Kashi knocked on the door of the house on Orchard street. A heavy odor of cooking was eeking out of the walls of the suburban home. The door opened to reveal a large woman with deep, almond eyes. Her magnetic beauty and sex appeal was as pungent as the wafting odors from the kitchen.
“Can I help you?” She said.
“Yes. Hello. My name is Kashi Salaam.”
She stared at him.
“I have information about your husband Hector. I need your help.”
Sheila looked over Kashi with a firm and appraising eye.
“I know about Hector and the Goonscape,” Kashi continued more urgently. “Now let me in before someone sees me here.”
Sheila opened the door wide and moved to allow his passage. He scampered in under her arm. She closed the door behind him.
“I’m making dinner. Stay here in the living room.” When she reached the doorway back to the kitchen she turned and looked over her shoulder. “Please make yourself comfortable.”
Kashi sat down reluctantly in a sofa that smelled like it had been cooked on a thousand times. Now that he was indoors he could detect the subtle fragrances of Mexican spices and well-selected oils. Rice, peppers, and chiuaua cheese were present too.
Sheila was rummaging around with pots and pans until she was satisfied that everything could be left to simmer. She returned to the living room and wordlessly sat down on a chair opposite Kashi.
“So you’re Kashi and you know about the Goonscape. What exactly do you think you know?”
Kashi was a little surprised at her apparent ingratitude. He decided to be straight with her. He wanted to impress her.
“I know that you husband Hector Rodriguez is stuck in the Goonscape and I know Murdock Corporation is involved.”
She granted him an impressed lift of a single eyebrow. “Go on.”
“Well, that’s pretty much it. And that Hector had a friend named Vivian who might be able to help us.”
“Vivian, huh? Is she the one who slipped this letter into my catalog?”
Sheila produced the letter from underneath a cushion and handed it to Kashi. “You know she kind of implies that I shouldn’t trust you. Since you’re being followed by secret agents and everything.”
“So you think I’m a spy or something?”
Sheila shook her head. “You really don’t know anything, do you?”
x9dread 