this train! What’s with that face?! If you have a problem with me, gimme back my money!”
As his fist struck the counter, something was laid down on top of that fist. It was a stack of bills bundled together in groups of one hundred.
“Wha…?”
“Is that good enough for you?! You, uh……you nasty guy!”
“You’re the worst!”
When the man with the little mustache looked to the side, a cowboy and dancing girl were standing there, glaring daggers at him.
“Wh-who
are
you people?”
“If it’s money you want, I’ll pay you back for your tickets! That means you’re not a customer anymore! Isn’t that right, Miria?”
“Yes, he’s stealing a ride!”
Isaac and Miria raised their voices in protest against the man with the little mustache. A bit surprised by this, Jon and Fang peeked out of the kitchen.
“You fools! Do you have any idea who I am…?”
Even as he protested, the man with the duster on his lip reached out for the bundle of bills.
“
Silence!
You’ve been going on about nonsense like ‘monkeys’ and ‘hicks’ in a restaurant where people were enjoying their meals! I bet you were planning to find fault with them and extort money!”
“Ooh, what a lowlife!”
“You’re unbelievable, you money-grubbing ghoul!”
“Make like a ghoul and get back in your grave!”
Saying things that were just as unfair as the mustachioed man’s protest had been, they threw another stack of bills in his face.
“G’wan, get lost! If you don’t, then my hundred…my hundred-
million
pistols will spit fire!”
“We’ll give you lead poisoning!”
Just then, from deep in the kitchen, from a place that could never be seen from the customers’ positions, a voice spoke. It was a voice like a bear’s, low and ponderous.
“Jon! Fang! You heard them! That guy’s not a passenger or a customer of this kitchen anymore! Hurry and toss ’im out!”
On hearing this voice, which was like the roar of some ferocious beast, the mustachioed man’s pompous attitude imploded.
“Yessir, Head Cook.”
“Pain in the butt…”
Even as Jon grumbled, he and Fang picked up the struggling mustachioed man from both sides. Then, with beautiful efficiency, they went out through the car’s rear door.
At that, the ferocious beast’s voice abruptly became gentlemanly and delivered a certain announcement to the dining car:
“Now then, I’m afraid we’ve put all of you through something terribly trying! Upon our arrival, everyone present at this time will, of course, have their train fare refunded to them in full by our headquarters. In addition, you will be paid commensurate reparations, although we do not feel that this could ever be apology enough—”
The voice went on to say the most important thing:
“Now, when we are unable to communicate with the conductors’ room, we request that you think and act independently, with the goal of reaching New York alive. That is all!”
The bit he’d said at the very end there had been horrendously irresponsible, but everyone was too scared to complain. In this way, once again, quiet times returned to the dining car.
“Would you unhand me?! Filthy immigrants! You’ll soil my clothes! You’ll give me your diseases!”
As he spouted nasty comments, the man with the little mustache was turned out into the corridor. As they were about to leave, Jon lowered his stance and glared at the man. Although there was no telling when it had gotten there, his right hand gripped an ice pick.
The irate passenger had bluffed all over the place, but that one glare shut him up. Jon had once been affiliated with the Chicago underworld. Going up against the likes of such a passenger didn’t make him the least bit nervous.
“Listen up, you whiskered pig. Half of this transcontinental railroad was built by us Irish, and they treated us like slaves while we did it. And actually, they
made
us build it. Do you understand that?”
“The other half was us Chinese.”
“In
As his fist struck the counter, something was laid down on top of that fist. It was a stack of bills bundled together in groups of one hundred.
“Wha…?”
“Is that good enough for you?! You, uh……you nasty guy!”
“You’re the worst!”
When the man with the little mustache looked to the side, a cowboy and dancing girl were standing there, glaring daggers at him.
“Wh-who
are
you people?”
“If it’s money you want, I’ll pay you back for your tickets! That means you’re not a customer anymore! Isn’t that right, Miria?”
“Yes, he’s stealing a ride!”
Isaac and Miria raised their voices in protest against the man with the little mustache. A bit surprised by this, Jon and Fang peeked out of the kitchen.
“You fools! Do you have any idea who I am…?”
Even as he protested, the man with the duster on his lip reached out for the bundle of bills.
“
Silence!
You’ve been going on about nonsense like ‘monkeys’ and ‘hicks’ in a restaurant where people were enjoying their meals! I bet you were planning to find fault with them and extort money!”
“Ooh, what a lowlife!”
“You’re unbelievable, you money-grubbing ghoul!”
“Make like a ghoul and get back in your grave!”
Saying things that were just as unfair as the mustachioed man’s protest had been, they threw another stack of bills in his face.
“G’wan, get lost! If you don’t, then my hundred…my hundred-
million
pistols will spit fire!”
“We’ll give you lead poisoning!”
Just then, from deep in the kitchen, from a place that could never be seen from the customers’ positions, a voice spoke. It was a voice like a bear’s, low and ponderous.
“Jon! Fang! You heard them! That guy’s not a passenger or a customer of this kitchen anymore! Hurry and toss ’im out!”
On hearing this voice, which was like the roar of some ferocious beast, the mustachioed man’s pompous attitude imploded.
“Yessir, Head Cook.”
“Pain in the butt…”
Even as Jon grumbled, he and Fang picked up the struggling mustachioed man from both sides. Then, with beautiful efficiency, they went out through the car’s rear door.
At that, the ferocious beast’s voice abruptly became gentlemanly and delivered a certain announcement to the dining car:
“Now then, I’m afraid we’ve put all of you through something terribly trying! Upon our arrival, everyone present at this time will, of course, have their train fare refunded to them in full by our headquarters. In addition, you will be paid commensurate reparations, although we do not feel that this could ever be apology enough—”
The voice went on to say the most important thing:
“Now, when we are unable to communicate with the conductors’ room, we request that you think and act independently, with the goal of reaching New York alive. That is all!”
The bit he’d said at the very end there had been horrendously irresponsible, but everyone was too scared to complain. In this way, once again, quiet times returned to the dining car.
“Would you unhand me?! Filthy immigrants! You’ll soil my clothes! You’ll give me your diseases!”
As he spouted nasty comments, the man with the little mustache was turned out into the corridor. As they were about to leave, Jon lowered his stance and glared at the man. Although there was no telling when it had gotten there, his right hand gripped an ice pick.
The irate passenger had bluffed all over the place, but that one glare shut him up. Jon had once been affiliated with the Chicago underworld. Going up against the likes of such a passenger didn’t make him the least bit nervous.
“Listen up, you whiskered pig. Half of this transcontinental railroad was built by us Irish, and they treated us like slaves while we did it. And actually, they
made
us build it. Do you understand that?”
“The other half was us Chinese.”
“In
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