the middle of breakfast..."
"He was drinking another meal," Guido translated
scornfully.
"... when mush-f or-brains here bellows up that there
are some customers waiting downstairs in reception. I
called back that I'd be down in a few, then finished my
meal."
"He kept them waiting at least half an hour. You
can't expect customers to...."
"Guido, could you hold the editorial asides for one
round? Please?" I interceded before Aahz could go for
him. "I'm still trying to get a rough idea of what hap-
pened, remember? Okay, Aahz. You were saying?"
Aahz took a deep breath, then resumed his account.
"Anyway, when I got downstairs, the customers were
nowhere to be seen. You'd think your man here would
be able to stall them or at least have the sense to call for
reinforcements if they started getting twitchy."
MYTH-ING PERSONS
"C'mon, Aahz. Guido is supposed to be a body-
guard, not a receptionist. If some customers got tired of
waiting for you to show up and left, I don't see where
you can dodge the blame by shifting it to...."
"Wait a minute. Boss. You're missing the point.
They didn't leave!"
"Come again?"
"I left 'em there in the reception room, and the next
thing I know Mr. Mouth here is hollerin' at me for los-
ing customers. They never came out! Now, like you say,
I'm supposed to be a bodyguard. By my figuring we've
got some extra people wandering the premises, and all
this slob wants to do is yell about whose fault it is."
"I know whose fault it is," Aahz said with a glare.
"There are only two ways out of that reception room,
and they didn't come past me!"
