Promenade into a lonely concrete rainforest. He did not see how
anybody would know to come tomorrow. Not that they would anyway
in this weather. It was sure to be a washout.
He returned to the store. Due to the rain, this had been their
worst week since the big party. Fewer and fewer customers cared to
visit the open-air Promenade and even fewer dared brave the long
and flooded alley leading to Undergrounds. Indoors things were just
as lonely. Except for Leona, the gang was all there, but they were
bored. They could only wait for the season to turn. After a brief
stretch of sobriety, Colin began sneaking a bit of whiskey into his
coffee. Roy and Sprout were still sleeping together, but her magic
seemed to be wearing thin. He couldn’t believe he was growing
accustomed to this goddess; the fact that he could not count on her
fidelity surely had something to do with it.
Bennie, Partment and Niles just sat around and moped. Martin
hadn’t been by for a week, and Yak kept mainly to himself. The bright
side was that Izzy had run out of things to criticize and so was
mercifully silent.
“I’m going out,” Sprout announced.
“Where?” Roy asked.
“For a walk.”
Roy threw up his hands, “But it’s awful out there.”
“It more awful in here.” She grabbed a raincoat and umbrella and
set off out into the great wet open. The others watched her go.
“There goes our last slice of fluffy goodness,” Colin said. “This
place is now officially worthless. Scientifically speaking, of course.”
Colin was pouring non-dairy creamer into a mug.
“If you want some milk, Colin, we’ve got plenty,” Roy said.
Colin just shook his head, lit a match and threw it in. Flames rose
up from the cup and he warmed his hands over it.
“Didn’t you know this stuff was flammable?” he said, “I think it’s
made from cow farts.”
“No,” corrected Bennie, “It’s non-dairy.”
“Oh right. Anyway, it’s powerful shit. There’s a recipe going
around the internet these days—a bomb made from non-dairy
creamer, instant coffee and sugar.”
Partment drew himself up to the bar, fascinated. He stared long
and hard into the face of the little fire. A coffee bomb? He knew coffee
could be explosive but heretofore only in the colonic sense.
Roy started to daydream again. This time he saw Ethiopian
ABYSSINIA
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