In Gods' Good Time: Chapter Fourteen of an Angel Beats Fan Fiction Story
by
C V Ford
Chapter 14: Doing Business
Looking at his watch he said, "still some time 'fore Angel comes looking to hustle people off to class."
"Best we get back to 'Safe and Sound' Yurippe."
"In a minute." Yuri turned from Noda back to Duffy. "Y'know, I had no idea I'd be talking so much theology of any kind with anyone today or any day. Least of all you."
"Neither did I. The Purgatory remark was only a conversation starter."
"Or a conversion starter," the Front leader returned a knowing grin. "So what was it you DID want to talk about?"
Jack reached into the fanny pack, drawing out some metal objects with a couple sheets of paper.
"Wondering if we could discuss business."
"Business ..."
"Yes."
"As in ... " Her eyes widened slightly as they fell on the articles in Duffys' hand.
"I figure you don't really need ALL those meal tickets you uh ... aquire on your raids. Your school accounts should cover meals. My guess is they're going to someone else."
"Someone ... else?"
"Your group combined couldn't possibly eat all that food, not even with Matsushita. I understand he can be pretty carnivorous."
"Yeah," laughed Noda. "You gotta watch your hands around him when he's eating!"
"And that someone else would be ... ?"
"The ones' procuring your guns 'n ammo."
Yuri kept herself deadpan inscrutible.
"I've noticed from time to time, folks in work coveralls who don't seem to be part of the regular maintenance staff. No lanyard ID or anything ... Mostly see 'em along with that Saitou fellow in cafeteria or food court. Except for that one bearded, older looking gentleman, they seem to be a bit on the young side to be staff. They take great pains to avoid Angel too. My guess is they're the ones making your goodies.
"As you know, my job requires me being all over the grounds. In several places, I've found trap doors over shafts leading down to passages below. The one under the gym stage for instance. Sometimes I hear the sound of machinery coming from below.
"Having seen that mallet trap of yours in action, I've no doubt there may be other nasties ready to spring below. Not wanting to get clobbered ... well ... I know where I'm not welcome. Mama didn't raise no fools ..."
"You mentioned something about business."
"Yes. I've found as I'm sure you already have, that one can make things or rather parts of things from the very dirt this place stands on. Though I've been experimenting at my place, I know I have a long way to go.
"In the meantime, I want to keep in practice. Which means I'll be expending some ammo. As I'm not a chemist or metalurgist, I was wondering if we could work out some trade.
"While I'm being paid reasonably well, there's little opportunity to spend it aside from the more expensive cafeteria dishes. If possible, maybe Takayama could work out funds transfer, or perhaps I could just pay you off in meal tickets ... Could take a little pressure off in regard to those raids you pull."
Yuri took a quick glance at Noda, the campus, then back to Duffy.
"I'll ... see what I can do. Can't promise anything though. As for that ...," She pointed at the objects Jack held.
He handed the things and paper to the Battlefront leader.
"These are examples of what I'm looking for with the specs. Prices I've estimated are based on American retail calculated in yen according to the exchange rate I last remember. I've added extra for any difference. Of course inform me before going ahead."
Yuri briefly examined the sheet and objects before pocketing them. Cha would know more about it and maybe shed more light on Duffy-san.
"I'll call in a day or so and let you know one way or the other."
xxxxx
"Honest Yurippe. I keep telling you ... He knows a lot more about that religion of his than I ever have. I learned more about it in that talk we ... you ... had yesterday than in all the times my aunt was uh ... " Noda turned to a figure seated across the desk from Yuri. "What's that word again?"
"Evangelizing."
 |
| Yuri Swiveled in the desk chair toward the answerer. |
"When my wife and I searched for that 'perfect world', we ran across all sorts of beliefs. This one's unique in its' uh ... exclusivity... yet ... inclusiveness."
"?"
