Genma Saotome, age 19, didn't have a wife much less a son. "So I get this and all I have to do is sign over an engagement to my son if I have one. If I never marry or have a son, you don't get anything?"
"You ever hear the phrase 'futures trading'? It's that sort of thing," Setsuna assured the man. "The Saotome line has turned out skilled martial artists in the past."
"Well that's true," said a preening Genma. "Say, how about -"
"Don't even go there."
"I still get the feeling I know you from somewhere," said Genma, twenty years old and hanging around with his new buddy - a Soun Tendo.
"Come on, Saotome, just sign it," said Soun. "What's the harm?"
"That's it," said Setsuna, wearing glasses and a labcoat.
Genma signed it, taking the small stack of bills and list of martial arts masters. "I don't understand. What's this Melionare Society?"
"It's a transhumanic group of people who wish to see human potential increased through selective breeding and try to get particular genetic lines to produce children," said Setsuna. "Such as if two families both have individuals who live very long full lives - will a child of both lines also live a particularly long life?"
"Or two lines with exceptional martial artists will produce a truly exceptional martial artist?" guessed Soun.
"Exactly so," agreed Setsuna. "Improve humanity's technology, and you take a step into the future. Improve humanity itself, and you make a leap forward."
"Hmmm," said Soun thoughtfully.
"Why must we suffer so?" complained Soun, holding an ice pack to his head.
"Of all the martial arts masters we could have labored under, this demon is the worst," agreed Genma, leaning against a post.
"Do you still have that list?" asked Soun. "Maybe we could find another who could protect us?"
"The Master burned it days ago," said Genma, practically weeping.
"You need protection?" said a feminine voice.
Genma glanced over at the source, then did a double take. "You?! Waitaminute. You're not her..."
"Of course not," said Setsuna, her hair braided and coiled. "You two need somewhere to hide though?"
Soun and Genma were considering the way things had gone.
"You know, with the old Master finally gone, perhaps we should consider the next generation," said Soun.
"I don't know," said Genma. "I've already promised off the first five children I should father."
"Five?" asked Soun.
"Five," agreed Genma.
"Well, they haven't the weight of our mutual suffering," said Soun.
"True, Tendo, true," agreed Genma. "They simply have the weight of lawyers."
"Oh," said Soun. "Still, if we make it a matter of family honor, they would have to agree."
"When do lawyers care about honor?" asked Genma, eyeing the bartender. That woman looked AWFULLY familiar.
"Come now, if I have a daughter and you have a son, we could have them marry and unite the two schools of Anything Goes," said Soun.
"Lawyers can be pretty nasty," murmurred the bartender.
"Who's going to tell them?" scoffed Soun.
Genma's eyes narrowed. Could it be? Suddenly his eyes met those red ones and he KNEW. "Maybe... maybe we should just go ahead and honor the agreements already made."
"Pish and tosh," said Soun. "What can they do?"
"I've heard," said the bartender, polishing a glass, "that a vindictive and creative lawyer can do things that even an evil master of the martial arts couldn't do."
"I'd like to see them try," scoffed Soun. "So what do you say, Saotome?"
Genma had a flash of brilliance. Or at least he thought so. "How about we just hold all the engagements as being of equal value unless I father that many children?"
"Good idea," said Soun, sounding very insincere.
The bartender shook her head. Why did this have to be any more complicated than it already was?
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(Posted Sun, 03 Sep 2006 09:43)
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