Undercover - In China - Book 7

Part 68 - The answer is in the beer

'What happened then?' I prompted.

'I go to Toronto and follow you. Zhen, I find out Murga wants to steal Dr Zhang's secrets because ze Time Agency does not know about zis . . . 'Now, I 'av to do as 'e asks or 'e wont let me go 'ome,' Kozak said miserably into his beer jug. 

 'But I thought Agent Triple Oh promised to send you home.'

'I do not trust 'im  . . . And I don't like your time. Television is awful.  Zhere are too many people. Ze climate change religion is terrible. And ze opiates! I do not understand why people pay money to destroy their brains wiz tobacco, cannabis and ozzer drugs. And many archives are on paper. I 'ate paper archives! I am allergic to dust. 

 And, China is worse. Zhey 'av no flushing toilets and ze archives are on bits of wood. I get bamboo splinters!' 'But ze Chinese are more sensible. Zhey worship ancestors who do not tell people to kill one annuzer because zhey believe in Santa Claus or Capitalism or soft-boiled eggs. Also, zhey 'av Taoism and the teachings of Confucius and also zhey are interested in the teachings of Buddha.' 

 I had listened to Kozak's research into religions before, so I changed the topic. 

 'What is the future like?'

'It's more fun,' he slurred cheerfully. 'Much less people and almost all of them live in cities. Lots more wilderness and only few farmers wiz many robots grow food in green houses. Everyone works little and gets paid lots. Most people study, play games, do research or entertain. People live much longer, and they have fewer children.   Too many children means too much war and too much pollution which nearly destroyed civilization in 21st century. You live in interesting times, and I do not like it.'

One half of my brain was telling me Kozak's tale was unreal. The funny thing was, the other half of my brain was beginning to think this was perfectly normal.

Kozak drank more beer and looked at me with unfocussed eyes. He made a strangled sound. 'Ziff, please, I beseech you, don't tell anyone what I said. If Murga finds out 'e will leave me 'ere forever.' His voice trailed off.

Suddenly, I had a horrible feeling of loneliness. I seemed my world had shattered into a million shards of memories. I was sitting at the side of a road in an alien land more than two thousand years before I had been born. I had lost my friends. They may even have been killed. The only link with the place I called home was a funny little man I barely knew. I choked up and tried not to cry.

'Why am I here?' I mumbled'

'Tha's a ver' good question?' Kozak slurred into his beer. 'And ze answer ish . . . in ze beer.' He waved at the waiter for another. 

 It was getting dark, and I figured we'd should find somewhere to sleep before Kozak got too drunk to walk. Luckily, we were not too far from the main stables where we found a comfortable pile of hay in a corner not occupied by snoring soldiers and fell asleep quickly.

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 The guards found us in the morning and hauled us off to see Cho Cho. I thought we were in trouble, but he was pleased to see me. Kozak translated. 'Ah, the student who correctly predicted that I would be defeated,' Cho Cho said. 'I have need of outspoken advice. I am surrounded by too many sycophants. So, I am appointing you as one of my advisors.' 

 I stared at him, dumbfounded.