King was curious and wanting to poke his nose into everything. After Toxic pulled him out of the ladies' room, she had to lay down the law,"ALRIGHT! You look here!" He looked where she pointed, which was the ground. She burst out laughing. She carried on,"I mean YOU DON'T HAVE ANY GOOD SENSE! Dang, you big goofball! Acting human is tough,so try to act human!Come on...at least try." He looked around. A man nearby came up to a young woman, waiting for the bar to open, and said,"Hey,baby!" He gave her an ancient smile meaning he wanted to hook up. She blew him off and went to the back. King looked at Toxic and said,"'Ey babee!" and went through the motions. She broke up laughing. "Let's grab a seat. There seem to be people waiting over there, but there are people eating here." As they went over toward the waiting people, a waitress caught them. She said,"The Bar's only open from six PM to midnite, now due to rationing. La'Ann will be out to take your order after she looks for the River King. It's something she does every day. Please sit here." King pointed at himself and said,"HERE! Here!" She blinked."Yes, here. Is that alright?" Toxic said, "You have to excuse him. He's never been a human being before." She blinked and then left back to the kitchen with an uncertain smile on her face. Toxic asked,"You know what you want?" He nodded looking around happily. "Fish! Big Fish!" A couple of guys were looking at the odd pair of Toxic and King, and one of them responded, drunkenly,"Forget the big fish! The crazy old bitch what runs this place feeds all the big fish to the River King. He ain't been around for a day or two, maybe we'll get his leavings! She says he protects the town because she throws him a fish every couple of days! Crazy bitch." King lost his smile and frowned. About that time, an old woman came out and exclaimed,"My name is La'Ann! I'll open the bar in five minutes, but NO ration card, NO alcohol! Don't give me those looks and moaning! It's the law!" She came over to where Toxic and King sat. He brightened up instantly. She said,"What can I get you two? Lady, with color like that, are you a follower of the Madjulla?" Toxic made a face. "HELL no! She follows me around sometimes,trying to blow me up! Why?" She laughed. "What can I get you for dinner?" King said with exacting care," 'A great huge whopping smoked fish fit for a king!' " Toxic had never heard anyone say that, and he had never said more than two words since he had adopted human form. La'Ann shook her head. "Nope,sorry. Those are reserved for the River King. I've been hand feeding him for almost forty years. I ran into him on the river once, and he attacked an abomination that was trying to eat me and my twin sister,Hera. I told him if he killed it, I'd feed him fish. He killed it. So there you are." King pointed at himself, and exclaimed,"HERE!" She blinked and looked him in the eye for the first time and looked bothered. "I never forget a face, but I never met you...but dammit, you seem familiar. You been here before when you were a little kid?" He nodded joyfully. Toxic said,"You can say THAT!" She smiled and said,"I'll get you some kind of fish and maybe some turkey. How's that?" The drunk came over and grabbed La'Ann by the wrist, and shouted,"WHY DON'T YOU GIVE US SOME BEER AND SOME FISH,TOO,You old hag?" King stood up so fast, the table turned into firewood against the far wall. He backhanded the drunk across the room into some tables and chairs. King roared,"NO HURT LAAN!" La'Ann smiled at him,"Pick up tables, and I'll get you a big fish! You have eyes like the River King." He smiled at her and said,"Hey,Bay-beee!" Toxic said,"King! No more smacking people!" La'Ann looked at him in a new light and said,"No charge...King." She smiled and said,"If I was only forty years younger!" She went back to the kitchen. --To be continued!--