Martoons

Cast of characters

Dame

Miss No

Donna

Mr E

Mr Go

Taxi driver

*

Sunrise was set for 7:28. Staking out a good spot on the beach, Dame was fumbling around in his jacket pocket for smokes.

With Miss No coming up from behind, he churned his prank over madly in his head.

I’m going to pull this off right in front of her face but in such a way that she won’t know it’s me – or Fred! Showtime!

* What is his ‘prank’ going to be? *

“What’s with the smug smile?” Donna said to Dame as the others arrived at the spot.

Dame puffed again and tapped the ash off his cigarette.

“About time you three got here. This is going to be a choice piece of real estate in a few minutes – and thanks to me we got it staked-out.”

“Fred – where go?” Miss No snapped.

“Went to get some beverages,” Dame replied casually. “He’s coming right back.”

“I’m very worried. Worried sick. Paranoid. You foreigners must be careful. I told you that, didn’t I? I don’t want you mingling with the wrong people.”

Dame was puzzled and his face contorted. “Miss No, relax. Honestly, Korea is one of the safest places I’ve ever been. Look, do you want me to go get him?”

She vigorously waved him off. “Stay right here! The last thing in the world is for me to lose you too.”

Still puzzled, Dame shrugged. E pulled out a smoke and asked Dame for a light.

“Ayeesh!” No said, frustrated that she’d let Fred out of her sight and as a reaction lashed out at E.

“All this fresh air and that’s the first thing you want to do is stab yourself in the heart with one of those white knives. Smokers – Ayeesh!”

“You have a poetic side Miss No,” Dame quipped.

“But think of the bright side: You get the satisfaction of being able to watch us slowly kill ourselves off with these very same white knives.”

“Yes, but you keep coming back to life…” She turned away and rejoined Donna.

*

Go was relieved to be sitting in the warm cab back to Chinju and quickly dozed off.

He’d made the three-hour Ulsan-Chinju journey a few times to visit Mr Kang, and that was enough.

For the most part, it was a humdrum drive. Other than the odd, smallish mountain, the scenery wasn’t striking even on the sunniest of days.

Presently, it was night and black.

He woke up about ninety minutes later and glanced leftward to check the dashboard clock. About an hour left in the trip.

Then he noticed the fuel gauge and turned to the cabby.

“Oh! Did you know you’re getting low on fuel?” He tried his best to not show the minor panic that had gripped him.

“I know, I know, I know,” the cabby said, as this was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Didn’t I mention that back at the beach? Still – one quarter tank left. Should make it no problem.

“I do this trip many times. But I will slow down a bit to stretch out the remaining fuel.” He decreased speed from 120 km/h to 80.

The reduced speed calmed Go’s mind but now he wondered if they’d make it back in time.

* Will they make it back in time? *

He hashed over his secret plan. The secret meeting with Fred will be straight forward.

The only thing I’m counting on is that my friend will answer his phone when I call him.

*

Tomorrow: The news is troubling.