On the dwarf planet of Ceres, in the Asteroid Belt, a man named Jinketsu is tending to his flock of sheep. He lives in some kind of dome bubble that resembles a giant, invisible, igloo. The official name of this "igloo" is Kisetsu. Suddenly, The postman arrives with urgent news in the form of a letter. "What brings you here today?" he asks the postman. "Well," the Postman answers, "Are you the type to kill the messenger?"
"Not if he's doing his job right." The Postman hands him the letter, which Jin immediately opens, "A letter, huh? He couldn't have called me."
"He felt this was more dramatic."
"Thank you," Jinketsu says to The Postman, "You may leave."
The Postman does so. As he does Jin opens the envelope and reads the brief message inside. DUEL AT NOON. STATUE. BRING PISTOLS. FIRST ONE DEAD LOSES. - KATAKIYAKU. Jin crushes the note in his hand and says to the postman on his way out, "If you see Katakiyaju you tell him 'I accept'." The postman nods his head, acknowledging that even though they were a good distance away he could still hear him fine.
A few minutes later Jin is in his home cleaning his pistol when his wife returns from running errands in the town of Aki. When she walked into the home carrying groceries she was expecting her husband to help her with the rest of them. Only in mid-sentence did she realize that he had other plans. "Honey I'm back from the store and boy do I got a lot of...what are you doing?"
"Cleaning the gun."
"I see that. Why do I see that?"
"Because I am."
"Why are you cleaning the gun?"
"Because I plan to use it."
"No," she says, "I thought this business with you and Katakiyaju was over."
"I thought so too but a letter in the mail, written in his handwriting, told me otherwise. Now I got to do what I have to do."
"If you do I won't be here if you come back."
"Don't you mean when I come back?"
"When is the duel?"
"Noon."
"You don't have to go."
"Yes, I do," he says just after he finishes with the cleaning of the gun but just before he begins the loading of its ammunition, "Life in the asteroid belt is hard enough without men like Katakiyaju making it harder. I'd dare say unbearable for everyone except Katakiyaju and friends."
"We'll pay him," his wife pleads, "We have the money."
"We have the money to pay him once but if he mistakes us for a golden goose and tries to shake us down every time he's short of cash. But if we take a stand now. Tell him that in The Asteroid Belt men honor their contracts, their pacts, their truces and they don't terrorize the weak through the illusion of strength." And with that he heads to the door with his loaded laser pistol,. "And if you lose? If he sees 12:01 PM and you don't. What then? What about me? What about the children?"
"They'll say they're father stood for something. That men on Ceres stand for something." And with that he was gone.
Now due to the tremendous difference in gravity between the dwarf planet of Ceres and the planet Earth, after leaving the invisible "igloo" called Kisetsu, Jinketsu was able to hop, like an astronaut on The Moon, to the nearest town, Aki, in less than ten minutes. He arrived with only five minutes left for the duel.
Aki is a primitive town with no remarkable features except for a large statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships, in the city square in commemoration of the namesake of the asteroid Aki is on. The statue is a thirteen foot structure of a young, beautiful woman in her early 20s, wearing a long flowing dress, holding wheat. One could easily imagine that the model for this statue was probably the sculptor's daughter. It is at the statue Jinketsu finds Katakiyaju. When Jinketsu is close enough to him Katakiyaju says, "I'd hate to orphan your children and widow your wife when all I want to do is make my bankers happy. You sure you don't want to be so frugal and give me what by a more modern interpretation of 'divine right of kings' is practically mine by default."
"All I ask for is a fair fight. Tell your men to step aside and unload their clips, and should you not be among the living at 12:01 you're men better swear that I don't join you shortly after."
Katakiyaju says to his men, "You heard the man." They followed his command. "You sure you still want to do this Jin? No going back from a duel, especially when I'm the duelist."
Jin nods his head. One of Katakiyaju's men, who was looking at his watch says, "Fifteen seconds to do or die. Fourteen...thirteen...twelve..." At eleven the two men get into formation for the duel, ready to fire in, "...five...four...three...two...one..." Suddenly shots are fired and two laser shoot out. Only one hits their intended target. He walks over to him, as he's lying on the floor, "How did this happen?" he asks "How could this happen?"
"He felt this was more dramatic."
"Thank you," Jinketsu says to The Postman, "You may leave."
The Postman does so. As he does Jin opens the envelope and reads the brief message inside. DUEL AT NOON. STATUE. BRING PISTOLS. FIRST ONE DEAD LOSES. - KATAKIYAKU. Jin crushes the note in his hand and says to the postman on his way out, "If you see Katakiyaju you tell him 'I accept'." The postman nods his head, acknowledging that even though they were a good distance away he could still hear him fine.
