator said and let go of the clerk.
No! The clerk gasped as he slammed face first onto the carpet. A
little cloud of dust rose all around the hapless man.
The Regulator marched swiftly down the hallway towards the set of
twin doors. He tried the handles, and when he found them locked, he simply
let out a roar and slammed his palms against the doors.
Hot Pursuit Entry!
There was no way an ordinary barrier could stand against the
Regulators Hot Pursuit Entry kung-fu. The great-grandmaster who had
founded the Regulators school developed this kung-fu so that heroes could
smash their way past barriers when pursuing criminals. Although these
doors were extraordinarily heavy and locked fast by a thick metal bolt, they
simply fell off their hinges when the Regulator struck them.Bash him!
Whack him good!
A group of Collectors were watching TV inside the room. The program
involved various forms of wrestling and punching and leaping on fallen
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opponents, and the Collectors evidently enjoyed it. They were cheering so
loudly that they did not even hear the doors crash onto the stained linoleum
floors.
The Regulator wasted no time marching between the Collectors and
their precious television.
What have you people done with Michael Lee and Cindy Roth?
Who do you think A Collector began. But he stopped when he
recognized the Regulator. The Regu The Collector could not bring himself
to finish the word.
Wah... Several shifty pairs of eyes fastened on the Regulator
momentarily, then slid away as quickly as rats scampering from cats.
A silence followed.
Well? Im waiting for an answer, the Regulator stood with hands
clasped behind his back.
We dont...
Crash!
The Regulator had made only the slightest of gestures with his hands,
but the television shattered.
I know you took them, the Regulator spoke in the silence that
followed.
How can you be so sure...
I am the Regulator, came the answer. Of course I know.
An uncomfortable silence followed. All the Collectors were clearly
wishing to scuttle away and find places to hide, but no one dared to move in
the presence of an opponent as formidable as the Regulator.Where are they? The Regulator demanded.
We dont know...
You took them.
Well... yes... a man admitted. They owed money.
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Ill decide if they really owed you money, the Regulator said,
unclasping his hands from behind.
No, the man answered hastily. We originally wanted to take them in.
But they were taken away from us in turn.
Do you think I believe you? The Regulator demanded. You are the
Collectors. You people are famous for your Grab and Hold kung-fu. You dont
let go of anything!
No, its true, a second man spoke up. Youve got to believe us!
Im a monkeys uncle, aunt and son all at the same time if I believe
you, snarled the Regulator. You Collectors are so greedy, you will dig up
dead bodies and strip them of body parts to sell!
No! You dont understand, Mister Regulator! A third Collector came
forward towards the Regulator, an imploring looking on his face. The
Regulator waved his hand, striking the man with his fingertips. The Collector
was sent flying backwards where he slammed heavily into a wall.
Why must I believe you? The Regulator advanced on the second man.
This Collector looked afraid, but stood his ground.
They have been kidnapped, explained the second man. By some of
the Eleven Evil Entities.
What? Is this true? The Regulator demanded.
Yes... yes... they took the couple South of the Border...
South of the Border... The Regulators face darkened. It was evident
that he was close to believing this man, but nobody dared suggest that the
Regulator was a monkeys uncle, aunt and son all at the same time.
Yes, yes, South of the Border, the man said. He could not resist aslight delight entering his voice.
You smile at this? You like this? The Regulator demanded.
Uh...
Taken by surprise, the man stumbled on his words.
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Let me guess. You think I dont dare to cross the Border?
No, no...
You want me to take you across the Border with me? To visit the
Eleven Evil Entities?
No! The man gasped. He fell on his knees. Please dont take me
across the Border!
You will pursue people to the ends of the earth. Whats so scary about
crossing the Border?
The ends of the Real World only, Mister Regulator, sir! The man
begged. We dare not cross the Border!
Call yourself a Collector, the Regulator sneered. You only dare bully
the weak!
The man lowered his head. He was a member of the Collectors and
was accustomed to using all kinds of ways to collect debts. But the Eleven...
no way he was going to have contact with them. They were called the Eleven
Evil Entities for good reason. It was said that they were demons or aliens,
not regular people.
The Regulator folded his arms. Before you send me on a wild goose
chase, I want to know why the Eleven Evil Entities took Michael Lee.
Uh...
Go on. Im listening! The Regulator roared.
We... sir... Mister Regulator... I... we... have no explanation... The
man stammered at last.
The Collector would normally come back with a slick response that
sounded perfectly logical. This time, he was so frightened of the Regulatorthat he couldnt think. So he answered that he had no explanation. Ironically,
the Regulator was willing to trust this response precisely because it was not
a slick answer.
The Eleven...