"No reincarnation. Only one way to God, heaven ... nirvana, whatever. Dependence on a personal God who takes an active interest in you as an individual (Romans 8:28). They're compelled, at least the observant ones, by what their uh ... Bible ... says to tell any and everyone of their beliefs (Mark 16:15, 2nd Timothy 4:2). Open to all and nothing passive about it. As it's seemingly based on non-violence I MIGHT doubt Angel's in on it in any way. May not have anything to do with the god we're up against ..."
"Well ... It really is a weird religion this Christianity thing. I swear ... At one point I thought he was trying to get Noda and I to disappear ... obliterated ... If we ... How'd he say it ... get saved? Yeah ... the 'salvation thing' he mentioned." (John 3:16, See also footnote 3 in Chapter 13.)
"Yeah ... 'getting saved' is what some of them call it. Others say 'born again'."
"'Born again'?"
"Being a changed person," explained Cha. (John 3:7 and 2nd Corinthians 5:17)
"I didn't quite exactly get what one would be 'getting saved' from. What exactly-"
"From being forever tormented in hell ... with the devil ... demons ... or something ... With no chance of getting out ... Separated from God for eternity ... I think ... ." (Matt 10:28, 1st John 5:18, 2nd Peter 2:4) (1)
"Darn it Noda! There you go again! You keep saying you don't know much about it then you come up with something like that."
"Honest Yuri! Just little bits 'n pieces from what I heard ... The way relatives put it ... In one ear 'n out the other."
"Be nice if you remembered more."
The halberd wielder only shrugged in reply.
"But then," the Front leader turned back to Cha. "You seem to know quite a lot about it yourself."
"Not really much more than Noda here. You could always talk further with Duffy-san about it, " suggested Cha.
"Hmm ... I don't know ..."
"There's some litturature in the library along with copies of that Bible of theirs."
"Well ... It's too weird for me," said Yuri. "I ... we ... have enough of the spiritual dealing with Angel and this place."
"Speaking of which," Cha interjected. "You think he's possibly working with Angel in SOME way? It'd really be strange dealing with him as he proposed if that's the case."
"No, not really. The only times any of us see him with Angel are incidental ... they don't talk much. Says he finds her strange and difficult to talk with."
"Hey! Maybe he could get her uh ... 'saved' and she'd get obliterated."
"Big help Noda," said Yuri as she eyed him with that goofy smile on his face. As he was on the desks' side opposite, he was out of slug range.
"All the same, you think it's wise to do business with him? We are talking munitions after all."
"I've some doubt but ... yes. As you as well as he said: They're told in that book of theirs to spread the word on their beliefs (Matt 28:19, Mark 16:15, ) It's probably not out any motivation to help Angel though I've already told everyone here to be on guard about him talking religion. That and he stated ... emphatically I might add ... He doesn't believe this place has any spiritual/theological basis ... that is ... none that he knows of.
"Then there's also the fact he doesn't have any powers or abilities like Angel. He's never made a move against us or displayed any hostility. If he's a threat, he's a very friendly one which might be the possibility. No ... For now ... If anyone's a wild card it would still be Angel."
"I find it interesting he was able to suss out the connection with the Guild and the meal tickets."
"He may not be Japanese, but he's no fool, Cha."
"So ... we go ahead?"
"Yes," Yuri declared. "Would be good to supplement our supply of meal tickets. Be nice every now and then NOT to have to do a raid. Build a reserve ... take some of the pressure off ... plan other operations ... So ... Think you can fill that order?"
"Definitely, With a little tweaking I know we can."
"Oh?"
"I find these cartridges interesting," said the machinist pointing to the objects on the desk. "Take the long one for instance. M1 .30 Ball ... Also known as the 'thirty ought six' ... .30 caliber, adopted by the U.S. military in 1906. The 7.62 millimeter Matsushita uses in his MG3 is a derivative of this.
"From the description Shiina gave me of his rifle, I think he has an M1A1 Garand semi-auto. The kind the Americans used during the War In the Pacific and Korea. Our own JSDF had it for a time after the war.
