American security agents, suspecting Dr Zhang is hacking into U.S. computers, try to abduct him. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is also interested.
And Murga is back in town with a proposition. I agree to tests of my super normal flyi...
'WongTime Photonics,' Denny said carefully. 'Makes optical-electronic interface components. I don't think Dr Zhang has any expertise with quantum computers.'
The door suddenly opened and a very large man with long arms squeezed through, the gorilla from the Christmas bus trip. He was gripping the collar of an orange leather coat worn by an elderly woman with orange hair . . . my upstairs gun-nut neighbour, Beryl.
'I found this bag lady snooping around,' he said and he swung Beryl off her feet like a rag doll. 'I recognised her from the bus trip. She shot out our tires. And look what I found in her shopping bag.'
He brandished a compact machine pistol, Beryl's Uzi.
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'Awooo!' A tiny dark bundle of black fur raced from the door and sank its teeth into the gorilla's ankle. My dog Pacman to the rescue. Then things happened very quickly. The gorilla hopped around on one leg, trying to shake Pacman off the other, while Beryl was swinging from one hand and the Uzi from the other. Then Beryl's steel-toed construction sneakers connected with the gorilla's knees, the Uzi went off with a loud bang and everyone in the room dived for cover, except Murga.
Murga was doubled over his face contorted in a grimace . . . I thought he had been shot but he was laughing. I had never seen him laugh before.
'Haw, haw, haw, honk. Zdis is funny. Haw, ho, ho, haw. She did zdat to me, before. Hee, hee.' He wiped his eyes, pulled out a large white handkerchief and blew his nose with a loud honk.
'Stonk, put the god damned gun down!' Con roared from his position on the floor. 'Carefully!'
The gorilla, Stonk, slowly placed the Uzi on the floor and laid himself face down, arms spread wide as if waiting to be arrested.
Beryl was sitting on the floor patting Pacman on the head. 'Good dog,' she said, 'Fetch.' And Pacman scampered over the bulk of the prostrate gorilla and picked up the Uzi by the trigger guard.
Beryl snapped, 'put the safety on first!' but she was too late. The Uzi fired a shot across the floor. It ricocheted off the base of a lathe and took out one of the fluorescent lamps. Bit of the smashed glass tube rained down. Pacman sat back in surprise. 'Awooo,' he howled triumphantly.
Beryl stepped over the prostrate gorilla, picked up the smoking Uzi and clicked the safety catch on. 'You're on a charge,' she told Pacman. 'Accidental discharge of a firearm. No sausages for a week.'
Pacman managed to look contrite while still wagging his tail hopefully.
In Denny's office, two cell phones began ringing. Con and Andy gave each other puzzled looks and each pulled out a cell phone but, instead of putting them to their ears, they threw the phones onto the floor. They leaped to their feet, yanked hand guns from shoulder holsters and took up a defensive position back-to-back, guns held stiff armed, pointing down.
