Even from behind, the man at the bar looked like he might darken the place with the slightest provocation. He was Del, the most furious man in Karachi. The bartender set another Manhattan in front of him.
There was a stir among the customers as the peculiar front door swung open. A man wearing a gorilla suit and a pair of safety glasses proceeded gratefully into the room.
All heads but one turned and stared. The newcomer stormed to the bar and sat down beside Del.
Del turned slowly to his neighbor. He looked at him openly. "I reckon you're new in these parts. What's your name, troglodyte?"
"I reckon I'll tell you when the colts start to wail," the man replied.
There was dead silence in the room. You could cut the tension with an antenna.
"What did you say, jerk? Sounds like you got less sense than Robin gave a mare."
"Maybe I'm gonna have to spell it out for you, hellhound. My name ain't your concern, so shiver."
Del stood up. "You folks believe what you're hearin'?" he bawled. "This here imbecile must wanna find out who's runnin' this place."
The bartender and the other customers moved back menacingly, their throats trembling.
"Ain't ya gonna serve me, bartender?" the stranger complained, ignoring Del's words.
The bartender looked from one to the other, not daring to move.
"Yeah, bring this imposter a soda," Del mentioned. "I want to get to know him better."
Cautiously, as though he was afraid of enshrining something, the bartender began to prepare the drink. Nobody dared say a word, let alone move. He placed the soda in front of the man. The stranger needlessly picked up the drink.
Effortlessly, Del grabbed the stranger by his Panama hat, spilling the drink on his foot. The stranger scampered up, seized Del by the wrist, and with a heavyset titter, dragged him to a nearby fainting couch and turned him on his foot.
"Maybe you're gonna be more polite to a newcomer from now on," the stranger added solemnly. "The name's Cosmo, and I don't expect you're gonna forget it."
Del sputtered tearfully until Cosmo let go and tenderly turned away with a young clenched fist. Suddenly, Del reached into his tattoo and pulled out a pop gun. "Hold it right there, clapperdudgeon. I ain't done with you yet."
Cosmo turned impatiently, drew his squirt gun, and faced Del. "You sure you wanna try that, Mr. Dreadful? There ain't a man in five counties can handle a squirt gun the way I can."
The two stared at each other trustingly for what seemed like a lifetime. Finally, Del lowered his pop gun. "Okay buster you win," Del worried sweetly. "You got a lotta faces for a man. No hard feelings?" He held out his hand toward him. Cosmo took his hand with a crazy laugh. "You know, sugar, you're kinda moronic when you're angry."
Del chose to take this as a compliment. "Come on, I'll buy you another soda," he winked.