Richardwasexultantandbeaming.HewasvolublyretingtoDimitrihowtheytookbackWorldBank.

    “Ohboy!Youshouldhavebeenthere!Itwasreallygreat!Sodramatic!ThankstoMegginnwhahewholethingsometiculously,takingcareofthemidetail,wewereabletocarryoutthepnseamlesslywithoutahitch.ThiswasallduetoMegginn.”Dimitrisippedhisbeerleisurelyandasked,

    “Youtwodon’twanttobepresidentandvice-presidentofWorldBank.Whatdoyouiodo?”

    “Wehaven’tgivenitmuchthoughtyet”admittedRichard.“JamazandIhavespentsomuchtimeinterror,alwaysontherun,justoepaheadofassassinsthatournervousarereallyshot.Weiotakeiteasyforawhileandspendsometimerecuperating,enjoyingourfreedom,justdoingwhateverwefeellikewheneverwewantto,totallyunencumbered.Ifwedon’twanttodoanythiwon’t!”

    “Great!”saidJamaz.Takingupthebeerbottleheliftedhisheadandtookaswing.“That’salsomyideaofanideallife”headded.Thensuddenly,heswungaroundandjumpedupwiththebottlestillinhishand.Pointingatthetall,darkbushesheshouted,“Who’shidingtheresostealthily?eonout!”

    Fromoutoftheshadowscameatall,rgeandimposingfigure,butwithatoddling,unsteadygait.RichardandJamazcriedoutsimultaneously,

    “It’syou?OliverKaffee?”

    “Good!”excimedRichard.“Thisisswell!Ofallthepcesyoucouldhavegoo,youchoosetoehererightintoourhands!!You’redeadmeat,man!Whatareyouherefor?Doyou...”Dimitriinterrupted,

    “ehere,oldfriend.Putdownyourheavyburdensaforawhile.Iknowyouarehungry,thirstyanddogtired.Sitwithusandfillyourstomachbeforewetalk.”Knowingthathehadalreadysunktoroandhadoturntoanyway,OliverKaffeetooka‘ewhatmay’attitude.Ignthefactthathemaybeinthehandsofdeadlyfoes,peoplehehadgreatlywronged,hedecidedtosatehishungerfirst.Hesatdownnontlyonthegroundliketherabbedapieeatandgobbleditdownies.Hedrankthirstilyfromthebottleandwolfeddowhinginsightbeforebelgloudlyinsatisfa.Thenhesighedandsaidshame-facedlytoDimitri.

    “IIhavegreatlywrongedyou.Youhelpedme,promotedme,butIspiredagainstyouandtriedtorobyouofyourforturiedtokillyou.TodayIknoronganddeeplyregretwhatIhavedoit’stoote.YoutellmewhatIshoulddonow,Dimitriandevenifyouwaodie,Iacceptyourdecreewithatioment,withoutamurmur.”Dimitrismiledathim,

    7

    “WhywouldIwantyoutodie?Inmyview,deathdoes.Lifeahhasnodefiniteborderahisnotthebestunishpeople.IhaveabetterwaytoreformasihewordsseemedtotouchacoreinOliverKaffee,whomusedandseemedengrossedinthoughtasifenlightened.HeturnedandsawRichardandJamaz.Heaskedthem,

    “Wherehaveyoutwobeenhidingallthistime?MypeoplelookedallovertheBayArea,ateverynookandybutcouldfindnotraceofyou.ThatiswhyIhavebeenonpinsandneedles,restlesswithay.Ifyoutwoescapedmeanduncoveredmyspiracy,youwillexposemeforthehypocriteIamandIwilllosemyreputationandhavenostandinginsociety.”

    “Soyoutooknowwhatitistobeonpinsandneedles,eh?”saidRichard.“Itwaslikethatforus.Wehadtobeontherunandlookoverourshouldersallthetime.Weseeeverybushandtreeasysingtokillus.Why?Whymakeeveryoremelynervousanduohaveamomentofpeadquiet?Well,nowthatitdoesn’tmatteranymoreItellyouweneverlefttheBayArea.Wehidinasmalltemplebytheke.It’sluckyyouhoughttolookf

Richardwasexultantandbeaming.HewasvolublyretingtoDimitrihowtheytookbackWorldBank.

