Reunification Read Online Free Page A

popular drink. If so, then that told
me all I needed to know about the tastes of the general Xeeonian
public.
    Leaning against the counter was the
waitress from before. Her face might have been beautiful if she had
not been frowning in boredom and picking at some kind of ugly scab
on her skin, while she clicked through a holographic projection
rising from her hand like the water from a geyser.
    Above her, to the left of her head, was
one of those bothersome and ungainly squares otherwise known as
telescreens. This screen showed a news robot that looked like a
mockery of a human being, with its finely-pressed suit and red tie,
talking about a parade that was happening in downtown Xeeon at the
moment. I paid little attention to it because I cared not for the
recent news in this accursed city.
    Aside from the waitress, there was no one
else in this cafe. 'Twas not even a cashier to take orders, though
I supposed that the large, boxlike machine behind her, with a
device that resembled a touch screen, might have taken peoples'
orders instead.
    “ Waitress,” I said. “I
demand to see the owner of this establishment right
away.”
    The waitress's eyes flicked up from the
holograph and I caught a hint of annoyance in them, like she was
bothered that a paying customer was asking her anything.
    “ Da boss?” she said.
“Mr. Ryun?”
    “ If that is the name of
the owner, then yes, I would like to speak with Mr. Ryun,” I said.
“It is of utmost importance that I speak with him right
away.”
    The waitress returned her attention to the
holograph. I could not tell what the holograph showed her, but
whatever it was, it could not have been so important that she had
to treat me so rudely and disrespectfully.
    “ Sorry, Mr. Ryun doesn't
talk to random people like ya,” said the waitress, though she
hardly sounded apologetic to I. “He gave me strict orders never to
give out his personal number to anyone. Not even to
customers.”
    “ But …” I struggled to
think of something to say. “But I have a … a customer service
issue, I believe is the term ye Xeeonites use. It is an issue that
can only be resolved by speaking with the owner.”
    “ Didn't you just hear
what I just said?” said the waitress, looking up at me, her blue
eyes shining with annoyance. “Are ya deaf or something?”
    “ I can hear as clearly
as the day I was born,” I replied, gesturing at my ears. “It is ye,
I dare say, who does not understand the urgency of my
request.”
    “ All I understand is
that I'm not being paid to get Mr. Ryun angry by going against his
orders,” the waitress replied. “Now, why don't ya get out of here?
I know ya hate our drinks anyway. Wouldn't be a loss if ya never
returned.”
    “ What disrespect,” I
snapped, pointing at her. “Why, I will make sure to tell all of my
friends and family to never bless this establishment with their
delanes, unless they wish to be treated with disrespect by a
waitress who is less of a waitress and more of a—”
    I was interrupted by something I saw on
the telescreen out of the corner of mine eye, like the shadow of a
stalking predator. I looked up at the telescreen, wondering if I
had seen what I thought I had seen, while the waitress lowered her
holograph and said, “What were ya going to call me, mister?”
    I paid no attention to her at all,
however, because I was too busy staring up at the screen above to
care about her anger. I could hardly believe what I was seeing, but
mine eyes never deceived me.
    The telescreen still displayed that parade
in downtown Xeeon I had noticed when I entered this restaurant
earlier, though I could not be sure how far away it was from here
because all of the text on the screen was gibberish to me, being as
it was written in Xeeonish. For that same reason, I could not read
the signs that might have told me what this parade was about, but
that mattered not. For among the hundreds of faces of individuals
from every species on Xeeo crowding in the