A few minutes later Jin is in his home cleaning his pistol when his wife returns from running errands in the town of Aki. When she walked into the home carrying groceries she was expecting her husband to help her with the rest of them. Only in mid-sentence did she realize that he had other plans. "Honey I'm back from the store and boy do I got a lot of...what are you doing?"
"Cleaning the gun."
"I see that. Why do I see that?"
"Because I am."
"Why are you cleaning the gun?"
"Because I plan to use it."
"No," she says, "I thought this business with you and Katakiyaju was over."
"I thought so too but a letter in the mail, written in his handwriting, told me otherwise. Now I got to do what I have to do."
"If you do I won't be here if you come back."
"Don't you mean when I come back?"
"When is the duel?"
"Noon."
"You don't have to go."
"Yes, I do," he says just after he finishes with the cleaning of the gun but just before he begins the loading of its ammunition, "Life in the asteroid belt is hard enough without men like Katakiyaju making it harder. I'd dare say unbearable for everyone except Katakiyaju and friends."
"We'll pay him," his wife pleads, "We have the money."
"We have the money to pay him once but if he mistakes us for a golden goose and tries to shake us down every time he's short of cash. But if we take a stand now. Tell him that in The Asteroid Belt men honor their contracts, their pacts, their truces and they don't terrorize the weak through the illusion of strength." And with that he heads to the door with his loaded laser pistol,. "And if you lose? If he sees 12:01 PM and you don't. What then? What about me? What about the children?"
"They'll say they're father stood for something. That men on Ceres stand for something." And with that he was gone.
Now due to the tremendous difference in gravity between the dwarf planet of Ceres and the planet Earth, after leaving the invisible "igloo" called Kisetsu, Jinketsu was able to hop, like an astronaut on The Moon, to the nearest town, Aki, in less than ten minutes. He arrived with only five minutes left for the duel.
Aki is a primitive town with no remarkable features except for a large statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships, in the city square in commemoration of the namesake of the asteroid Aki is on. The statue is a thirteen foot structure of a young, beautiful woman in her early 20s, wearing a long flowing dress, holding wheat. One could easily imagine that the model for this statue was probably the sculptor's daughter. It is at the statue Jinketsu finds Katakiyaju. When Jinketsu is close enough to him Katakiyaju says, "I'd hate to orphan your children and widow your wife when all I want to do is make my bankers happy. You sure you don't want to be so frugal and give me what by a more modern interpretation of 'divine right of kings' is practically mine by default."
"All I ask for is a fair fight. Tell your men to step aside and unload their clips, and should you not be among the living at 12:01 you're men better swear that I don't join you shortly after."
Katakiyaju says to his men, "You heard the man." They followed his command. "You sure you still want to do this Jin? No going back from a duel, especially when I'm the duelist."
Jin nods his head. One of Katakiyaju's men, who was looking at his watch says, "Fifteen seconds to do or die. Fourteen...thirteen...twelve..." At eleven the two men get into formation for the duel, ready to fire in, "...five...four...three...two...one..." Suddenly shots are fired and two laser shoot out. Only one hits their intended target. He walks over to him, as he's lying on the floor, "How did this happen?" he asks "How could this happen?"
What happened was that when Katakiyaju fired his laser Jinketsu was able to jump out of its way and let off one laser himself. However his laser hit the statue of Ceres and ricocheted off and landed somewhere in Katakiyaju's torso creating a hole his chest that started from the spine to the ribcage. "How?" he said before he surrendered to his injuries. "How?". No twenty seconds in the universe lasted as long or was as awkward as this moment of time was. No one knew what anyone else would do next or even knew what they should try. Suddenly Jinketsu said, "Are you honorable men. Do you honor your contracts, your pacts, your truces and don't terrorize the weak through the illusion of strength."
The answer given, by the groups defacto leader was, "Yes. We honor all of the above."
"Well then you better find another town or asteroid to call home."
"Agreed."
Kinketsu left the town of Aki shortly after Katakiyaju's former gang did the same. Before he left Jin bought a bouquet of Jupiter roses. While he hopped back to the invisible "igloo" of Kisetsu, his home, he wondered how many times he'd have to say, "I'm sorry. I'll never duel again." before he'd be allowed to leave the futon and return to the their bedroom. He figured a hundred wouldn't be enough. "Maybe I should have bought more roses."
The answer given, by the groups defacto leader was, "Yes. We honor all of the above."
"Well then you better find another town or asteroid to call home."
"Agreed."
Kinketsu left the town of Aki shortly after Katakiyaju's former gang did the same. Before he left Jin bought a bouquet of Jupiter roses. While he hopped back to the invisible "igloo" of Kisetsu, his home, he wondered how many times he'd have to say, "I'm sorry. I'll never duel again." before he'd be allowed to leave the futon and return to the their bedroom. He figured a hundred wouldn't be enough. "Maybe I should have bought more roses."
No comments:
Post a Comment