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oil-rich Middle Eastern countries, building space stations, and developing ever more potent weapons of mass destruction. I am proud to admit that I have failed to see the purpose in contributing my allotted share of capital to such insidious activities. Thus I have been judged negligent inmy duties as a citizen of this great, but misguided country. In other words … I’ve been a bit lax … about paying the tax.”
    â€œHow much do you owe?” Kai asked.
    â€œHard to know for sure, grom, what with back taxes, interest, and penalties. But I would imagine I am on the wrong side of high five figures, maybe even six.”
    Kai let out a low whistle. At least seventy thousand dollars. Maybe as much as ninety thousand dollars. Possibly even more than a hundred thousand. “What can you do?”
    Curtis shrugged and took another hit of JD. “Guess I could hole up in one of my upstairs rooms with a box of shotgun shells and shoot it out. Trouble is, it don’t seem fair that anyone should get hurt because of my personal politics and financial irresponsibility. Otherwise I guess I’ll just have to sell the place, pay what I owe, and paddle off into the sunset.”
    â€œNo other possibilities?” Kai asked.
    Curtis shook his head. “None that come to mind. Although I do have a date to meet with a scaly creature called a tax attorney, which, I have been told, is one of the lower forms of human life, but, like a leech, has beenknown to be effective in alleviating certain afflictions common to mankind.”
    While it was often difficult to figure out precisely what Curtis was saying, especially early in the morning, when not all of one’s brain cells were actively engaged, it seemed to Kai that this meant that the tax attorney might help the old surfer find a way out of this mess.
    They sat together on the sand. This morning the clouds were narrow stripes of pink across the light turquoise blue predawn. As the sun approached from the other side of the horizon the stripes began to glow neon pink. Once again the water was glassy except for the spots here and there where it boiled with bluefish feeding at the surface and seagulls squawking as they picked off hapless prey.
    â€œAmazing, ain’t it?” Curtis said. “We’re sittin’ here taking in this calm mellow beauty of the early morning. The stillness of it. The quiet. The colors. The peacefulness. Unless you happen to be one of those bait fish. Right now for them it’s utter mayhem. Chaos. Life and death. No time to stop and smell the roses or whatever it is that bait fish smell. Even on this most beautiful of mornings, it’s kill or bekilled. Eat or be eaten. Behold, grom, the deceptive beauty and utter viciousness of mother nature. Nothing is spared. As the philosopher once said, ‘Time is a great teacher. Unfortunately she kills all of her students.”’
    They heard a car and looked down the beach. The yellow Hummer was parked on the far edge of the boardwalk and Buzzy and Lucas were standing beside it, gazing unhappily at the water.
    â€œAll bow to the king and crown prince,” Curtis whispered.
    Buzzy and Lucas climbed back into the Hummer. The doors slammed and they drove away.
    â€œYou think he had anything to do with it?” Kai asked.
    â€œMy tax problems?” Curtis shook his head. “No. This is one mess I got myself into with no outside help, grom. Buzzy Frank is blameless, at least as far as this one’s concerned.”
    â€œWhat happened between you two, anyway?” asked Kai.
    â€œNow there’s a question,” Curtis replied. He took another hit of Jack Daniel’s and shivered as it went down. “I’ve thought a lot about it myself, and I suppose it comes downto human nature. Down to what is, versus what isn’t, but craves to be. Take basic board skills and natural ability. I had ’em, grom. Was born with ’em. Took ’em for