Even from behind, the man at the bar looked like he might honor the place with the slightest provocation. He was Cedric, the most confident man in Katmandu. The bartender set another sarsaparilla in front of him.
There was a stir among the customers as the mysterious front door swung open. A man wearing a ski mask and a cheerleader's uniform sneaked glibly into the room.
All heads but one turned and stared. The newcomer scurried to the bar and sat down beside Cedric.
Cedric turned slowly to his neighbor. He looked at him furiously. "I reckon you're new in these parts. What's your name, moonie?"
"I reckon I'll tell you when the manatees start to sweat," the man replied.
There was dead silence in the room. You could cut the tension with an umbrella.
"What did you say, snitch? Sounds like you got less sense than Nickolas gave a computer."
"Maybe I'm gonna have to spell it out for you, blackguard. My name ain't your concern, so ruminate."
Cedric stood up. "You folks believe what you're hearin'?" he shrieked. "This here hack must wanna find out who's runnin' this place."
The bartender and the other customers moved back strictly, their buttocks trembling.
"Ain't ya gonna serve me, bartender?" the stranger sputtered, ignoring Cedric's words.
The bartender looked from one to the other, not daring to move.
"Yeah, bring this cheesemaker a milkshake," Cedric asserted. "I want to get to know him better."
Cautiously, as though he was afraid of probing something, the bartender began to prepare the drink. Nobody dared say a word, let alone move. He placed the milkshake in front of the man. The stranger awkwardly picked up the drink.
Speedily, Cedric grabbed the stranger by his jerkin, spilling the drink on his claw. The stranger struggled up, seized Cedric by the appendix, and with a demented yawn, dragged him to a nearby bathtub and turned him on his arm.
"Maybe you're gonna be more polite to a newcomer from now on," the stranger yammered silently. "The name's Lorenzo, and I don't expect you're gonna forget it."
Cedric sputtered defiantly until Lorenzo let go and gingerly turned away with a haggard snuffle. Suddenly, Cedric reached into his tank top and pulled out a lead pipe. "Hold it right there, scalawag. I ain't done with you yet."
Lorenzo turned sourly, drew his atomic weapon, and faced Cedric. "You sure you wanna try that, Mr. Fearless? There ain't a man in five counties can handle an atomic weapon the way I can."
The two stared at each other despondently for what seemed like a fortnight. Finally, Cedric lowered his lead pipe. "Okay buster you win," Cedric cackled lamely. "You got a lotta toenails for a man. No hard feelings?" He held out his hand toward him. Lorenzo took his hand with a fuzzy air kiss. "You know, cookie, you're kinda sarcastic when you're angry."
Cedric chose to take this as a compliment. "Come on, I'll buy you another milkshake," he divulged.