Tidbit Compilation

Arrangement

The smell of breakfast at dinner lingered in the air, delicious but misplaced unless you were in an American diner. Which they were, just not in America. Two men towards the back corner of the restaurant sat across from each other, one eating, one reading an American newspaper that was most likely outdated. At first glance, no one would imagine that the two of them even knew that the other was there, much less that they were good friends. The fatter of the two men tore ravenously at the food in front of him, but managed not to make too terrible of a mess. Finally, when a speck of egg landed on the back of the newspaper of a thinner and more muscular man wearing glasses, he folded it up and addressed the pig across from him.

"You're disgusting, Ernest Ziba."

"Oh, thank goodness, you still speak English," Ziba sighed with a mouthful of egg.

"It's only been three years; I'm a little rusty, but I have not forgotten completely."

He swallowed. "I can tell. Your accent is thicker."

"And you've gained weight."

"Only seven pounds," Ziba defended himself a bit bitterly, adding, "You're looking pretty fit. Is Alina in Germany?"

"Nein. Shut up." He unfolded the paper once more and continued reading.

Ziba scooped up the last of his eggs and shoved them into his stuffed cheeks. After wiping his mouth, he settled into the booth seat and took a sip of his coffee. Chatter around them filled the silence between them awkwardly.

"Did you even call her?"

"Enough with the formalities, Ernest, what did you call me here for?"

A grin slid across Ziba's face as he took another drink of coffee. "You know why I'm here, Dedrik. Why else would I bother to fly to a country where I don't know a lick of the language?"

"It couldn't possibly be for a friendly visit, could it?" Dedrik guessed sarcastically.

"Oh don't play like that, pal, you know I would have visited if either of us had the time! You know why I'm here. I'll humor you, but only cuz I love ya."

"Things have been different since our expedition, I'm sure you've noticed. No one believed us until we got back, and suddenly everyone is a success story. You're an acclaimed doctor, but you've stayed in the exact same spot where I found you. The same goes for everyone else. They're all living the dream, but they haven't moved an inch. Isn't that a phenomenon? Do you know why they're still in their cozy homes, Dedrik? I do. Whether they realize it or not, they're all waiting. They're waiting for me."

"It's been three long years, pal, and I'm finally off hiatus. We're needed again. I've spent the past week tracking everyone down. You can imagine it wasn't too difficult after what I've already told ya. They're all right where I left 'em. Now it's just a matter of getting everyone together. We're going back to Kunlun, my friend."

"Who's funding?" Dedrik interrupted, having set his paper down ages ago.

"I'm getting to that. You remember Mr. Mulberry's will mysteriously disappearing? Well, they found it. He willed everything he had over to me. I'm funding the trip." Feeling Dedrik's skeptical stare, he added, "Yeah, I wouldn't believe me either if it hadn't happened to me. Mulberry was always more of a family man. But that's not the point," he reminded him, "The point is, I'm funding another trip to Kunlun. This one is a bit more... private, though. Less crew. Only the essentials. Everything we will use is something I will have purchased. Of our original team of forty people, I'm only recruiting the nine of us that saw it. I promise that it'll be good pay, enough to cover for any time you would need off. For the sake of old times. Whaddaya say, Dedrik? Will you do it?"

Dedrik shifted in his seat, thinking over Ziba's offer. He checked his pocket watch, not for the time, but for the picture inside of a fond face that was an ocean away. "And... Alina?"

"Just like old times, my friend."

Clicking the watch shut, Dedrik replied, "I'll do it."