Chapter 10, Part Three

No Honor Ch. 10 Pt. 3: The Meeting

It took awhile, but I finally got a hold o' myself. I stopped pacin' an' stood there, wipin' my face and breathin' deep. After a few more minutes, I went back inside. I dropped a handful o' coin, I have no idea how much, and I asked the kid at the desk for food, and a favor.

I wanted him to walk to Dave's, and ta tell 'im I wouldn't be in ta work. Apparently, whatever I gave him was enough. He agreed, so I went back to my room.

I settled down as best I could. I realize now that it had been some time, since I'd been so close, ta somethin' so terrible. If I left the hotel at that point, I wasn't comin' back, I knew that... I had to accept the situation, and tha danger, or just leave town.

I got a bit farther inta that Musketeers, but it just wasn't holdin' my attention. I spent some time then, thinkin' on Carter, and that whole business. He got blamed fer them Mexicans vanishin', but when I looked at it, it just didn't make any sense. If they were all dead, yeah, I could see 'im bein' involved, but missin?

Don't nobody disappear fer real; everybody goes somewhere. So those boys were nabbed, simple as that. And wit' that hip o' his, his ribs, an' that wonky shoulder... Moon wasn't wrasslin' wit anybody. Somethin' else was goin' on.

As to Larson's whereabouts, I had no damn clue. I couldn't even find this Rex, or Richard, or whatever it is he's called. I didn't think either of 'em, was in that hotel with me. That'd be too obvious, and too many people woulda seen 'em.

Still, I had the time ta spare, and I figured it'd help my nerves, ta get movin. Breakfast came then, about an hour and forty-five minutes after I asked for it, and it came luke warm, as expected. After I was through with it, I decided to roam the halls for awhile, seein' what I could see. Nothin' really came o' that, and the rest o' the day passed, without incident.

The next day, right as I was leavin' for work, I saw somethin' that stopped me. A wagon pulled up, an' parked outside the lobby where I was. There was this old man inside, with a shiny getup. They was long, flowin' blue robes, wit' some kinda orange, or yella an' orange belt.

That's the first thing I saw. The next thing I noticed, was that the man's head was huge. His forehead I mean... It looked like that anyways, and then I realized the front part of 'is head was shaved, while the back part was twisted up, inta this long, gray ponytail.

This guy, well cawl 'im The Elder... was from Asia, by the look of 'im. He stepped out the wagon an' another, young Asian guy... Junior, stepped around to meet 'im from the otha side. Junior was dressed in this nice, dark suit, and his hair was cut normal, unlike 'is paw. Though they looked different, they both looked like they were made o' money, and that's conspicuous as hell.

To top it off though, as soon as they stepped in, they were greeted by Marco's Mexican girlfriend, the super-skinny one. I didn't even notice her before. They came up to the desk to make arrangements, and I walked outside to look unconcerned. As soon as they went upstairs though, I followed 'em up.

As they entered their suite, on the second floor, I was pretendin' like my key didn't work. Then I got they room number and ran back downstairs. I asked the boy if the rooms to either sides were open now.

He said, "Two-twelve is, as of today. But it isn't by any windows".

"That's alright", I said. "I'd like to move to it, right now, and I'd like the key, sos I kin get started."

I plopped some more money down and he gave it to me. Then I went back up, fast. You ever tried ta run silent? I don't know how well I did, but I was in that room, and listenin', as soon as possible. When I got there, Junior was speakin'.  

"Uncle and I are sorry... for concern. Please know... our custom... role for woman...different... in homeland."

The lady said, "I'm not here to talk about your customs. If you wanna set up here, you better lay out a deal right now."

What I noticed right off, was that now that I was listenin' to her, she had no accent whatsoever. She could give Marco English lessons. Elder an' Junior were speakin'... Asianese or somethin, and then Junior started off again.

"We pay for building, for water. With that... sixty-forty... not good. We would see seventy".

"Then enjoy your trip back home", said the woman. "Why should we let you do anything, if we don't get what we want?"

More Asianese, and then Junior said, "It good for you... long-term. More come to Station for us... stay longer... pay for more."

"You can't guarantee that. We do just fine with that powder, and we don't get any complaints."

Elder said, "High... is shit!"

Junior said, "Shi, shi... Morphine by mouth not for high. It for pain."

The woman laughed. "What? That doesn't make any sense! Look... We've got men coming in from all over, some of them are wanted yes, but many are just laying low after a job. When they get here, the first thing they want is that 'Precious Powder'... Not alcohol, not sex. If they're not getting high, then why in the world do they want it?"

There was a pause. Junior asked somethin' in that language and Elder took awhile responding. Junior kept sayin' "She.. She..." or somethin' like that, over and over again. Finally, he said it in English.

"Powder high is shit. Most will find... no good. Morphine by mouth, it for pain, and... tooo... escape... the bad...

"The bad that come from... no more opium."

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