|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- CLOWN CENTAUR ARCHITECT--CUP 6--"JOSAL FADE WAS NO VICTIM" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Clown Centaur Architect  ||  -------> (Cup SRcc006, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "'Acquired'? As in the bilking of poor war victims?" Dailan said. "Josal Fade was no victim." Finjear responed. "He was a ruthless racketeer, who's never had anything but his own benefit in mind. The war fueled the demise of his pathetic criminal empire. Hah--The Clown Centaur Architect was just about the only thing of value the court could give me. Didn't even take a dent out of what he owed me." "THE CLOWN CENTAUR ARCHITECT? I despise that little shack. Hah! I hope that's not the bar you had in mind." "Of course it is. You think I acquire multiple bars every day? Come on, man. Haha--I thought it would be SO appropriate for a real architect to tend the bar there." Dailan sat up and his feet touched the floor for the first time since Finjear had entered. The fat man's face started turning red. "If you think you're being clever, don't--no--it's not clever. You're just calling me a clown." "Yes Dailan, I am. I'll call you a clown anytime, anywhere, cuz that's WHAT YOU ARE." "Hah! I won't do it! The Ksoco Library is under martial law now, so I can finally get access to the rare books they've hoarded from me all these years! I was just going there tomorrow!" "How were you gonna go there?" "Well..." "How? By borrowing MY bike?" Dailan stared at Finjear and his face cycled through a number of emotions--anger, fear, plea for pity, pride. "Surely you understand the enormity of the Ksoco Library! Those intellectual barbarians have kept knowledge under lock and key for long enough!" "I don't know, uh, Dailan, but isn't that in enemy territory?" "ENEMY TERRITORY? In the realm of intellectual pursuit, there are no territories!" "And you--fat, weak, timid Dailan Fogordy plan to pull off such a hazardous mission by yourself?" "Well..." "Oh, come on! You wanted ME to help you? After all the things you've done to me--stealing, badmouthing, assaulting--you think I'd really even consider it?" "Well, if you want the evil pleasure of debasing me in that bar of yours, you better do it." Finjear shook his head in disbelief and closed his eyes. "Well," he said with a smile, after a pause, eyes still closed, "a mission like that couldn't be worse than my love life." "Who has time for a love life in these times?" Dailan said softly. Finjear opened his eyes. "I do. I don't know what it is--I guess I just love having a woman around. Sex and companionship--can do a lot to keep you sane." "Is your wife still alive?" "Who knows. Once she joined the other side, she was dead to me. So whether she's still breathing matters little to me." "Why? If you once loved her?" "Because--love is a moving target. You have to keep up with it. Things get so fouled-up. Love is a gentle, delicate thing..." "I know something of that." Dailan said, looking down at his lap. "Oh yeah?" Dailan didn't respond. "Well," Finjear said, "the problem as I see it is this. I know this circle of woman friends--and I find all of them attractive, at some level or another. I'd as readily go for one as any of the others. But dealing with them is like walking through a mine field--believe me--at this point I might rather get blown up by a real mine than step back into that labyrinth feminine." "What do you mean?" "I mean--as a man--I think that men can genuinely love more than one woman at once. It's just that the women don't take too kindly to this. They impose this monogamy on us--and I was thinking--isn't this women turning men into woman-like people?" "That's beside the point." "In what way?" Dailan raised his eyebrows to indicate lack of response. "So," Finjear continued. "You just said 'that's beside the point' even though you don't have a point? You just said it for the sake of saying it?" Dailan stuck out his lips in a frown and tilted his head. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----