Tom. And you know what happens to them."
"The Emperor's dungeon, if he's lucky. But I heard they're usually beaten to death on the way." The waiter went to the man's table.
"They're stoned by the crowd lining the streets to the dungeon." The man asked if the restaurant served squab.
"Unless they're maimed for life by those they've wronged, who, of course, get the first shot." The waiter shook his head. The man, feigning indignation, stood up, turned and hurried out of the restaurant.
"I guess the restaurant doesn't serve stool pigeons," said Sam, laughing.
"Or any other kind," said Nin, laughing along. Nan, finished with the wiping, tossed the rag onto the table and rejoined the two.
"Now, that wasn't necessary," said Nan, grinning.
" Au contraire ," said Nin. " Au contraire ."
"Well, we'd better move along," said Sam, "in case that was someone." They dropped a tip onto the table and went out into the parking lot just in time to see their neighbor speed off in a cream-colored Dodge Ram.
"After him?" asked Nan.
"No. We don't have the time," said Nin.
"Guys," said Sam. "I just remembered where I'd seen that guy. He seemed so familiar. And younger. But I'm pretty sure, without his wild white hair and long beard, that was our shepherd. He's gone incognito. He knows we're onto him! Quick! Into the Batmobile!"
"I thought it was a three-quarter ton Bonaventure."
"Okay. The Samobile!"
"Yeah."
By the time they were all settled into their seatbelts, the Ram was long gone.
"Nin?"
"Yes, Nan?"
"Did you see the direction he left in?"
"No. We were busy buckling up."
"No problem, gang," said Sam. "It's all one-ways from here. He could have only gone one way." Nin noticed the construction detour signs ahead.
"Too bad we don't have something that corners," said Nan.
"Hold on," said Sam, flooring the accelerator. The afterburners kicked in as the van switched to turbo. It lifted up onto its two hind wheels and took off.
"If he's hungry, he's going to be stopping at a restaurant soon," said Nan. "Did he stop to eat, or to spy on us?" asked Nin.
"I think that must have been a coincidence," said Sam. "And when he saw me with you, he must have assumed that the song was my using him for a chump."
"So he's figuring you gave him the song to distract him while you collected us for the bounty," said Nan.
"Otherwise he would have known the bounty is on all our heads and would have tried to collect us himself," said Sam.
"He's too little to get all three of us," said Sam.
"Not if he had his pals Smith and Wesson with him, replied Sam.
"So we can assume he's not out to collect us," said Nin.
"True," replied Sam. But he might sell us out to the highest bidder."
"Crud! How did we get into this in the first place? Nin, it's all your fault. Opening doors to strangers. What were you thinking?"
"Actually, I did us a favor. The shepherd had already seen us, remember? He could have gone to turn us in and we'd never have known until the ATF showed up." "True."
"You can kiss my feet now in gratitude."
"Not until you've been defeated," said Nan.
"Then you're going to have a long wait," replied Nin, "because we're not going to lose."
"Up here is another restaurant. Cruise the parking lot. Look for the Ram," ordered Sam.
They came upon the Crow Bar cautiously. The parking lot and an automobile wrecker stood side-by-side with a barbed-wire fence separating them, and one couldn't tell the cars belonging to one from those belonging to the other. Sam thought he spotted a Ram inside the wrecker's yard and said the wrecker might be in cahoots with the shepherd.
When they walked into the place, the entire joint was watching the TV and singing along the "My Beloved Emperor," the song preceding all ball games and Emperor's Addresses.
The patrons looked like mostly employees from next door: automotive coveralls were de rigueur . Some of them had to dry their eyes after declaring their fealty. A royalist crowd, to say the least.
The speech began:
"My citizens," began the Emperor,
"The Emperor's dungeon, if he's lucky. But I heard they're usually beaten to death on the way." The waiter went to the man's table.
"They're stoned by the crowd lining the streets to the dungeon." The man asked if the restaurant served squab.
"Unless they're maimed for life by those they've wronged, who, of course, get the first shot." The waiter shook his head. The man, feigning indignation, stood up, turned and hurried out of the restaurant.
"I guess the restaurant doesn't serve stool pigeons," said Sam, laughing.
"Or any other kind," said Nin, laughing along. Nan, finished with the wiping, tossed the rag onto the table and rejoined the two.
"Now, that wasn't necessary," said Nan, grinning.
" Au contraire ," said Nin. " Au contraire ."
"Well, we'd better move along," said Sam, "in case that was someone." They dropped a tip onto the table and went out into the parking lot just in time to see their neighbor speed off in a cream-colored Dodge Ram.
"After him?" asked Nan.
"No. We don't have the time," said Nin.
"Guys," said Sam. "I just remembered where I'd seen that guy. He seemed so familiar. And younger. But I'm pretty sure, without his wild white hair and long beard, that was our shepherd. He's gone incognito. He knows we're onto him! Quick! Into the Batmobile!"
"I thought it was a three-quarter ton Bonaventure."
"Okay. The Samobile!"
"Yeah."
By the time they were all settled into their seatbelts, the Ram was long gone.
"Nin?"
"Yes, Nan?"
"Did you see the direction he left in?"
"No. We were busy buckling up."
"No problem, gang," said Sam. "It's all one-ways from here. He could have only gone one way." Nin noticed the construction detour signs ahead.
"Too bad we don't have something that corners," said Nan.
"Hold on," said Sam, flooring the accelerator. The afterburners kicked in as the van switched to turbo. It lifted up onto its two hind wheels and took off.
"If he's hungry, he's going to be stopping at a restaurant soon," said Nan. "Did he stop to eat, or to spy on us?" asked Nin.
"I think that must have been a coincidence," said Sam. "And when he saw me with you, he must have assumed that the song was my using him for a chump."
"So he's figuring you gave him the song to distract him while you collected us for the bounty," said Nan.
"Otherwise he would have known the bounty is on all our heads and would have tried to collect us himself," said Sam.
"He's too little to get all three of us," said Sam.
"Not if he had his pals Smith and Wesson with him, replied Sam.
"So we can assume he's not out to collect us," said Nin.
"True," replied Sam. But he might sell us out to the highest bidder."
"Crud! How did we get into this in the first place? Nin, it's all your fault. Opening doors to strangers. What were you thinking?"
"Actually, I did us a favor. The shepherd had already seen us, remember? He could have gone to turn us in and we'd never have known until the ATF showed up." "True."
"You can kiss my feet now in gratitude."
"Not until you've been defeated," said Nan.
"Then you're going to have a long wait," replied Nin, "because we're not going to lose."
"Up here is another restaurant. Cruise the parking lot. Look for the Ram," ordered Sam.
They came upon the Crow Bar cautiously. The parking lot and an automobile wrecker stood side-by-side with a barbed-wire fence separating them, and one couldn't tell the cars belonging to one from those belonging to the other. Sam thought he spotted a Ram inside the wrecker's yard and said the wrecker might be in cahoots with the shepherd.
When they walked into the place, the entire joint was watching the TV and singing along the "My Beloved Emperor," the song preceding all ball games and Emperor's Addresses.
The patrons looked like mostly employees from next door: automotive coveralls were de rigueur . Some of them had to dry their eyes after declaring their fealty. A royalist crowd, to say the least.
The speech began:
"My citizens," began the Emperor,
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