DannyboyO1's Journal

No Budging!

"Great Googly-moogly."

"Yeah, Bruce. Quite a line."

"I just wasn't expecting quite so many people." He apologized to the sexagenarian who bumped into him.

"Well, that's why the real brainiacs were here before they opened."

I could see Bruce thinking, trying to adjust. "This is going to take hours, isn't it?"

"Always has." I replied.

"Really? That seems... even with all the extra..." His gloved hand gestured at the various figures waiting for their numbers.

"We just didn't have to deal with it before. Federal employees, tax-exempt status, vehicle exemptions. Hell, you knew what you were lobbying for."

"Karl, you know damn well..." He adjusted his hood a bit. I never did understand how he kept sweat out of his eyes in that heavy thing. "I just wanted to clear up the corruption."

"Sure, sure. And now, you wait at the DMV like everybody else."

"Look, this is ridiculous. The whole time we've been here, they haven't moved more than two people. This is going to take hours."

"Yep." It wasn't like Bruce to repeat himself. "You, ah, need to be somewhere?"

"Of course, I have to res... um." He paused as conversation died abruptly, interested parties eagerly waiting for the next words. "Damnit. I can't say with all these contractors around, someone will... will undercut me."

That pretty well cost him the last shred of respect I had for the man. "All this time, 'it's not about the money, it's doing the job and doing it right!' Hah. Well, what could it be, anyway... guarding the body of the mayor's daughter? Where is that boy of yours, anyway?"

You could feel the chill radiate from Bruce, silently ignoring that stab at an old wound. He hissed, "Karl.... You...." And that was it. His rage as impotent as our collective frustration at the line's pace.

After a while, Bruce spoke again. "Dammit, if I miss my contact, I just know I'll be too late to stop The Vacillator's latest plot."

"Hah. You worry too much." I pulled my cape out from under the chair's leg, wondering if they need extra starch or if I'm shopping at the wrong costumer's.

"How can you say that? It's always a race, once you get the first clues. And if he thinks I have started and I'm actually here..." He nearly brained a rather scantily clad sorceress with his emphatic gesture. "It might not be almost too late."

I looked at Bruce. Really looked at him for the first time since privatization. "Seriously, you don't have to worry about that."

He grabbed me by the collar then. "You muscling in on me Karl?"

"What?" Yeah, not about the money, right. "Of course not."

"Then how, might I ask, do you know?"

"Well, he's been standing in line behind you for about 20 minutes."

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