CONTESTANT NUMBER THREE - TAI HO!?
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A couple of hours after what became known thereafter as the "Clive-enation" of the oven, the contest was ready to begin again!
Viktor gave the cleaning crew of the kitchen a fairly generous amount of potch as pay for the ordeal of cleaning up the destruction caused by the aforementioned bounty hunter's wrath. Within a few minutes, everything was set up as it was before, and the audience was ready to see more cooking, and less rampant destruction.
Viktor cleared his throat, and began to speak.
"Welcome back, everyone. Hope you all enjoyed the brief... ah... interlude there. Now then, contestants, let's try not to match Clive's... enthusiasm there, all right?"
There were sounds of hearty agreement within the audience.
"Now, let's bring in our next contestant. Step on up... Tai Ho?"
Hero's face drained of color.
Flik looked utterly thunderstruck.
"T...Tai Ho?"
"Muku!"
Viktor scratched the back of his head as he sat down.
"Well, there's no way he could cause as much damage as Clive, right?"
"I wouldn't put it past him..." said Flik as he let out a long sigh. "Well, let's let him have a go and see what happens."
The sound of sandals slapping upon stone filled the area as Tai Ho stepped into full view. He wore his traditional brown robe, thin headband, and wide grin. Laughing, the fisherman waved to the audience.
"Hey everybody. May the best fisherman win, right?"
The audience cheered loudly. Although they were confused by Tai Ho's words, so far he seemed the least likely to prematurely end his alotted time with a nervous breakdown or an act of destruction.
"You can start whenever you're ready, Tai Ho," said Viktor, seating himself in his chair once more.
Flik bit his lip nervously.
"This'll be interesting... one way or the other..."
Tai Ho wasted no time. When he was given the go-ahead, he reached for a stack of fish. Snatching up half a dozen small trout in each hand, he tossed them into the air. As the flying fish went on their aerial adventure, the fishing madman kicked a pan, catching it before it clattered to the ground. Glancing up quickly, he saw that the fish were starting to come down, so he smoothly lit a stove nearby, before catching each fish snugly within the pan. Sliding the pan onto a table, Tai Ho reached for a spice rack, taking a spice every three spaces from another. He then proceeded to slam the tops of all the spice bottles onto a counter loudly, causing a simultaneous opening sequence.
"I'm just getting warmed up, everyone!"
Tai Ho sprinkled a little of each spice onto the fish in the pan, then left the bottles on a counter. Grasping the handle of the pan, Tai Ho put it onto the now heated stove top. When this was done, he took each spice bottle one at a time, and threw them with daunting accuracy back onto the spice rack.
These daring moves earned wild applause from the audience, as well as cheers of support.
"Well I'll be..." said Viktor.
"How does he... do all that..." said Flik.
Mukumuku, fittingly, said "Muku!"
Hero said nothing. Once more his dumbfounded expression was more expressive than a thousand words.
***
After twenty minutes of dashing techniques and flashy moves, Tai Ho had finished cooking. Grinning widely, he slid four plates, four small bowls, and four bottles in front of the judges.
"Here we have stir-fry trout, spiced with too many things to count. There's soy sauce in the bowls in case you like dipping. And to wash it all down, bottles of my specially brewed sake," declared Tai Ho.
Viktor laughed, fitting a bib around his neck.
"Hey, it's about time we actually got a meal. Nice work, Tai Ho."
Flik nodded in agreement, taking a chopstick in each hand.
"Looks like you really know how to cook, Tai Ho."
"Muku!"
Hero smiled appreciatively at the fisherman.
With earnest, the four judges ate the meal presented before them. Within a few minutes, they had devoured each and every bit of trout.
Viktor leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach with content.
"Ahhh, that was great!"
Flik burped lightly.
"I can't eat another bite."
"Muuuukuuuuu."
"Tai Ho," said Flik, "What did you use to spice the trout? It really had some kick to it."
Tai Ho grinned with glee.
"A few things. Mostly peppers and herbs."
Viktor frowned.
"Has kind of a... bitter aftertaste."
Tai Ho nodded.
"A friend of mine from a few years ago named Ledon showed me how to make something called Robber's Tea, and I thought it'd make a great contrast to the spices I used. It's an adventure for all your taste buds, wouldn't you say?"
Viktor jumped up, knocking his chair away.
"You mean you put that stuff in the trout?!"
Tai Ho shook his head.
"No no, why would I do that?"
Viktor looked relieved.
"I put it in the sake. I mean, why would you want to pour tea on a trout? I'm not crazy, you know," said Tai Ho.
Viktor sprang toward Tai Ho, reaching for his throat.
"I'll wring your neck, you stupid schon offf aaaaa..."
It was too late. Viktor fell on his face, snoring loudly.
By that time, the other three judges had fallen asleep. Flik was half buried in the sauce of his plate, Hero was leaning back in his chair with his face up in the air, and Mukumuku had merely curled on the floor next to the table.
Tai Ho rubbed his beard thoughtfully.
"I was wondering why it was called Robber's Tea... funny, I drink the stuff all the time. I wonder why this doesn't happen to me."
Yam Koo walked up to the stage, seizing Tai Ho's arm gently.
"Bro, you drink Green Tea, not Robber's Tea. Now, let's go back to the audience and let the judges give them the antidote."
"Okay."
Immediately after the brothers had stepped off the stage, Doctor Huan rose to his feet, smiling in his scholarly manner.
"Sorry everyone, this will just take a minute."
