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[OM] As the Focus Ring Turns - Romancing the Scone

Subject: [OM] As the Focus Ring Turns - Romancing the Scone
From: Ken Norton <image66@xxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 00:49:06 -0500
As the Focus Ring Turns - Romancing the Scone.

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound..." the bagpipes wailed the tune in the
gray drizzle of the late afternoon graveside funeral.  The raucus overtones
sliced through the darkening afternoon as the onlookers watched as Sollie
the Soligar was lain to rest.  The casket was not fancy, but fitting for a
once proud aftermarket telephoto.  Sollie's death ushered in a new era for
Mr. N's camera bag.  The upheaval caused by Sollie's death and the eventual
arrival of Sue and Toky changed everything.  Sollie and Vert were terrific
friends and worked together quite often.  Sollie was Vert's protector
during the deadly fall.  "I miss you so much Sollie", Vert thought, "why
did you have to die?  My life on the run is so tiring and scary."

"The Walkway is Ending!  Please look down.  The Walkway is Ending!  Please
look down..."  The recorded voice shattered Vert's thoughts as he neared
the end of the underground passageway at Chicago's Ohare Airport.  Walking
to the side of the moving sidewalks afforded Vert with a better view of the
people in the tunnel and gave him a slight advantage should he need to
suddenly take off and run.  The lighting in the tunnel seemed dimmer than
it used to and the sequenced neon tubes have lost much of their luster, but
the design and uniqueness of the tunnel going out to Concourse-C always
pleased him.

Vert has been on the run ever since escaping from the operating table.
Before leaving he had rummaged through the facility and found a duffel bag
loaded with money which he has been using to stay a step ahead of Mr. N's
men.  His memory isn't very good these days and entire portions of his life
are missing, but the events of the past year survived the scapel unscathed.

Sitting down inside the Berghoff Cafe near his gate, Vert watched as people
milled around and passed back and forth in the main aisleway.  The sunlight
streamed through the windows and played interesting patterns on the diamond
shaped tiles.  If he wanted to, Vert could easily watch the jets taking off
outside of his window, but he was much more interested in the
people--people who were after him.  He watched the aisle, the bar, the
table next to him, even the airport personnel below him tending to planes,
luggage and a strange looking vehicle that belched black smoke.  Vert was
very concerned--his flight was being delayed do to a mechanical problem.
He was told it was a broken coffee maker!  "I'm going to be caught because
a stinkin 737 is grounded due to a busted coffee pot?" groused Vert.  

Vert was getting quite good at identifying Mr. N's men.  They all had
standard issue black suits and spit-shined black shoes.  Once Vert was
almost caught by one who pretended to be a plumber, but he noticed that the
guy was wearing a belt on his pants.  Vert knew that the stakes were very
high and that Mr. N. would stop at nothing to get him back.  He would use
any means to succeed in recapturing Vert.

Vert wondered why it should matter to Mr. N. as he has been seeing another
woman lately.  Connie Contax is her name.  A rather large woman, but very
classy and very "high-society."  The days are numbered for his friends
still on the inside of the camera bag.  He has heard that Connie is quite
the woman and probably worth dumping the current harem for.

"Last call for boarding Flight 576 to Pittsburgh" the Public Address System
called out.  Taking one last look behind him Vert entered the enclosed
gangway to the airplane.  Slipping into his window seat by the emergency
exit, Vert wouldn't relax until the plane was pulling away from the gate.
Something was taking too long though, and Vert became increasingly agitated
as fifteen more minutes passed by without the plane leaving the gate.

"WHEW! I made it!" said the woman as she sat down in the empty seat next to
Vert.  The thump sound of the door closing was immediately followed by the
plane pushing away from the gate.  "I almost missed the flight."  The
attractive woman crossed her long, finely shaped legs as she buckled in.
Vert began to think that this flight could actually be enjoyable.  He
hadn't dated since he had been betrothed to Veronica, a Vivitar Series 1
mirror lens.  She was kidnapped one night and has never been seen or heard
from again.  Vert wondered if he should strike up a conversation with this
woman as his survival depended upon his anominity.

"My name is Nickie, Nickie Nikon," said the woman.  She had a short black
dress on and her shoes matched her handbag.  The titanium earrings are a
nice touch, thought Vert as he summoned every ounce of courage he had left.
 "My-ee name, ahem, My name is Vince," lied Vert as his voice cracked.
Vert wanted to tell her that he thought she was the most beautiful woman he
has ever seen, but figured that would be a little too forward.  Besides, he
couldn't start a relationship while he was on the run.  It would be
extremely dangerous for anybody he became involved with.  Mr. N's men were
ruthless thugs.

"Well, 'VINCE,' I hope we can enjoy this flight, even without coffee."
mused Nickie.

Vert wondered how she knew about the broken coffee maker.  It had been
fixed long before she arrived to the gate.

The slender rangefinder took her lipstick and mirror out of her handbag and
proceeded to apply a fresh coat of red to her well-formed lips.  Vert's
heart fluttered, but he wasn't sure if it was because of Nickie or
aftereffects of the operation months before.

Nickie slipped her lipstick back in the bag and touched the barrel of her
handgun.  The new composite material made it invisible to the X-Ray
machines.  Her grandfather, a Japanese Navy Admiral, died shortly after his
son, her father, moved to America to become an engineer.  "Father just
didn't have any fight in him," thought Nickie.  "Grandfather was a warrier,
I'm a warrier."  Nickie contemplated her life of stealth and duplicity as
she compared his battles with her battles.  "Grandfather would be proud of
me--I think."  Unfortunately, like her grandfather, Nickie was forced to
fight wars that were not of her choosing.  "Someday, I will fight for
honour, not just with honour."

Zipping her handbag shut, Nickie knew that in an hour she might just have
to use that gun if her plan should fail.  She was being paid a lot of money
for what she is about to do.


Copyright 1999 Kenneth E. Norton


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