Enga mellom fjella

圣车 (Shèng chē) [159] JI#4: Holy Motors, Bard!

Holy Motors

圣车 [Shèng chē]

Hoan's chariot coughed. Either the rice wine was too rich or hadn't been filtered. She sent a message to Li-Chen. It wouldn't do to be without her own transportation. Her secrets depended on it.

Within an hour Chok and Poh showed up.

Hoan looked from one to the other. They went nowhere without the other. She waited to say something. Let them stew in their own juices. Would serve them right for snitching on her.

Chok looked down. "We don't have much time. Mrs. W.W.Walker is snooping around and we need to snoop on her. Our bosses' orders."

This made Hoan smile. Yes, let them stew.

Poh grabbed Chok's hand. Chok shook. Hoan stopped smiling and stared at Poh.

"What is really going on?"

"There have been strange foreigners in town. We're not sure from where, but they spoke to Mrs. W.W.Walker in a language she didn't understand."

"But the look on her face..."

"Yes, she blanched whiter than clean rice."

"Then she went into Kagamoto's and sat down."

"And drank two shots of sake."

Mrs. W.W.Walker was no stranger to a stiff drink, but... "Go back immediately. I can make do."

"Thank-you. We brought some fresh rice-alcohol blessed at the Kagi shrine. Chen thought that that may solve the problem."

Chok and Poh hurried off hand-in-hand.

Yes, serious problems.

Without Chok to help and Poh to hinder Hoan decided to clean out her four wheeled dragon herself. She dumped out the alcohol. She cleaned out the tank, checked the filter, put in a clean one anyways. She'd carefully watched the mechanics at Holy Motors. So easy to do. They ignored her. Now she did as much as she could without asking for help. Fewer eyes, ears and noses that way.

She put in the new fuel, checked the water, put on a new black silk-dress and her best feathered hat. Blessed or not she started her dragon without a cough. Yes, she grinned, she was blessed.

She headed towards Kagamoto's.

© Copyright 2021 Kåre Enga [178.159] (22.juni.2021)

About 330 words as of 6/22.

For

Journalistic Intentions  (18+) This is for the journal keeping types that come to PLAY! New round starts February 1! #2213121 by Elisa the Bunny Stik

and

FORUM

The Bard's Hall Contest  (13+) APRIL: Flash Fiction, 500 word limit. #981150 by StephBee - House Targaryen