The walk was nice, the weather was nice and the company was even nicer. Gojyo and Hakkai took their time, walking through woods filled with trees just beginning to bud, new baby animals peeking out from under or around their mothers and wildflowers everywhere. They made small talk about Goku, Hakkai being careful not to bring up Sanzo’s name…Gojyo was still angry at the monk. Hakkai was teaching the young man his letters and numbers and he had several very funny stories to relate to Gojyo. They stayed overnight in an inn that was about the halfway point and the next day, a little after lunch they finally got to the monastery in the little town.
It was a small monastery, maybe only 30 monks lived here. Hakkai knocked on the front door and soon, he and Gojyo were let into a small room, where the head monk was waiting for them. Gojyo and Hakkai bowed at the wizened old monk and Hakkai told him they were sent by Priest Sanzo to retrieve an object that was causing them some grief.
“Oh, that heap of metal out back! It’s causing a great stir among us and we wish to get rid of it as soon as possible.” The little man, with bushy eyebrows that met in the middle, wrung his hands as he spoke.
“What exactly is the problem?” Hakkai asked the question. Last night, Gojyo told Hakkai it would probably be better if Hakkai did all the talking. He was the more refined of the two and sometimes, without meaning to, Gojyo tended to rub people the wrong way.
“Can you tell me what we are dealing with here?” Hakkai plastered a serene smile on his face.
Leaning forward, the monk spoke in a soft voice, as if he was afraid the machine in their possession might overhear him. “It beeps.”
Gojyo couldn’t help himself. “It beeps?” What the fuck? Of course, it beeps! It’s a damn vehicle, although Sanzo didn’t tell them what kind of vehicle it was.
Nodding his head, the monk went on. “And not only does it beep, it sneezes. Or if the weather is particularly bad, it coughs!” Ignoring the looks of disbelief on the two men’s faces, the monk was just warming up. “The headlights come on by themselves, in the dark! As if it’s afraid of being left alone!” Laying his hands on his desk, palms up, the monk pleaded with the two of them. “You have to take this cursed vehicle and bring it to Priest Sanzo! Only a monk as holy as he, “ the head monk glared at Gojyo, who had tried to turn his snort of laughter into a cough but didn’t quite make it. “As I was saying, only a monk as holy as Priest Sanzo can drive the demons from this cursed vehicle!”
“If you would just take us to the vehicle…” Hakkai trailed off as the old monk vehemently shook his head. Knees creaking, the old monk got up from behind his desk, motioning for Gojyo and Hakkai to follow him. Shuffling along, the monk soon came to a plain door which led outside. Opening the door, the monk pointed to a greenish-brown heap of metal, about 50 yards away.
“There it is. I don’t care how you do it, but you must have it out of here by sunset.”
Hakkai went out the door first, followed by Gojyo. The sound of the backdoor slamming made them both turn around and before Gojyo could get his hand on the doorknob and turn the handle, a loud click sounded in the still afternoon.
Jiggling on the knob, Gojyo pounded on the door with his other hand. “Oi! Unlock the door, you old fart!” He pounded harder and kicked the door, but it was a heavy door and it held solid. “Now what? Hakkai?”
Hakkai approached the vehicle. It was a Jeep, an old one with some rust on it but otherwise, it was in good shape. Circling it, Hakkai ran his hands over the metal, pressing here and there. No holes, that was a plus. The seats needed sewn in places but he could handle that. No cracks in the windshield, the floor looked solid and there was a lot of room in between the front and back seats. All in all, it was a nice vehicle. A new paint job, maybe some new fabric to cover the seats. In his mind, Hakkai could see what the Jeep could look like and he smiled.
Finding Hakuryu pt. 3
on 2008-01-03 06:47 am (UTC)The walk was nice, the weather was nice and the company was even nicer. Gojyo and Hakkai took their time, walking through woods filled with trees just beginning to bud, new baby animals peeking out from under or around their mothers and wildflowers everywhere. They made small talk about Goku, Hakkai being careful not to bring up Sanzo’s name…Gojyo was still angry at the monk. Hakkai was teaching the young man his letters and numbers and he had several very funny stories to relate to Gojyo. They stayed overnight in an inn that was about the halfway point and the next day, a little after lunch they finally got to the monastery in the little town.
It was a small monastery, maybe only 30 monks lived here. Hakkai knocked on the front door and soon, he and Gojyo were let into a small room, where the head monk was waiting for them. Gojyo and Hakkai bowed at the wizened old monk and Hakkai told him they were sent by Priest Sanzo to retrieve an object that was causing them some grief.
“Oh, that heap of metal out back! It’s causing a great stir among us and we wish to get rid of it as soon as possible.” The little man, with bushy eyebrows that met in the middle, wrung his hands as he spoke.
“What exactly is the problem?” Hakkai asked the question. Last night, Gojyo told Hakkai it would probably be better if Hakkai did all the talking. He was the more refined of the two and sometimes, without meaning to, Gojyo tended to rub people the wrong way.
“Can you tell me what we are dealing with here?” Hakkai plastered a serene smile on his face.
Leaning forward, the monk spoke in a soft voice, as if he was afraid the machine in their possession might overhear him. “It beeps.”
Gojyo couldn’t help himself. “It beeps?” What the fuck? Of course, it beeps! It’s a damn vehicle, although Sanzo didn’t tell them what kind of vehicle it was.
Nodding his head, the monk went on. “And not only does it beep, it sneezes. Or if the weather is particularly bad, it coughs!” Ignoring the looks of disbelief on the two men’s faces, the monk was just warming up. “The headlights come on by themselves, in the dark! As if it’s afraid of being left alone!” Laying his hands on his desk, palms up, the monk pleaded with the two of them. “You have to take this cursed vehicle and bring it to Priest Sanzo! Only a monk as holy as he, “ the head monk glared at Gojyo, who had tried to turn his snort of laughter into a cough but didn’t quite make it. “As I was saying, only a monk as holy as Priest Sanzo can drive the demons from this cursed vehicle!”
“If you would just take us to the vehicle…” Hakkai trailed off as the old monk vehemently shook his head. Knees creaking, the old monk got up from behind his desk, motioning for Gojyo and Hakkai to follow him. Shuffling along, the monk soon came to a plain door which led outside. Opening the door, the monk pointed to a greenish-brown heap of metal, about 50 yards away.
“There it is. I don’t care how you do it, but you must have it out of here by sunset.”
Hakkai went out the door first, followed by Gojyo. The sound of the backdoor slamming made them both turn around and before Gojyo could get his hand on the doorknob and turn the handle, a loud click sounded in the still afternoon.
Jiggling on the knob, Gojyo pounded on the door with his other hand. “Oi! Unlock the door, you old fart!” He pounded harder and kicked the door, but it was a heavy door and it held solid. “Now what? Hakkai?”
Hakkai approached the vehicle. It was a Jeep, an old one with some rust on it but otherwise, it was in good shape. Circling it, Hakkai ran his hands over the metal, pressing here and there. No holes, that was a plus. The seats needed sewn in places but he could handle that. No cracks in the windshield, the floor looked solid and there was a lot of room in between the front and back seats. All in all, it was a nice vehicle. A new paint job, maybe some new fabric to cover the seats. In his mind, Hakkai could see what the Jeep could look like and he smiled.