13
“Poverty's child -
he starts to grind the rice,
and gazes at the moon.”
― Matsuo Bashō
Wolf River General Store
“I’d like another beer,” Levi said.
Audrey popped the cap off another Borealis and sat it on the bar between them.
“That’ll be a dollar, Mr. Fischer.”
Levi pulled a grimy bill from his pocket and let it fall next to the beer.
“Even their money looks wrong,” said Gunther with the hint of a slur in his voice.
“Everything about the Japanese is wrong. Same goes for the damn Nazis.” Levi had perhaps imbibed more beer than was healthy. If the wrong person heard his words he would be dead within a week.
“Too bad there’s nothing we can do about it,” Audrey said, staring intently at Gunther.
Gunther returned her gaze and both turned to regard Levi.
“Would you ever consider doing something to weaken the Japanese up here?” Gunther asked.
Suddenly looking much more sober, Levi glanced from one to the other. “Are you two talking to me?”
“Yeah.”
“There isn’t much I could do other than sabotage the railroad. Then they would shoot me, fix the railroad and that would be that, but I’d still be dead.”
“How about the project?” Gunther pressed.
“How the hell could I hurt that? They have massive security and are well armed. They would just kill me. This whole place is already doomed if the Nazis get wind of its purpose. Why hurry our deaths?”
Silence settled on the room for a time.
“What if you could help destroy their project once and for all?” Gunther all but whispered the words.
“Gunther, they own our damned world. They would figure it out and I, and anyone else involved, would face a long and painful death.”
“They don’t own the whole world!” Audrey said.
“True, they only own half and the Germans own the other half. Either way we’d all die.”
“They don’t own the bush, Levi!” Audrey snapped. “Out there they are lost and vulnerable.”
“So am I,” Levi said, finishing off the last of his beer. “I think I need to go home now. I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow.”
“Consider being part of something that could change things. Think on it, okay?” Audrey said.
“Yeah, I’ll do that. Thanks for the company. C’mon, Gunther. You’re driving.”
The door slammed behind them and Audrey poured herself a beer. She cleaned up the bar and carefully put the empty bottles in the wooden case in the back room. The brewery bought them back, cleaned, and refilled them.
“Damn it!” she said out loud. “If we can’t win him over, we’re going to have to kill him.”