He paused to take a breath and wipe the sweat from his forehead.
'You've gotten fat, you old goat,' he thought to himself. 'A hundred years ago, you've been able to carry the boy at a full run. And now, look at you.'
He stopped to open up the door and then dragged the boy -- what was his name? The drunken oaf had mentioned it once -- down a step and through the yard. Lessee... the nearest point he could use was a bit over half a mile. This... would take a while. At least the boy won't wake up -- he'd seen to that.
"Excuse me?"
It'd taken him thirteen years to hunt down that bastard Genma -- three years without his precious gold! At first he'd hunted all over the isles, thinking the lout had gone to ground. Then he'd done some research -- 'should've done that first, senile fool' -- and had gone on to Japan. He'd almost caught up to his quarry, who was one a long trip with his son, when they'd fled to China. From there back to here, and here he finally found them.
"Hello?"
Yes, and now with everyone in the house asleep, he'd have plenty of a head start. He'd force Genma to give him back his gold, and then, if he was merciful, he'd return his son. Maybe. If the oversized galoot begged him enough. If he --
He jumped when someone tapped on his shoulder. He spun around, trick-or-flight reflexes ready, to see... a young woman looking at him curiously. He cursed -- he'd been sure nobody was awake before he sent them off into a lengthy slumber. He ran through a list of possible excuses. No, that was ridiculous. Maybe if he -- no, no, too complicated.
"You're one of Grandfather Happosai's friends, right?"
Not really prepared for an excuse to be just handed to him, he mutely nodded. Then, recovering his equilibrium, he took off his beret and made a flambouyant bow. "Err.. yes. Liam Haddock is the name. I'm... err... just taking th' boy. Exercise, you know."
Damnit, caught red-handed and what a lame excuse! His instincts were getting as fat as his belly -- damn that bastard for taking his gold. She seemed to be buying it, though.
The girl frowned. "Would you like some breakfast before you go?"
He sighed. What the hell; everyone still asleep would stay that way for another hour or two. Whatever she'd been cooking smelled nice -- not like some of the strange things they ate here -- and he WAS hungry.
So who was this "Happosai" person?
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(Posted Sat, 01 Jul 2006 23:16)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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