(Untitled)

[laloteria]

[ oom: a typical day at el palacio de los asesinos. except ... not. la lotería comes again.]Wireman had left Miss Eastlake's pack of cigarettes in the other room, so, after checking to make sure he hadn't imagined her lucidity, he'd gone to get them

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[not_his_pa]

William's getting ready to head out the front door of the Bar and almost runs into Wireman,

"Pardon me, sir, but don't think you'll be findin' her here."

[not_his_pa]

"It is and you can get any sort of food you'd like here and your first drink's free,"

William smiles back, its hard not to and he feels like he's being helpful.

[laloteria]

Idly, he wonders if they put honey in their green tea here. It's the sort of disconnect that happens when somebody starts believing in the unbelievable.

"Any sort of food, huh?" he asks with a grin. "Wireman likes the idea of that."

[not_his_pa]

"Yes, sir. There are these things called fried paradoxes that are just about the best hot thing you can have. Chili here's almost as good as my Ma's too. I can show you how to get things before I leave, my door ain't goin' anywhere."

[laloteria]

"Paradox," he repeats, mouth twisting wryly. "Sounds about right."

He gestures for the kid to lead the way.

[not_his_pa]

"Yeah, it is. I'm William Evans of Bisbee, Arizona Territory,"

Then he lists a year in the last 1860s as he walks towards the bar counter.

[laloteria]

Uh-huh. He's a bit busy staring at the kid to follow immediately, but does so eventually.

"Jerome Wireman, circa 2008. Residing on Duma Key."

[not_his_pa]

William gets to bar and smiles when Wireman catches up,

"Then most folks here will be from around your time. Where's Duma Key?"

[laloteria]

Wireman didn't really put much thought into there being more people. He's not sure if he's comforted by this or not.

He waves his hand in a vague gesture. "In the caldo largo. Off the coast of Florida."

[not_his_pa]

"So you don't have to worry about water? That must be nice."

[laloteria]

Wireman is confused momentarily, then he remembers the kid is from Arizona, as well as the past.

"Maybe si, maybe no. We got plenty of water, but the heat tends to dry it all up pretty fast. Paying those water bills is a bitch."

[not_his_pa]

"Yeah, we almost lost our land cause of water,"

Instead his father died.

[laloteria]

Wireman catches the change in tone! Wireman catches it hard!

"So ... about those paradoxes?"

Wireman awkwardly changes the subject!

[not_his_pa]

A big basket of fried paradoxes with various sauces appears on the Bar,

"Here."

[laloteria]

And that's the last straw. The only way Wireman can deal with this from now on is acceptance. Because if he questions it, he'll be as loco as Miss Eastlake.

He still eyes the paradoxes skeptically.

"What do they taste like?"

[not_his_pa]

William's in the midst of eating one and considers before saying,

"Best fried potatoes you ever had but with this extra bit of somethin' that I ain't figured out."