    “Ohboy!Youshouldhavebeenthere!Itwasreallygreat!Sodramatic!ThankstoMegginnwhahewholethingsometiculously,takingcareofthemidetail,wewereabletocarryoutthepnseamlesslywithoutahitch.ThiswasallduetoMegginn.”Dimitrisippedhisbeerleisurelyandasked,

    “Youtwodon’twanttobepresidentandvice-presidentofWorldBank.Whatdoyouiodo?”

    “Wehaven’tgivenitmuchthoughtyet”admittedRichard.“JamazandIhavespentsomuchtimeinterror,alwaysontherun,justoepaheadofassassinsthatournervousarereallyshot.Weiotakeiteasyforawhileandspendsometimerecuperating,enjoyingourfreedom,justdoingwhateverwefeellikewheneverwewantto,totallyunencumbered.Ifwedon’twanttodoanythiwon’t!”

    “Great!”saidJamaz.Takingupthebeerbottleheliftedhisheadandtookaswing.“That’salsomyideaofanideallife”headded.Thensuddenly,heswungaroundandjumpedupwiththebottlestillinhishand.Pointingatthetall,darkbushesheshouted,“Who’shidingtheresostealthily?eonout!”

    Fromoutoftheshadowscameatall,rgeandimposingfigure,butwithatoddling,unsteadygait.RichardandJamazcriedoutsimultaneously,

    “It’syou?OliverKaffee?”

    “Good!”excimedRichard.“Thisisswell!Ofallthepcesyoucouldhavegoo,youchoosetoehererightintoourhands!!You’redeadmeat,man!Whatareyouherefor?Doyou...”Dimitriinterrupted,

    “ehere,oldfriend.Putdownyourheavyburdensaforawhile.Iknowyouarehungry,thirstyanddogtired.Sitwithusandfillyourstomachbeforewetalk.”Knowingthathehadalreadysunktoroandhadoturntoanyway,OliverKaffeetooka‘ewhatmay’attitude.Ignthefactthathemaybeinthehandsofdeadlyfoes,peoplehehadgreatlywronged,hedecidedtosatehishungerfirst.Hesatdownnontlyonthegroundliketherabbedapieeatandgobbleditdownies.Hedrankthirstilyfromthebottleandwolfeddowhinginsightbeforebelgloudlyinsatisfa.Thenhesighedandsaidshame-facedlytoDimitri.

    “IIhavegreatlywrongedyou.Youhelpedme,promotedme,butIspiredagainstyouandtriedtorobyouofyourforturiedtokillyou.TodayIknoronganddeeplyregretwhatIhavedoit’stoote.YoutellmewhatIshoulddonow,Dimitriandevenifyouwaodie,Iacceptyourdecreewithatioment,withoutamurmur.”Dimitrismiledathim,

    7

    “WhywouldIwantyoutodie?Inmyview,deathdoes.Lifeahhasnodefiniteborderahisnotthebestunishpeople.IhaveabetterwaytoreformasihewordsseemedtotouchacoreinOliverKaffee,whomusedandseemedengrossedinthoughtasifenlightened.HeturnedandsawRichardandJamaz.Heaskedthem,

    “Wherehaveyoutwobeenhidingallthistime?MypeoplelookedallovertheBayArea,ateverynookandybutcouldfindnotraceofyou.ThatiswhyIhavebeenonpinsandneedles,restlesswithay.Ifyoutwoescapedmeanduncoveredmyspiracy,youwillexposemeforthehypocriteIamandIwilllosemyreputationandhavenostandinginsociety.”

    “Soyoutooknowwhatitistobeonpinsandneedles,eh?”saidRichard.“Itwaslikethatforus.Wehadtobeontherunandlookoverourshouldersallthetime.Weseeeverybushandtreeasysingtokillus.Why?Whymakeeveryoremelynervousanduohaveamomentofpeadquiet?Well,nowthatitdoesn’tmatteranymoreItellyouweneverlefttheBayArea.Wehidinasmalltemplebytheke.It’sluckyyouhoughttolookf