Chapter Two. Snoring with Zol

Snoring with Zol

Ten thousand dollars isn't very much money. Who am I kidding. Right now I'll accept work for a hamburger on Tuesday, which I'd even gladly pay you for on Wednesday--no that wasn't it. A hamburger today which I'll pay you for Tuesday. Gladly. Cept I don't eat hamburgers. And I don't have any money so all I could really give you on Tuesday is an IOU. Or I can download the entire subscription base for my publishing empire and trade you that. Do you know either of them? Beautiful people.

So yeah. Derby set out to talk to the wife.

"Pam."
"Yes dear."
"How's your tea?"
"Fiiiiiiiiiine?" She drug it out, meaning, "do you have something you want to tell me?"

Pam always knew when he was going to come with a doosie.

"Remember Zol?--I know you haven't read it, but I've told you about it."

"Don't be silly. I've read PART of it?"

"Anyway, some guy called and offered $10,000."

"That's nice. Was it the president? Or David Korten?"

Pam knew that Derby is a very loyal Obama fan and also worships a thinker named David Korten.

"No seriously. A man called. Says they're sending a plane for me. I have to go to Hong Kong."

"Can we talk about this after my tea? I think you're about to spring something on me?"

Derby stopped. Closed his eyes. Took off his glasses. Kind of massaged the squinty space just under his Third Eye Chakra.

"Pammy Poo. I'm not joking. I really think some publishing organization likes the story. The man didn't talk long. Said his name was Scoville. Vermin Scoville? No, he was a guy from high school But it was for sure Scoville. Still, the point is, if they send us certifiable funds for $10,000 to prove they're serious. I'd take their flight to Hong Kong. We can always delay our plans for the launch until after I get back.

I know 10 grand isn't that much but right now it could hold us steady for a month or two. Easily I could swing to Hong Kong. Probably after we find out if the ten is real, and we've got it deposited, I could call for more details. What's to lose. We'd have the money in the bank?"

"What is Zol about again?"

Derby felt uplifted. This is the most she'd ever shown of interest in the story, that he knew of.

"It is about a culture of people who have become addicted to their electronic devices. In fact they use their electronics much like a drug addict uses drugs. They get high from their jet phones, and Tai Wii's, and their LapZols especially.

And they have a mythological God like entity that most of them worship, named Zol. And Zol only communicates in Beatle Speak. It is written as if it is far off in the future, but it is only ten or twenty years  off. It speaks of the time of 2011 as very early days of Zol. Oh, and Zol came to save them by forgiving them thru their electronics. Zol is all.

She was asleep, so he covered her with the alpaca throw and put her tea bag in the trash and washed her cup.