liverKaffee.WithmeisBigO.It’sveryte.Areweinterruptingyou?”

    “Ohno.No.No.eonin.”BigOstoopeddownandMr.Kaffeesteppedontohisshoulders.BigOstoodupgradually,gavehisfriendamightyshoveandpushedMr.Kaffeethroughthewindow.Afterthat,he,too,jumpedin.Dimitri’slittlestudioapartmentwasinglivelybutcrowded.Therewasonlyasingleloveseatintheroom.DimitriandMr.Kaffeesatonit,sotheothershadtositonthefloor.RichardandJamazwereco-hostsforthisoccasion,soRichardcookedthechopswhileJamazstooduptopourthedrinks.ButDimitrihadonlyonegss,sointheendeveryonedrankstraightfromthebottle.RichardandJamazhadbeegoodfriendswithBigOafterthethreeofthemfoughttogetheragainstHawkherewasaradeshipbetweehatdefiedvention.Mr.KaffeeandDimitrichattedforawhileandDimitritoldhimabouthisfightolloandhowtheyterjoinedhandstokilltheninemonsterswhomasqueradedasninesuns.Hisaudiencewasallcaptivatedbyhisstoryaasiftheywerelisteningtoamyth.Justthen,arockwasthrownintotheroomandhitJamaz’shead.Hejumpedupaothewind,“Whi-of-a-bitchthrewthatrock?Scramoutameseeyou!”Helookedoutofthewindowbuthere.Jamazwassurprisedandwonderedwhocouldhavemovedsoswiftly.Heexpectedatleasttoseeafleeingfigure.Hesworeattheemptystreetabacktositonthefloor.

    “Retly”saidRichard,“astrangeoldmanhasbeenseenaroundhere.Heisadwarfwithalongwhitebeardandfieryeyes.Heisverynosy,pokinghisnoseeverywhereandisiedihing.Hekeepsaskiionsandisreallyannoyingpeople.Nooneknowswherehelivesbuthehangsaroundhere.Ireallywonderwhoheis...”Beforehefinishedspeaking,anotherrockcameflyingintotheroomandhithimonthehead.Richardwassoangryherushedtothewindowandbegancussingout,“WhotheFKisoutthere?Whinedson-of-a-bitchthrewthatrock?Whatthehelldoyouwant?eonoutyoufriloser,fricoward....”Richardlookedoutofthewindow,buthetoosawnothinginthedark,emptystreets.Astrange,cragughtersoundedandaricolddwarf,withalongwhitebeardwhohadbeenhidingagainstthewallrightuhewindowsill,cameout,saying

    “Youguysdaretothrowhandgreootherpeople’shouses,why’tIthrowsomerocksatyours?Dorocksscareyou?Ha-ha-ha-ha!”Hiswordsterrifiedeveryoheroomandtheywonderedwhothisstrangemanwaswhokneweverything,includihrowingofhandgreheycautiohemselvestobeoasthiswassomeoobeonguardagainst.

    18

    “Hey!”tiheoldman,“Youpeoplehavegoodfoodandliquor,whydon’tyouoffermesome?Iamdrooling!Someoneeoutandcarrymein.”RichardlookedatDimitri,whonodded,soRichardjumpedoutofthewindow,cspedhimbythewaistfrombehindandraisedhimtothewindowsill.Theoldmanjumpedontothefloorverynimbly.Richardfollowedsuit..

    Theoldmanswaggeredintotheroom,wentstraighttothesofaandsqueezediweenDimitriandMr.Kaffee.Hegrabbedholdofambchopinhisrighthandwithoutbeinginvitedaotakebigbitesoutofit.ThechedupabottleofGaoLiangandstarteddrinking.Aftereatinganddrinkingtohisfull,thestrangeoldmasatisfied.Hewipedhisoilymouthandburpedloudly.Lookingaroundatthepeoplebeforehim,hesaid,

    “Well,well,well!Iseethatallofyouarepoverty-stribums.Sinceyouhavebeensogenerousastoshareyourfoodandliquorwithme,Iwillrewardyoubymakingyourich.Whowantstoberiooneanswered.“That’sstrange.Everyostobeamillionai

liverKaffee.WithmeisBigO.It’sveryte.Areweinterruptingyou?”