"And this one," Cha picked up the wider, shorter one. ".45 ACP ... stands for Automatic Colt Pistol. Not like the nine millies some of you have. Shiina also said he has the hammer cocked back all the time. My guess is he carries a Colt/Browning derivative of some kind. Like TKs' Hi-Power it's designed for carry with the hammer back, safety on, so's to have it in a safe but ready condition.
"From what I gather, when it comes to guns ... Duffy-san is strictly traditional old school GI.
"GI?"
"American military slang referring to their equipment. Means 'general issue'. Soon came to mean the men themselves."
"So that's why they were called GIs?"
Both machinist and leader looked over at Noda, Yuri shaking her head.
"So tell him we can fill this in a few days. We're gonna have to up the price to ...," Cha scribbled a figure on one of the sheets, "... this on subsequent orders. We can let this one go on his quote as he's a ... uh ... 'first time customer'."
Let's see," Yuri thought aloud. "From what we know of his comings and goings, he should be at his place in about an hour ... I'll call him then."
xxxxx
It was Friday, three days after Yuri phoned him of the orders' approval. He was only about ten minutes from having gotten back from work when his doorbell rang.
Cautiously moving to the side of the door, pistol in hand, he called out, "who is it?"
"Your special order from the Guild. We deliver!"
After passing a hand over the peep lense and nothing crashing through, he chanced a look-see. In the hallway stood a lone bearded figure Jack had, up to now, known only at a furtive distance. Holding five small boxes and a shallow wooden crate at his feet. Holstering the Colt, he turned the knob.
"Well hi," Jack greeted, slowly opening the door. "Didn't expect it to be filled so soon."
"Just a simple matter of getting to it."
"So come on in," the American invited. "Just set those boxes on the table ... I'll get this ..."
The man placed the five 50 round boxes of .45 ACP on the living room table as Jack lugged in the 1000 round case of .30'06. Setting the case on one of the chairs, he turned to his guest, extending his hand in friendly greeting.
"Jack's the name ... I take it you must be Cha ..."
xxxxx
"He ... invited you in? Just like that?"
"Pardon the pun but he was very open about it. Like he had nothing at all to hide."
"Unless," Yuri speculated, "what he had to hide was already hidden. He didn't act strange or nervous?"
"Not at all. In fact, we talked shop for quite awhile."
"Talked ... 'shop'?"
"Yes. He has a reasonably extensive knowlege of firearms. You know, he actually worked for a time at a gun store/target range."
"Really? His file doesn't say a thing about past work experience."
"Not important here ... He also lent me these."
Cha placed a couple trade paperback sized books on the desk. Yuris' eyes widened slightly as she saw the covers. Picking one up, she leafed through it stopping every so often on seeing something familiar.
"My Romanjis' a bit rusty but I can see what they're about. Think you'll find them useful?"
"They're a couple of Haynes' firearms manuals. 'Exploded' drawings of various guns. Quite a few of them I never worked with. They don't give exact measurement dimensions on parts but I can now at least know what the components look like. With a little tweaking ...
"I find it interesting he opened up to you like that," said Yuri. "Why would that be?"
"Some guys find it easier talking with other guys."
"It's a guy thing Yurippe," quipped Noda.
Yuri decided to ignore the halberd carrying, would-be comedian.
"He didn't mention anything about God or try to ..."
"Not a thing. Though I did notice a few shelves of theological books and a copy of that bible of theirs sitting on the table. Looked kind of strange sitting next to those boxes of .45."
"Anything else about his place?"
"Well, he did show me around. He actually uses a sleeping bag on the floor. Can't use a bed. Says it hurts his back.
"Another thing ..."
"Oh?"
"He certainly likes his movies ..."
To be continued ...
xxxxx
1. See also Matthew 25:34-40 and 41-46, 1st Peter 5:8, Rev 12:9 and 20:10-15.
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Storyline and original characters (only) copyright © 5-1-14 C V Ford
In Gods' Good Time Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
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