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April 19, 2007

4.19.07

The sins of the father...

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David: No, Big Of You

“Hi, are you Steve Johnson?”

“No solicitors,” I replied, pointing at the sign.

“I’m no salesman. I’m Bob Johnson. We have the same father.”

I checked him out. Hair, eyes, jaw, looked about right. “Okay. Nice to meet you. That all?”

“Um, no? ‘Cause we’re family? I’d like to get to know you?”

If I had a nickel…. “All right. Where you from, Bob?”

“Nebraska.”

I picked up the notebook I keep by the door. “East or west?”

“East. Why?”

“That makes you Elmyra’s kid. Dad’s eighth wife. Brother, Ted, sister, Judy. Dad told you he was in the CIA."

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Jim: Seeker

Pink sunrise pearled the eastern sky as Teng Weh wiped red blood from his axe onto the dead soldier’s tunic.

It was never a good idea to kill one of the Emperor’s soldiers, least of all for one such as Weh. As one of the Xiongnu nomads, Weh had less status than a peasant.

But it had been a simple question; Did the honorable soldier know where Weh could find his father, Teng Xia? In reply, the soldier had repeated the name and then spat.

His father’s honor temporarily restored, Weh fled toward the rising sun and the Imperial City.

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Dave: Family Ties

The figure stood in the doorway, menacing without actually moving.  Roger could feel a chill roiling through the air, a smell of earth and jasmine.  The traffic sounds from the street faded out.

"I am come for your wife, Mr. Donne."

"Not here tonight.  Something I can do?"

"I seek her heart."

"Sorry, she gave it to me and I'm pretty stingy with it." He eyed the door, and regretted once again the lack of fire escape in the office.

"I will have vengeance."

"Any particular reason?"

"I know ... her father."

"I know him, too.  He's an asshole.  You have my sympathies."

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Ted: Three Dukes for Penny

I stepped through the mirror and straight into the lab of Penny's father.

He was there. Along with three very well dressed gentlemen.

"Interesting spell, son. Came right through all my protections like they weren't there. How's it work?"

"It is a simple spell I learned at a young age. Primative compared to your art. You probably just didn't have your spells set to detect it. But I'm here for Penny's sake, sir, and it's rather important."

"These three are here for her, too. But I must say your entrance puts you way ahead in the suitor department."

"Suitor?" Shit.

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Jeff R.:Tangled Web

Twenty years after he died, I'm still paying for dad's mistakes. It doesn't help that he was a time traveller, of course. Just yesterday he ran up a monster tab down at the pub, then told the owner I'd cover it. Which I did, like a perfect schmuck.

Could be worse, though. Like last week, when my girlfriend left me. Her description of the guy she ran off with was just a bit too familiar, and sure enough, it was dad, sweeping her away off to the seventies where she became my mother. Next Thanksgiving's going to be mighty awkward.

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