    “Ohno.No.No.eonin.”BigOstoopeddownandMr.Kaffeesteppedontohisshoulders.BigOstoodupgradually,gavehisfriendamightyshoveandpushedMr.Kaffeethroughthewindow.Afterthat,he,too,jumpedin.Dimitri’slittlestudioapartmentwasinglivelybutcrowded.Therewasonlyasingleloveseatintheroom.DimitriandMr.Kaffeesatonit,sotheothershadtositonthefloor.RichardandJamazwereco-hostsforthisoccasion,soRichardcookedthechopswhileJamazstooduptopourthedrinks.ButDimitrihadonlyonegss,sointheendeveryonedrankstraightfromthebottle.RichardandJamazhadbeegoodfriendswithBigOafterthethreeofthemfoughttogetheragainstHawkherewasaradeshipbetweehatdefiedvention.Mr.KaffeeandDimitrichattedforawhileandDimitritoldhimabouthisfightolloandhowtheyterjoinedhandstokilltheninemonsterswhomasqueradedasninesuns.Hisaudiencewasallcaptivatedbyhisstoryaasiftheywerelisteningtoamyth.Justthen,arockwasthrownintotheroomandhitJamaz’shead.Hejumpedupaothewind,“Whi-of-a-bitchthrewthatrock?Scramoutameseeyou!”Helookedoutofthewindowbuthere.Jamazwassurprisedandwonderedwhocouldhavemovedsoswiftly.Heexpectedatleasttoseeafleeingfigure.Hesworeattheemptystreetabacktositonthefloor.

    “Retly”saidRichard,“astrangeoldmanhasbeenseenaroundhere.Heisadwarfwithalongwhitebeardandfieryeyes.Heisverynosy,pokinghisnoseeverywhereandisiedihing.Hekeepsaskiionsandisreallyannoyingpeople.Nooneknowswherehelivesbuthehangsaroundhere.Ireallywonderwhoheis...”Beforehefinishedspeaking,anotherrockcameflyingintotheroomandhithimonthehead.Richardwassoangryherushedtothewindowandbegancussingout,“WhotheFKisoutthere?Whinedson-of-a-bitchthrewthatrock?Whatthehelldoyouwant?eonoutyoufriloser,fricoward....”Richardlookedoutofthewindow,buthetoosawnothinginthedark,emptystreets.Astrange,cragughtersoundedandaricolddwarf,withalongwhitebeardwhohadbeenhidingagainstthewallrightuhewindowsill,cameout,saying

    “Youguysdaretothrowhandgreootherpeople’shouses,why’tIthrowsomerocksatyours?Dorocksscareyou?Ha-ha-ha-ha!”Hiswordsterrifiedeveryoheroomandtheywonderedwhothisstrangemanwaswhokneweverything,includihrowingofhandgreheycautiohemselvestobeoasthiswassomeoobeonguardagainst.

    18

    “Hey!”tiheoldman,“Youpeoplehavegoodfoodandliquor,whydon’tyouoffermesome?Iamdrooling!Someoneeoutandcarrymein.”RichardlookedatDimitri,whonodded,soRichardjumpedoutofthewindow,cspedhimbythewaistfrombehindandraisedhimtothewindowsill.Theoldmanjumpedontothefloorverynimbly.Richardfollowedsuit..

    Theoldmanswaggeredintotheroom,wentstraighttothesofaandsqueezediweenDimitriandMr.Kaffee.Hegrabbedholdofambchopinhisrighthandwithoutbeinginvitedaotakebigbitesoutofit.ThechedupabottleofGaoLiangandstarteddrinking.Aftereatinganddrinkingtohisfull,thestrangeoldmasatisfied.Hewipedhisoilymouthandburpedloudly.Lookingaroundatthepeoplebeforehim,hesaid,

    “Well,well,well!Iseethatallofyouarepoverty-stribums.Sinceyouhavebeensogenerousastoshareyourfoodandliquorwithme,Iwillrewardyoubymakingyourich.Whowantstoberiooneanswered.“That’sstrange.Everyostobeamillionai