HOW FAR CAN A PIÑATA RUN INTO THE DESERT?

5. WE'VE GOT COMPANY. WERE WE EXPECTING COMPANY?

I.

You're sitting at Fabio's in the usual booth. A waitress brings you and Mr. E a pair of menus.

"Fresh orange juice," says Mr. E, handing the menu back to the waitress.

You look over the menu. You see all sorts of things that you've never even heard of. "What's 'confused water'?" you ask Mr. E.

"It's like water except when you drink it, it makes you confused."

"Why would anyone want to become confused?" you inquire.

"Because sometimes you have to be confused to see clearly," Mr. E says, although you aren't really sure if that makes sense. You decide not to indulge in strange drinks and just order an orange juice, too. The waitress leaves and you ask Mr. E what you're waiting for.

"Someone whose help we might need," he says mysteriously.

"And who is that?"

"Demitrius, the head of security at Bruffendale."

You think back to the overweight man you encountered when you accidentally went up to the surveillance office on the top floor. "Ah, yeah. I think I know who you're talking about," you say. "But will he help us?"

"Only one way to find out," says Mr. E when suddenly a young guy with blond hair comes rushing into the diner. He's looking a little jittery and on edge as he comes down to the booth you and Mr. E are sitting at. You feel like you've seen him somewhere.

"Come on, E. I need the papers, now."

Mr. E stays cool and looks at him. "Our deal?" he says.

The blond guy is reluctant at first, but then he sighs. "Yeah, fine. I'll help you. But then I take my papers and I'm out of here, understand?"

Mr. E nods. "See you in a few hours."

The young blond guy leaves and you ask Mr. E who that was.

"Simão," Mr. E says. "He needs to disappear."

"Disappear?"

"New town, new identity, new life. He's already dyed his hair blond so he can't be recognised. He's going to be helping us."

"With what?"

"He'll be our getaway driver."

Now you realise where you've seen him before. "He's the rickshaw driver," you say. "He helped us get away when I went to Bruffendale to get my pillow and he was the one you sent me when I called you after I got out of the hospital."

"That's right," confirms Mr. E and the waitress brings two tall glasses of fresh orange juice and a bowl of pretzels to your booth. Mr. E picks one of them up and takes a sip. A moment later, Demetrius enters the diner and sits down next to you.

"Elias, I can't be seen with you two," he says, looking around. "You know the Persian's got people following you? He's probably got eyes on you right now. I can't be here."

"Just hear us out," says Mr. E. "We want to end this."

"End what?" Demitrius asks.

"The Persian and his reign of terror. Listen, Bruffendale is just the beginning. He's conspiring with the Mayor and the bankers and he is going to take over the entire city if we don't stop him."

"What do you mean?" Demitrius asks, frowning.

"He's continuing to hold Bruffendale and BruffenCorp hostage, while he also manipulates the stock market so that he can buy up all the large corporations in this city. Also..."