The Clay Tablets Of Vladichevsky: A Mystery Koan
He walked into the tea house in Odessa, the same
one where he had lost big playing Texas Hold ´Em
twenty years ago. A strata of smoke floats in the air
about three feet from the ceiling. The moka/opium
perfume greets his nostrils like an old lover. It looks
like even the same people are there…shoremen
coats, pipes and long whiskers, drinking their steins
of beer…a few middle aged ladies who might be there
for any number of reasons…a old man in a corner,
book cased by two thugs…the eternal domino players.
He sat at a table, ordered whisky and majoun and
sucked in the Satie atmosphere…pre industrial (hell,
pre electrical!) sounds of animals, rope tightening,
water slapping the shore, creak of wagons, human
noises.
He was very close to the war. Sometimes he saw
distant lights of bombs going off at night from his
hotel window. He was there to collect something
of value to his team. It was all very spy like. What
he was involved with was known only to him and
his superior. He was a first time spy, a sleeper, not
know to the other side for any activity. He was a
¨burner¨….use once and throw away. That was
fine with him.
The location was perfect…old town, narrow dark
streets and alleys that curved and branched
continuously…hard to follow someone and easy
to get lost. He didn´t know whom he was waiting
for, or how they´d recognize him. That wasn´t his
problem. He had no problem just then. He just had
to sit and wait.
An old white lady came into the café, slowly, with
several bags of various descriptions and walked
over to his table.
¨Oh, young man, do you think that I could share
your table with you? I´m a bit tired of walking.¨
she said, very grandmotherly like.
¨Certainly, please do. So, what is a sophisticated
older lady like you doing in this humble coffee
spot?¨
The old lady leans over and whispers in Jake´s
ear in a surprisingly masculine voice: ¨Take the
green bag. Then, I´ll leave.¨
The lady turns into grandma smiles again and
hands Jake (not his name) a green bag. She
then pretends to make small talk, looks at her
watch and goes ¨OH!¨ makes apologetic sounds
and slips out of the shoppe.
Jake picks up the bag, but doesn´t look in it.
Whatever is in it weighs a few pounds. He
doesn´t want to know what it is. All he knows
is he has to get on the plane to St. Petersburg
tomorrow to catch a military plane to Florida.
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