The fat gangster smiled “Nothing but the best for my boys. Remember, we’re going to the top. This place was made for people like us. These people don’t know how to make money, the old men bounded what was left of their groups by honor” Frank said honor like it a dirty word “after the new generation all killed themselves going after the big bucks. Hell, that’s why we’re here, so the clans can get shit done without sullying their...precious honor”
Paul, suddenly enlightened on the going-ons of the Japanese underworld, said “So we’re bagmen, couriers and thugs for these men?”
“Yes, they figure we have no honor to begin with, so they give us the less glamorous jobs that are needed for a Yazuka clan to run effectively” He stopped to light a cigarette, when he was puffing he added “So, you know, extortion, murder, kidnappings, arson—quite a bit of arson, actually—an’ taking out guerentai who get too big for someone’s liking. Probably nothing you can’t handle, right?”
Paul shrugged “I just moved hash into and through Turkey for a few years. Although with the border guards and prisons being what they are; I’d bet a lot of the skills overlap.
“Good, because I don’t think Horigome can get another favor out of our colonel for a while” Frank said as he stamped the cigarette out. “Go round up everybody else, Simon. Harry’s probably pissed we stayed so long. What time is it now, anyway?”
Simon got to his watch first “Ten-till two” he said as he walked inside Kurosawa’s. Leonard followed silently behind him. Paul later learned that Eric was known to enjoy drinking and smashing up restaurants when they tried to kick him out.
As if to illustrate what Frank had said, the giant neon octopus that bathed the front of the building—and the two expatriates—in an unhealthy blue glow shut off. Paul looked at the American, all he saw was a vague black outline.
“You still with me, Ferenc?” Frank said his name like ‘fur-en-ik’, the same as Leonard had earlier.
“Yeah” he replied, “Can I take one of those cigarettes off you? I wanna sample the local stuff” He was already missing the fragrant Turkish smokes he’d enjoyed for the last ten-or-so years.
Out of the darkness came a pack of cigarettes. Paul grunted as the cardboard hit his chest and fell to the ground. “Sorry” he heard Frank say. Bending down he noticed through the dim starlight that the pack was adorned with some kind of bird and, surprisingly enough, ‘Peace’ in English.
He was taking one of peaceful cigarettes out when he heard Frank say “You know, you’re supposed to say ‘May I smoke’ as you’re pulling your cigarettes. A courtesy thing, these people are big on it…” Frank’s voice trailed off
“Hmm” was all the noise Paul made as he lit up. The ember of the Japanese cigarette stood out among the blackness that engulfed the front of Kurosawa’s. “I’ll have to keep that in mind” he said as he blew out a cloud of smoke.
It sounded like Frank was going to say something when the rest of his organization emerged from the restaurant. Leonard instead said “Paul, come with me, I’ll show you to your palace”
“Decorated in the Versailles style, right?” Paul answered as he flicked the cigarette onto a street. This got a chuckle form Simon
“Eh…more roach than anything, but it’s got running water and a black and white TV!” Leonard missed Paul’s French joke entirely. “Come on, you and me got business in the morning”
Paul sighed “You gonna cut my teeth already?” He expected at least a few days to get used to Tokyo
“Relax mon ami. I’ll fill you in on the way to the place.” Leonard seemed.
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