"You're holding up the line, sir," a young Asian guy with messy hair and a Gor-Tex hooded coat said.

Dave slapped the book down and gripped the table's smooth sides with his thick, yellow fingers, leaning in very close.

Martin cringed, not out of fear but from the man's breath, its sweet chemical reek of ketoacidosis and charred tobacco. He was rubbing the thumb of his right hand on the palm of his left in concentric circles, a nervous habit he'd had as far back as he could remember. When he noticed it, he stopped, ashamed, like a child caught sucking his thumb in public.

"You think you're so fuckin smart 'cause you strung a few words together I coulda just looked up on the innernet?" Frothy saliva pooled at the corner of his lips. "Huh, funny man?"

"You're holding up the line, sir!"

"I wuddn't askin you, shithead!" He didn't even bother to turn, but the kid in the Gore-Tex coat shrank back as if dodging a blow. Angry Dave shook the table. Stacks of books slid and toppled. "Is that what you think?"

The crowd gasped. Nobody knew what to do aside from looking at each other to see if anyone would be brave enough to intervene. The rest stared stiffly at the altercation.

Martin racked his brain, looking for a way out without ingratiating himself to the man. He'd poked the bear and gotten its teeth, but he still had a reputation to live up to. Some of these people thought of him as Martin "Killer" Savage, and despite his hate for the insult it did carry a bit of cachet.

Suddenly, the man began to shake and jerk as if he'd been struck by a seizure. His eyes bugged out, his Elmer Fudd hat flaps flopping until the hat fell off his head.

Martin marveled for a moment, wondering if he'd done it with his mind the way he used to think he could kill ants just by looking at them. Then the man buckled at the knees and fell sideways onto the floor.

Tish stood behind him, gawping at the Taser in her hand with shocked amusement as if she hadn't expected the result she got.

"Security! All clear!" She turned to the stunned crowd with an all-business attitude, the arms of her big winter jacket swishing. "Y'uns probably wanna step back. He's gonna be pissed when he gets up."

Martin stood and started a round of applause that traveled to the back of the room.

When Angry Dave stood up shakily, with Tish's hand at his elbow, the man was so stunned and confused he started clapping himself as she walked him right out the door.

"That chick just straight-up Katnissed his ass," the kid in the Gore-Tex coat said, setting his hardback copy of Mirror Man on the table. "You get to hang around that every day?"

Martin peered through the shop front windows, where Tish was placing the man's hat back on his head and speaking very close in his ear. Angry Dave nodded, and nodded once more at whatever she said next. Then she sent him on his wobbly way.