Bit 9
Three Top Ten Lists
Three top ten lists.
Cynthia and Max looked back at Ruby with quizzical
expressions on their faces. The four words had just rolled
off Ruby's tongue with the slightest hint of a challenge.
They had almost finished
dinner when he came up with his newest idea.
"Three top ten lists?"
Maxwell was the first to speak.
"Yes," said Ms. Less
Begonia. "We'll each come up with one. No other rules."
"That doesn't sound very
challenging, Ruby," said Cynthia. "It certainly lacks
your regular brutality."
"Yeah," said Max, "There
must be more to it than that."
"Well," smiled Ruby, "There
is just one catch."
"And that is?" they both
said simultaneously.
"Just that two of us get to
decide what the other's list will be."
And so it was that the
three planned the rest of the evening -- they gave
themselves three hours to complete the lists. Two of them
would choose the topic for the list of the third.
Once the topics were
decided, Cynthia said, "This is hardly a spectacular
exercise, Ruby."
"Spectacular?" Ruby
replied, "Who said it would be spectacular? Sometimes you
just have to come up with different ways to kill your time
in Promisetown."
"Yeah," said Max, "Or
you'll wind up killing yourself."
"Honey," replied Ruby, "If
I'm going to kill myself, it's going to be over something
more serious than this hole in the wall of a town."
"Yeah," smiled Max, "Like a
broken heel."
"Pay the bill, rent boy,"
Ruby snarled as he turned and sauntered out of the
restaurant with Cynthia not far behind.
Max paid the bill and they
each went their separate way. They had three hours to
come up with the list they'd been assigned. After that,
they'd meet at the City Scape Bar and Grill and share
their lists over nightcaps.