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The Regulator was used to dealing with fiendish plots and complicated
schemes. So he quickly thought up a dozen reasons why the Evil Entities
would want Michael Lee and his wife. And he convinced himself of these
reasons, without any further input from the Collector.
Ill have to take back my friend from these Eleven oxygen-wasting
pieces of garbage, the Regulator decided aloud. Ill deal with you people
when I come back.
The Regulator turned around and strode off. Normally careful, he was
in too much of a hurry to save his childhood friend. He did not notice the
look on the Collectors face.
*
The Regulator was disciplined enough to keep going even if he was
hungry, but the baby was not. Less than an hour out of town, the baby
began crying. At first the Regulator wanted to hold off until he could find a
proper hospital to drop off the baby. But he did not pass any hospital, and
the babys cries grew louder.
Since his kung-fu master had always told the Regulator to be vigilant,
the Regulator had never learned the kung-fu of turning his ears deaf. Unable
to shut off the crying sounds, he was eventually forced to stop at a roadside
diner to buy some milk for the baby.
While he was feeding the baby from a bottle, the Regulator started
feeling hungry.
Lady, can I have the menu, please? The Regulator asked in his usual
courteous tone.
Surprised at being called a lady, the waitress raised an eyebrow. Butsince the Regulator did not seem to be sarcastic, she smiled and took out
the cleanest, least creased menu and handed it to him with both hands.
The Regulator looked at the menu with increasing dismay:
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Veggies: Justice Leek.
Bread: Judge Bread, Submariner Sandwich.
Burgers: The Whizzer.
Noodles: Fantastic Pho, Soup Ramen, Wonder Ramen.
Meats: The Flesh with Daredevilled Eggs, Ziggy Pork Chops, Super
Rabbit Stew with Power Basil, Incredible Hunk of Pepper Steak.
Desert: Gingerbread Man, Battered Man, Peacher Pie.
Garnishers...
Mister, do you want anything to eat? The waitress asked eagerly.
This menu reads like something produced by a semi-literate
teenager, the Regulator pronounced sternly.
I wrote it, the cook turned around. He looked younger than the
average Karl and sported a face that reminded the Regulator of a volcanic
landscape.
The Regulator looked sternly at the cook. You should be studying in Li
Hais School.
Quit Hais School in my first year, came the reply.
You quit? No wonder you dont even have the basics.
Like? The cook sounded as though he had heard this a thousand
times before.
You can barely read and write, the Regulator tapped the menu.
Is that important?
The Regulator gestured with his fingers in the cooks direction.
Without the basic kung-fu of reading and writing and math, you cantunderstand the more advanced kung-fu tomes and manuals. So you can
never go to a more advanced Kung-fu academy and learn higher level kung-
fu. Youll always be at the bottom of society.
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Higher level kung-fu? The cook sneered. With the outrageous fees
they demand, do you think I can afford to attend an advanced academy?
The Regulator was not accustomed to responses like this, and racked
his mind for an answer. At last he said: At least Li Hais School is free.
After which? The cook sneered again, jerking his chin defiantly at the
Regulator. I graduate from Hais School, get a minimum-wage job, then
save for a thousand years to pay for my first year in an advanced academy?
You could try for loans, the Regulator suggested. Then he cursed
himself inwardly. After what he had seen happen to Michael Lee...
Ya, ya! The cook sneered, twisting his volcanic landscape of a face
like an earthquake. Are you suggesting that I borrow from the Creditors?
And hope to pay back before they send their Collectors after me?
At a loss on how to reply, the Regulator simply repeated himself. You
could still have completed basic schooling at Li Hais School first.
The waitress looked at the cook. I told you, you should at least stay
long enough to get a diploma from Hais School. The basic kung-fu they
impart to you are valuable.
Worthless in the Real World, the cook replied.
Worthless? The Regulator raised a hand.
They teach nothing but book stuff, the cook replied. And their book
stuff all that fee-sicks, care-mystery and buy-all-logic and meth-the-
matics rubbish these dont help me in the Real World.
The Real World is dominated by people who have mastered high
levels of kung-fu. Doctors, lawyers, bankers, the like, the Regulator said
sternly. They have powerful kung-fu because they went to advanced kung-fu academies. They were able to go to these advanced academies, because
they mastered the kung-fu basics in Li Hais School.
My Real World is not the same as your Real World, the cook
shrugged.
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The waitress jerked her head towards the cook while addressing the
Regulator. To him, the Real World is filled with tough teenage boys. Hais
School doesnt teach the right kung-fu to deal with these boys.
Exactly, the cook said. While talking, he waved his spatula
dramatically in the Regulators direction. This caused specks of grease and
food bits to fly out. The Regulator swiftly picked up a napkin and blocked the
specks of grease and food before they could hit his perfectly pressed suit.
