The Adventures of Indiana Jones and Short Round

9

As an independent street kid with no schedule, Short Round usual woke when he wanted to. However, that still ended up being rather early since the city rose with the sun and he was a light sleeper. So he took the opportunity to sleep in today, rising a little before noon. Because of their late night, his companions let him sleep in. When he awoke, Dr. Jones was already out. Wu Han informed him that Indy had some business to take care of and would meet Short Round at the Gung Ho Bar at two that afternoon. Then he told the boy that he needed to acquire his waiter disguise and prepare to infiltrate the club, so Shorty would be on his own.

  "Okay, Wu Han. I need to do stuff today, too."

Before Wu Han could ask what "stuff" was, the energetic eleven-year-old bolted out the door.

First order of business was to find breakfast. That was easily bought with the money Short Round had won from playing poker with Indiana. With it, he purchased two sweet buns. He relished the lightly sugary treat happily as he walked to one of his many jobs. 

The opium dens didn't pay much, but it gave him enough to survive this long. They were mostly active at night, so Short Round didn't have much to do during the day. He helped customers from the night before, sleeping off the affects. He gave them water, walked them to the rickshaws, and guarded their possessions for the smallest coin. Those who wasted all their money on opium couldn't give much more. 

That was all right, though, because managing the opium dens wasn't his only profession. Above all else, Short Round was a thief. A pickpocket, to be more specific. 

For the next two hours, many innocents found themselves the victim of a child pickpocket. He didn't find a fortune, however. Locals were too careful. Tourists didn't pass by the opium dens much, and they were either paranoid or extremely lax. There was no in between. 

Once, he picked the pocket of a seemingly wealthy foreigner and was rewarded with a fat wallet. Then another boy, bigger and older, working at the opium den fought him for it. He ran off with the wallet along with a black eye and bloody nose to show for it while Short Round remained unscathed. Oh well. Today was still a good day because he was soon to leave Shanghai for America with his new friends. 

Speaking of which, it was probably time to meet Indiana Jones. He briskly walked out of the Place of Doves over to the Gung Ho Bar. In the back booth, sipping some ginseng tea as he waited, was the man himself. The American stood out in the quiet bar, but he tried to make up for it by lowering his hat over his face. 

Short Round eagerly ran up to him, unaware of the shocked expression on the bartender's face. It only lasted a second before he shrugged and continued minding his own business. 

  Indy squinted at him. "You're late, kid." 

The archeologist's seriousness had no effect on the boy.

  "Sorry. I was working."

  Indiana raised an eyebrow suspiciously as he could guess what the kid meant by "work." Yet, he made no comment and handed over the money as slyly as he could. "Remember what you're supposed to do?"

  "Yep! I get car, I buy tickets, then I wait for you at the club."

  "Right out front. An hour before dawn. You got a watch?"

  "Sure." He didn't, but he knew how to acquire one. 

  "Good. Now get going, I've got to meet a man about a box," he added as lightly as he could.

When Short Round told them about the car service, he wasn't lying about them not minding if he used a car and paid them for it. They just couldn't give him the keys or catch him take it or they would have to call the authorities.