"I will not-" Reginald paused and called Suzie. The waitress hurried over and then after hearing his words, went first to the middle-aged man in the corner to talk to him. Then the man stood, paid, and scurried out. Next, she turned towards Jack.

But I don't want him to leave yet, she thought. Why me?

I see. I see. Jack stood and said, "My, what a mighty airship! Is this the latest model? But it looks slightly different from a Gereau."

There was a piggish grunt. "Prali."

"Excuse me?" Jack turned to Potato Sir.

"Prali Nogwash designed," he said with a snort, "noit even made yet." Each and every word came carefully after the other as if to let them sink into Jack's head with meaningful purpose.

"Splendid!" Jack smiled. "I once piloted an airship, sir. A Timothy Thompson, sir. I couldn't help but notice the—oh," He stopped and shook his head, "pardon. I'm Jack Ogswold, sir. It's an honor to make your acquaintance at long last, I hope I'm not intruding," he said, walking over to the table and giving a bow.

Reginald's eyes lit up. "The Jack Ogswold?"

Jack laughed. "Fine day it is that the great Sir Reginald has heard of me!"

Reginald gave a belly laugh. "Sir Reginald is only within the royal grounds, if I am to act still as a noble duke, yet, I have since left the lavish life and find myself here, giving to the poor, do you see, lad? It's much a fulfilling, but less extravagant, still, a man does deserve a bit to flaunt for the ladies, does he not?" He laughed again.

"Truly, truly! I have yet to see you at the Kaleidoscope, sir. I hope maybe next time—"

"Dustbench!" Reginald snapped his fingers, nearly flipping over the table, "I always miss it. When is the next one, Sammie, dear, my love, tell me what is a man's schedule this week?"

Sammie dear my love? Jack hid his face of disgust behind a mask of a smile. He's married to this leek? Or just lovers?

Jack kept on smiling. "I have yet to decide the next, sir. Perhaps during Mayfield Week? But it's all still up in the air, you see, Ann Smithe has got a horrible illness and the rest—"

"You don't say?" Reginald plastered a look of obviously fake concern on his face.

"May not be able to host for a while, sir, as you know, there is no Kaleidoscope without Ann Smithe."

"Hmm," Reginald grunted.

"Good day, sir," Jack said. He had just made a move to turn back when suddenly Reginald stood, nearly knocking over the table again.

"Suzie!" he roared.

Now what, Suzie thought in a whine, coming into the dine.

"Tell your boss, when he next appears," Reginald began in a low, intimidating voice, "to call me. His rent is overdue five months." He spat the last two words. A pale clump of something flew from his mouth. Then he flipped the table. Jack side-stepped out of the way. Plates crashed, food went to waste, and Suzie visibly trembled.

Reginald walked around the mess and jabbed a finger in her face. She flinched. "And don't you go asking me to pay for that dung-tasting food." He made a strange slurping sound and spat at her face. Bits of food, saliva, and all-around disgusting goop smeared all over her. Her eyes glossed over. When she reached to wipe her face the leek, wherever she had gotten such strength, grabbed hold of the waitress' arm, and whispered something to her.

Suzie broke down, wiping her face with her apron and desperately shook her head. Please, not my boy.

"And I heard that you still live on the second floor." Reginald snorted. "This is my land, after all."

Jack looked from Suzie to Reginald to the leek. He slipped his hand in his inner pocket. He decided that he really wanted to get a hold of that airship. And that was all. Who didn't want a not-yet-available Prali Nogwash designed airship with guns on its belly?

"Sir, Madam," Jack called. When they turned, that was the last time they would stand. It didn't matter if they were a woman, or if they weighed four-times more than Jack. Leek was on the floor tied up in a curtain in no time, and Reginald was being forced to fork over his wallet.

"See? That wasn't so hard was it, Sir Pig?" Jack sneered, digging his boot into Reginald's back. "Suzie," he said and Suzie who had been watching the scene from the side. She blinked her eyes rapidly as if pulling out of a daze.

How did he...do that? Who's he? she thought in astonishment.

"Y-Yeah?" she squeaked. He noticed a rather child-made bracelet on her wrist.

"Tide yourself and your tike over with this. Speak none about today. I suggest you leave. I would not want you to witness the end to this story."

He knows about my boy? was the last thought he heard from her. He waited a few moments, listening to the sound of footsteps on the ceiling. Then, on the way out, he heard,

"A new house, mommy?"

"A new house," Suzie said.

Thank you.

Jack sniffed and a faint smile touched his lips.

Once the café lay silent, he dug the knife into the potato's skin. "Now, what shall we do with you and your leek wife?"

"You would not do it!" Reginald squeaked as Jack pushed his face into the floor. It was quite satisfying stepping on a spongy fat person.

"I-I'm the duke! The duke of Endil! I-I—"

Jack smirked and leaned down to touch Reginald's left hand.

"So what? I've killed royalty before."

Knave Diamondo?

"That's right, stuffed potato," He sneered.

Dustbench shit! Reginald began to whimper. He knew what I was thinking?

Jack chuckled, feeling the adrenaline course through his veins. He loved this familiarity of having someone's life at his fingertips, ready to be squashed.

"But you won't tell, will you? Because, a dead man tells no tales," Jack said.

"Please, please, don't, please, I..." Reginald sobbed and began to pee himself. And he hadn't even finished relieving when Jack shoved the knife through the back of his neck. He worked hard to hack away at the neck, just to be sure the man was dead. Blood flowed onto the floor. The wife leek beside them was screaming and crying through her curtain gag.

After killing her husband in the most sadistic way he could manage with just a cutting knife, he gathered his bags and the map and took them out to the airship. Then he went back in to see the leek had tried to worm her way to her husband. Before she could splash in the mix of urine and blood, he hoisted her up on her shoulders.

"Send him a prayer. He's gonna need it," he said, and left the café. At the foot of the airship, he wondered for a moment if he should take mercy on this woman who probably had no choice but to marry a pig. Then she violently squirmed, hitting his head with hers.

Caught off guard, Jack wobbled and hit the airship. The door above opened and came a cry of shock. He glanced up. It was another woman, younger, and in a suit. The secretary had a gun. Jack swiftly regained himself.

The secretary fired two rounds.

"Don't fire!" the leek shrieked.

"You wench!" Jack held up the leek shield.

Blood seeped out of the cloth. He hurled her at the secretary, grabbed his bags and hurried up the airship. He closed the hatch and grabbed the fallen gun.

"If you move, I shoot."

Both women lay still. One of them was dead and the other quickly followed. Blood soaked the carpeting. The pilot was an older chap, who held up his arms and asked for mercy. Jack shot him between the eyes. There was no room for mercy. Old, young, didn't matter. He hauled the bodies onto the street and wiped the gun. He placed it in the arms of the secretary just to throw the police off.

"Knave Diamondo is back." Jack smirked. Then he went to the back to get his map. A small cough came from behind some boxes.

Still, someone in here?

"Show yourself, if you know what's good for you," he said and a boy in dirty clothes came out from behind the boxes. His olive skin was bruised, covered in cuts, and dried blood, and a few teeth were missing. The most striking thing about him was that he had bright blue-green, ocean eyes. The boy bowed so low he folded in half.

"Knave Diamondo," his voice cracked, "please sirs, I'll works for yous sirs for saving melife whethers mean it sirs, or not sirs."

Ragamuffin. Jack clicked his tongue. He had not expected anyone to be here. Better take care of this.