If you falter in a time of trouble,

how small is your strength!

Rescue those being led away to death;

hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

If you say, "But we knew nothing about this,"

does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?

Does not he who guards your life know it?

Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

Proverbs 24:10-12

Kenji was a little nervous. They'd made five trips, and then Jiro had gotten drunk and they'd been pulled over by a cop. Kenji had managed to convince the cop that he really was old enough so that they didn't flag his (fake) license, and got back home.

Then Jiro had been pulled out by some of the other guys and sent to talk to the Oni.

He hadn't seen Jiro since then, but now, Kenji was elected to help Beom-soo, on doing some bigger shipping jobs. Just as help now, but his boss had told him that he might be taking over the job.

And it was an important job.

Beom-soo was Korean, part of the groups that had come in the aftermath of Leviathan's attack. They hadn't lost their homes, but they had lost the trade with Japan that their cities depended on. Seoul was still a big city… but it was one big depressed slum today.

"Now, downshift," Beom-soo said. They were taking the big 18-wheeler up to Boston but Kenji's boss knew this part o the road, and there were no cops.

"Never to early to learn something new," he'd told Kenji, the man laughing and patting his expansive belly as he promised Kenji a reward for doing a good job.

Kenji put everything into it. He screwed up once or twice, but Beom-soo didn't yell at him.

"A big truck is different from some little car," the older man said.

And Kenji did it! So they pulled into the diner about two hours out of Boston.

"The cities, they're full of tourist crap," Beom-soo said. "For good places, you have to look—you have to scent out the real diners where real people eat, eh? Because I bet you think that Fugly Bobs is the best!"

And then he'd led Kenji into the diner. It wasn't crowded, and some of the people seemed to know Beom-soo, so that soon Kenji was sitting at the table, trying to figure out what to order. But the things were…

More expensive than he expected. They ate out at home, maybe once a week, less if Mom didn't get some extra hours or had more expenses.

Less if Mom had to buy some books to help sis study for college to go work in some round-eyes office building where she'd bow and be the perfect accessory.

But evidently Beom-soo noticed that and slapped Kenji on the back. "Order what you want! This old man isn't so poor that he can let his driver starve!"

And Kenji did. There was lobster and rich New England Clam Chowder, not made the way it was at the few places on the bay where he could afford to eat, but so thick and rich you could almost eat it with a fork! It was a perfect meal, all the better because it wasn't someone buying Kenji food because he was a kid or they pitied him, but because he was part of something bigger! Part of the ABB! Where else could a Korean man work with a Japanese teen?

Lung's gift to his people.

And then they were gone, Kenji's belly pleasantly full of that lovely meal.

Driving into the Boston area, Beom-soo took the wheel. The cops here were more likely to stop a truck, especially one with an Asian in it. They loved stopping Asians.

"The only ones that have it worse than we do are blacks," Beom-soo said.

Well of course. Blacks weren't bad, and Kenji had a few black friends, but it made sense that the cops would be more interested in them, at least the ones not trying to find an excuse to go after people like Kenji.

But soon they were at the docks, and Kenji was lost. There was so much going on! Not like Brockton, with its mostly dead waterfront. But his boss knew exactly where he was going, and drove right to the dock. There was a ship there, unloading containers, as Kenji walked up, wanting to make certain everyone knew that he had Beom-soo's back.

"I'm surprised you're picking up so much merchandise," the captain said.

"Ehh, customs out on the West Coast has been getting clever," Beom-soo said. "I'm here for two loads?"

The captain winced. "Yeah, about that. We ran into a storm, lost one of the loads."

Beom-soo hissed. "And the merchandise?"

"Went down into 4,000 feet. It's with Leviathan now."

Kenji involuntarily hid his thumbs in his fists at the name. Leviathan had been the funeral hearse for their entire nation, and you didn't want to risk your parent's life by treating his name so cavalierly.

"Don't mock," Beom-soo said, sounding angry. He shook his head, muttering something Kenji couldn't hear.

Oh, don't let Lung be angry with us on our first trip!

Then Beom-soo shook his head, and said. "It's done now. Nothing to be done for it. The other container?"

"Fine, the merchandise is fine, water—" he glanced at Kenji. "It's fine for the trip back to the Bay."

"Good. Lung will pay you via the normal way, but well, half the merchandise…"

"Half the pay. I understand. He's good for his bills."

Kenji glared. Of course he was.

He was Lung!

As they drove away, Beom-soo had one other thing to say. "Kenji, my boy, when we come back to the Bay, the merchandise is very sensitive to heat. If you are alone, or if I am sleeping, and it is in the summer, remember, always park in the shade."

Kenji nodded. "I will."

"So serious! I was like that as a child. Do not worry. Lung would not have you here if he did not trust you!" Beom-soo shook himself and then laughed again with that great booming laugh of his. "My friend! We return home soon, but you've been neglected by your family. I can practically count the ribs under your skin. Have you ever eaten Italian?"

"No…"

"Well, good, there is an Italian place midway down, and we will celebrate there! I can't have you starving and leaving me to do all of this by myself!"

Kenji blinked. "Starving?"

"Of course! Besides, what is life but to find new and wonderful things! And what is more wonderful than new food that we can use the money Lung gifts us to enjoy!"

Kenji laughed with the man. All those days of brown bagging my lunch, getting laughed at because Mom said there were those worse off who needed the free program… Well, he wouldn't ever need a brown bag again. Soon, he'd show sister just how much money you could make when you were working for the ABB—for the Asians in the Bay who wouldn't cower or live off of everyone else's leavings!

Kenji smiled—until the radio cut off the song and made an announcement.

The Simurgh was descending over Australia.