Martoons

Cast of characters

Miss No

Donna

Owner of Big Top Soju Tent

*

The owner began pinching his arm.

“What are you doing?” Miss No asked; her face all screwed up with skepticism.

“Trying to figure out if this whole thing is a dream.” He chuckled.

“Ouch!” He stopped pinching his inner arm and, instead, rubbed the now purple and wrinkled area to relieve the pain.

“Well, guess I am really sitting here talking to you.” He chuckled. “Sorry about that. Anyway, I don’t have any more information on Santa Beardy.”

“He just vanished. Kapoof! May I ask if you’re looking for him or something? If I see him I could…”

No waved him off. “Yeah – looking for him, but not trying to find him, if that makes any sense.”

“I just want to know where he is so I can keep my eye on him and keep my people away from him!”

“I’m protecting some important people here today for a few more hours. Santa Beard is bad news and I’m really hoping I don’t run into him this morning.”

The owner’s face took on a more serious expression. “Ah, yeah.” He thrust a forefinger into the air. “Just a minute.”

He got up from behind the counter and went over to the table where the three guys had been.

* What is the owner going to do? *

He did a cursory inspection of the area, which included getting down on his hands and knees and crawling partially under the table and snooping around like a dog.

Miss No looked at Donna and they exchanged eye rolls and shrugs.

Then the owner got back up, wiped the sand off his hands, and returned promptly.

“May I ask what you were doing?” No looked quizzical.

“Oh, remember I told you there were some customers in here months ago, who burrowed out of this tent to avoid paying me?”

“And they did it such that I didn’t see them?”

“I was just trying to figure out if Santa Beard – who seemed to suddenly disappear from this table last night – had maybe, just maybe, burrowed out of here.”

He chuckled. “Not likely I suppose, but I’m just trying to help you. Some things just don’t add up here.”

“Well,” No said, “do you think he did?”

He waved her off. “There isn’t any sand pile under the table like the last time those jokers did that.”

“And that time the place was jam-packed with soldiers and I was super busy. Last night it was only those guys and I’m sure I would have noticed.”

He chuckled again and pointed to a garden shovel that was leaning up against the tent wall nearby.

“Guess I should put that shovel away – it’s been there since that soldier night.

“I shoveled sand into the hole right after I discovered that those idiots had fled.”

“I only got around to plugging the entrance though. Haven’t had time to fix the entire tunnel.”

“ It actually goes right under the wall over there and leads out to the foot of that stairwell that ascends to the taxi lot!”

“I really should fill it all in. What if it collapses? Someone could get hurt.”

He shook his head and laughed again. “Can you believe that a bunch of drunken soldier soju drinkers would be cunning enough to dig a little tunnel like that?”

“Just to save a night’s drinking tab? Ah…” He reminisced. “Youth.”

Miss No didn’t believe the story, but was thinking about the inconsistency the owner had just pointed out – how could Santa Beard have been there one minute then gone the next, replaced by someone else?

* Do you think she’s going to figure it out? *

She was going to cross-examine the owner for a description of this someone else, but now found herself getting too deep into this.

One thing was certain: Mr. Go had definitely been here talking to Santa Kang.

* But that’s not certain now is it… *

No gave a slight bow and turned to walk away.

*

Tomorrow: Dame and E are left in the cold.