-TO BE CONTINUED-
----------------------------------
A couple of hours after what became known thereafter as the "Clive-enation" of the oven, the contest was ready to begin again!
Viktor gave the cleaning crew of the kitchen a fairly generous amount of potch as pay for the ordeal of cleaning up the destruction caused by the aforementioned bounty hunter's wrath. Within a few minutes, everything was set up as it was before, and the audience was ready to see more cooking, and less rampant destruction.
Viktor cleared his throat, and began to speak.
"Welcome back, everyone. Hope you all enjoyed the brief... ah... interlude there. Now then, contestants, let's try not to match Clive's... enthusiasm there, all right?"
There were sounds of hearty agreement within the audience.
"Now, let's bring in our next contestant. Step on up... Tai Ho?"
Hero's face drained of color.
Flik looked utterly thunderstruck.
"T...Tai Ho?"
"Muku!"
Viktor scratched the back of his head as he sat down.
"Well, there's no way he could cause as much damage as Clive, right?"
"I wouldn't put it past him..." said Flik as he let out a long sigh. "Well, let's let him have a go and see what happens."
The sound of sandals slapping upon stone filled the area as Tai Ho stepped into full view. He wore his traditional brown robe, thin headband, and wide grin. Laughing, the fisherman waved to the audience.
"Hey everybody. May the best fisherman win, right?"
The audience cheered loudly. Although they were confused by Tai Ho's words, so far he seemed the least likely to prematurely end his alotted time with a nervous breakdown or an act of destruction.
"You can start whenever you're ready, Tai Ho," said Viktor, seating himself in his chair once more.
Flik bit his lip nervously.
"This'll be interesting... one way or the other..."
Tai Ho wasted no time. When he was given the go-ahead, he reached for a stack of fish. Snatching up half a dozen small trout in each hand, he tossed them into the air. As the flying fish went on their aerial adventure, the fishing madman kicked a pan, catching it before it clattered to the ground. Glancing up quickly, he saw that the fish were starting to come down, so he smoothly lit a stove nearby, before catching each fish snugly within the pan. Sliding the pan onto a table, Tai Ho reached for a spice rack, taking a spice every three spaces from another. He then proceeded to slam the tops of all the spice bottles onto a counter loudly, causing a simultaneous opening sequence.
"I'm just getting warmed up, everyone!"
Tai Ho sprinkled a little of each spice onto the fish in the pan, then left the bottles on a counter. Grasping the handle of the pan, Tai Ho put it onto the now heated stove top. When this was done, he took each spice bottle one at a time, and threw them with daunting accuracy back onto the spice rack.
These daring moves earned wild applause from the audience, as well as cheers of support.
"Well I'll be..." said Viktor.
"How does he... do all that..." said Flik.
Mukumuku, fittingly, said "Muku!"
Hero said nothing. Once more his dumbfounded expression was more expressive than a thousand words.
***
After twenty minutes of dashing techniques and flashy moves, Tai Ho had finished cooking. Grinning widely, he slid four plates, four small bowls, and four bottles in front of the judges.
"Here we have stir-fry trout, spiced with too many things to count. There's soy sauce in the bowls in case you like dipping. And to wash it all down, bottles of my specially brewed sake," declared Tai Ho.
Viktor laughed, fitting a bib around his neck.
"Hey, it's about time we actually got a meal. Nice work, Tai Ho."
Flik nodded in agreement, taking a chopstick in each hand.
"Looks like you really know how to cook, Tai Ho."
"Muku!"
Hero smiled appreciatively at the fisherman.
With earnest, the four judges ate the meal presented before them. Within a few minutes, they had devoured each and every bit of trout.
Viktor leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach with content.
"Ahhh, that was great!"
Flik burped lightly.
"I can't eat another bite."
"Muuuukuuuuu."
"Tai Ho," said Flik, "What did you use to spice the trout? It really had some kick to it."
Tai Ho grinned with glee.
"A few things. Mostly peppers and herbs."
Viktor frowned.
"Has kind of a... bitter aftertaste."
Tai Ho nodded.
"A friend of mine from a few years ago named Ledon showed me how to make something called Robber's Tea, and I thought it'd make a great contrast to the spices I used. It's an adventure for all your taste buds, wouldn't you say?"
Viktor jumped up, knocking his chair away.
"You mean you put that stuff in the trout?!"
Tai Ho shook his head.
"No no, why would I do that?"
Viktor looked relieved.
"I put it in the sake. I mean, why would you want to pour tea on a trout? I'm not crazy, you know," said Tai Ho.
Viktor sprang toward Tai Ho, reaching for his throat.
"I'll wring your neck, you stupid schon offf aaaaa..."
It was too late. Viktor fell on his face, snoring loudly.
By that time, the other three judges had fallen asleep. Flik was half buried in the sauce of his plate, Hero was leaning back in his chair with his face up in the air, and Mukumuku had merely curled on the floor next to the table.
Tai Ho rubbed his beard thoughtfully.
"I was wondering why it was called Robber's Tea... funny, I drink the stuff all the time. I wonder why this doesn't happen to me."
Yam Koo walked up to the stage, seizing Tai Ho's arm gently.
"Bro, you drink Green Tea, not Robber's Tea. Now, let's go back to the audience and let the judges give them the antidote."
"Okay."
Immediately after the brothers had stepped off the stage, Doctor Huan rose to his feet, smiling in his scholarly manner.
"Sorry everyone, this will just take a minute."
-TO BE CONTINUED-