I do not fuck with Eiger and the cigar shop because he does not buy anything here and that makes me pay attention but also because I like the little guy and his shop and there is no need to break beautiful things just to upset bad people who like them.

I fuck with everything else though because I am petty that way.

—

First it turns out there has been a fire at Karlsbad House in Doha. This is a thing that happens very occasionally there in the new buildings. They are building very fast and they bring in labor from overseas and it is not always the case that those workers are well treated some of them die on the job and in this case indeed someone evidently died and was lost in the superstructure and his corpse caused a short circuit between two phases and la la. Only one floor was affected and the building suppression systems were excellent and performed above spec.

But now it seems Hans Eiger’s apartment will not be available for his use in the near future. Insurance will cover it of course there will be no—

But well. There you are that is inconvenient.

I do not know who the dead guy was. Rex does not tell me when he gets back. He looks a little haunted. A little more like a Demon than he did. Saul asks me if he is okay.

“Yeah he’s fine.”

“He doesn’t look fine Jack.”

“What are you his mother?”

“Just getting the lie of the land Jack.”

“Rex was just some guy. Lost his brother to criminals. Wanted to do right by his country.”

“Look where that gets you.”

“Right?”

“There’s an issue around group cohesion when a given component of the group is allowed to feel disconnected and—”

“What are you like the most heavily armed shrink north and west of the Atlas mountains here?”

“I am a commando it is the skill set—”

“I really do not feature Marine Force Recon talking group dynamics in the Humvee—”

“That is because you are an effete criminal snob with no working knowledge of the complexity of—”

“And you’re a hairless ape with a cannon fixation—”

“I have seen you looking at my guns you want guns as big as—”

“Compensating for—”

(Zzzzzipp.)

“Good Lord Saul what am I supposed to do with that?”

“I am married I am just making a—”

“Why am I seeing all of the team junk this week—”

“WOW Saul that is your actual—”

“Charlie why are you here—”

“Should I also—”

“LUCILLE?”

ZZZZii-

“O GOOD GOD NO—”

“No seriously boss should I show everyone my crime vagina now is that a thing we are—”

“Price why is there dick everywhere NO CHARLIE that will not be necessary also those words I HAVE SAID—”

“Doc can we go away somewhere please to an island and never meet any of these people again?”