Wow. Im impressed, the cooks eyes opened wide. The Regulator
had not even wrinkled the suit while making his move.
That wasnt intended, the waitress said hastily. Boy, put down the
spatula when you talk to customers.
No problem, the Regulator replied. See here, boy, he addressed
the cook. When you learn such high levels of kung-fu, you can do almost
anything. You can lead a company. You can head an organization. You can
manage a corporation. Everyone will bow to you and pay you respect...
The cook did not respond, so the Regulator decided to try a different
approach.
Well, I hate to admit this, the Regulator sighed as he lifted his
napkin. But with the right kung-fu, dirt wont even stick to you. And the
Regulator twitched his wrist. It was the slightest, almost imperceptible
movement but the specks of grease and food were tossed off the napkin
instantly. The Regulator now showed both the cook and the waitress his
perfectly clean napkin. Some of the food bits which landed on the napkin
had been very greasy, but no stains were visible on the napkin anymore.
Oh my goodness! That is just the perfect kung-fu for me! Thewaitress was wide-eyed with excitement. How did you make it so clean?
Its the kung-fu of Accountancy, the Regulator said as he folded up
the napkin. That move is called Cleaning The Books. Allows you to move
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dirty items off any surface. You wont soil yourself or leave any traces
behind.
Now he looked directly at the cook: How do you like that?
I like that, the cook licked his lips.
So why do you not want to hang on in Hais School? The Regulator
turned a hand over, palm upwards, and stretched it out rhetorically at the
cook. Learn the theory, then go on and find some way to get into an
advanced kung-fu academy. There are such things as loans and scholarships
and financial aid programs. And now the Regulator closed his hand and
raised a finger like a teacher. Once in an advanced academy, you could
learn more powerful kung-fu. Its just a matter of enduring the tough times.
I wasnt sure I could live that long, the boy shrugged.
What do you mean?
Havent you heard of the phrase, Survive Hais School? The waitress
asked.
Of course. That isnt that hard, is it?
What do you mean? The cooks expression showed that he saw the
Regulator as a typical adult. One who did not understand school life in the
Real World. Every day is a battle for survival! We had impromptu kung-fu
tournaments in school every day!
The cooks eyes rolled upwards as he reminisced: Punch here, kick
there, shove here, poke there; slam this, smash that, hit this, box that...
The cooks hands started moving about menacingly.
Sounds rough, the Regulator broke in to stop the cook from waving
his spatula around. When I went through Li Hais School, things were a lotbetter. Students just sat at their desks and learned the theory. There wasnt
a whole lot of fighting.
Youre kidding! The cook stared at the Regulator. No fighting in
Hais School?
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Except between classes and after school, the Regulator admitted
after a short pause. But well, we did have plenty of energy. And you need
to practice what you just learned. But, ahem, well, it was just a bit of rough
play. Nothing life-threatening.
Times have changed, old man, the cook replied as he put down the
spatula. When I got in Hais School, they had just gotten metal detectors to
stop people bringing in weapons. Then people started carrying bokken
thats wooden swords, wooden clubs, shuriken made of tough plastic,
ceramic ninja claws, nunchakus... and then the authorities hired turkey
bacon to conduct strip searches...
Their own private security guards, the waitress added, in case the
Regulator did not understand the slang the cook was using.
... and there were still duels and gang fights all the time. Practically
everyone was carrying some lethal weapon, hidden inside an innocent-
looking daily object, the cook concluded.
You dont know how Hais School is like nowadays, the waitress
sighed. Youngsters risk their lives by going.
Its tough in The Real World, the Regulator commented mildly.
There was a pause during which nobody talked. The cook turned back
to his stove.
Well, what do you want to eat? The waitress asked.
Give me some salad, please, the Regulator said. Without dressing or
cheeses. Olive oil is acceptable. Thank you.
Once both the Regulator and the infant had finished their meals, the
Regulator paid and left. Hang on, mister, the waitress called out. Youre heading in the
wrong direction. That way is South.
I am heading for the Border, the Regulator replied.
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Charles J. Lee
The waitress watched the Regulator and his Otto disappear over the
horizon. Her pleasant and caring face was clouded over.
I hope nothing happens to him, the waitress said to herself.
The cook picked up the napkin that the Regulator had used to block his
grease bits. He turned over the napkin several times to make sure there was
no trick or illusion involved.
This is quite amazing, the cook commented. Hack-Count-Ten-See,
he said?
The waitress did not answer. She wiped her hands uncomfortably over
her apron. Having worked at this roadside diner for years, she knew that not
everyone who crossed the Border came back. And some took many years to
return.
Next: Street Child