one country, and the Commies kept it that country, and now the Commies are out, and it's splitting into two countries. So when it was one country, it was a member at the UN, it had a seat, and the question is, which of the halves gets to have that seat, because that's the one with the seniority and the financial help already in place and all of that, and the loser has to apply to become a member, and there's some countries in the world might want to blackball the loser, whichever one it is, so the important thing for both Tsergovia and Votskojek--"
Grijk made that sound again.
"--is to get the seat that's already there. To be the successor to the previous country."
Andy said, "Tiny, I can't seem to remember the name of the country before it split up. I mean, you mentioned it, didn't you?"
Thunderclouds crossed Grijk's face. It was fascinating to watch, like being in a car, driving across the plains of Nebraska, and seeing the storms far away as they march over the wheat fields. Darkness, lightning, slanting rain, all moved this way and that over the rugged terrain of Grijk Krugnk's face. J.C. was so interested in this visual phenomenon that she almost forgot to listen to Tiny"s answer, which was:
"No, I didn't mention it, Andy, and I'm not gonna mention it, and I'll tell you why. You want to think of Tsergovia and Votskojek --"
There went Grijk again, through the storms.
"--as a really bad marriage, so when it came to the end what you got was a really bad divorce, so in both countries now it's illegal to mention the name of the old country that used to be."
"Punishable," Grijk said with gloomy appetite, "by det."
"If anybody from those two countries," Tiny went on, "even hears the old name, they go berserk. You want Grijk here to go berserk?"
Everybody in the room contemplated Grijk, who was looking half-berserk as it was. Everybody in the room came to the same conclusion, which Andy voiced for them all: "I don't think so."
"Good," Tiny said. "I can tell you this much. In the list of the hundred and fifty-nine countries that are in the UN--"
"You're kidding," Andy said. "There can't be that many countries."
"You're right, there can't," Tiny agreed, "but there are. And on the list, where this old country used to be, there's now a space between Benin and Bhutan."
Stan said, "Between what and who?"
"Benin and Bhutan. Those are countries, both of them."
This time, when Andy said, "You're kidding," Stan said it right along with him.
"I'm not," Tiny assured them. "Hanging out with Grijk here, I been picking up stuff about a lotta places. You won't believe the countries there are. How about the Comoros?"
"Isn't that," Andy asked, "what happens when you get knocked out?"
"No. How about Lesotho and Vanuata?"
"They sound like medicines," John suggested, "meant to keep people calm.
People like Grijk over there."
Grijk grinned, flashing a couple of teeth. "Boy," he said to John, "you god id down perfect." "Thank you," John said.
Andy said, "Tiny? Tell us some more countries. You got any more like that?"
"Tons," Tiny said. "How about Cape Verde?"
"I thought that was in Louisiana."
"It isn't. It's in the Atlantic Ocean off Africa."
"Next to Atlantis," John suggested.
"I don't know that one," Tiny said. "But I do know Bahrain and Qatar--"
"You get that in your throat," Andy said.
"--and Burkina Faso, and Oman--"
"No, man," Stan said.
"Yes, man," Tiny said. "And Djibouti."
John said, "How can you say that without snapping your fingers?"
"Say what?"
"Djibouti," John said, and snapped his fingers. It did something for the name.
"I will from now on," Tiny promised. "And there's the Maldives. And Sao Tome and Principe, that's one country."
"What's one country?" Andy wanted to know.
"Sao Tome and Principe," Tiny repeated, and shrugged. "Maybe they're gonna break up, like Grijk's crowd. You all had enough?"
While they all agreed they'd had enough, J.C. pondered. What would be a nice name for a country?
Grijk made that sound again.
"--is to get the seat that's already there. To be the successor to the previous country."
Andy said, "Tiny, I can't seem to remember the name of the country before it split up. I mean, you mentioned it, didn't you?"
Thunderclouds crossed Grijk's face. It was fascinating to watch, like being in a car, driving across the plains of Nebraska, and seeing the storms far away as they march over the wheat fields. Darkness, lightning, slanting rain, all moved this way and that over the rugged terrain of Grijk Krugnk's face. J.C. was so interested in this visual phenomenon that she almost forgot to listen to Tiny"s answer, which was:
"No, I didn't mention it, Andy, and I'm not gonna mention it, and I'll tell you why. You want to think of Tsergovia and Votskojek --"
There went Grijk again, through the storms.
"--as a really bad marriage, so when it came to the end what you got was a really bad divorce, so in both countries now it's illegal to mention the name of the old country that used to be."
"Punishable," Grijk said with gloomy appetite, "by det."
"If anybody from those two countries," Tiny went on, "even hears the old name, they go berserk. You want Grijk here to go berserk?"
Everybody in the room contemplated Grijk, who was looking half-berserk as it was. Everybody in the room came to the same conclusion, which Andy voiced for them all: "I don't think so."
"Good," Tiny said. "I can tell you this much. In the list of the hundred and fifty-nine countries that are in the UN--"
"You're kidding," Andy said. "There can't be that many countries."
"You're right, there can't," Tiny agreed, "but there are. And on the list, where this old country used to be, there's now a space between Benin and Bhutan."
Stan said, "Between what and who?"
"Benin and Bhutan. Those are countries, both of them."
This time, when Andy said, "You're kidding," Stan said it right along with him.
"I'm not," Tiny assured them. "Hanging out with Grijk here, I been picking up stuff about a lotta places. You won't believe the countries there are. How about the Comoros?"
"Isn't that," Andy asked, "what happens when you get knocked out?"
"No. How about Lesotho and Vanuata?"
"They sound like medicines," John suggested, "meant to keep people calm.
People like Grijk over there."
Grijk grinned, flashing a couple of teeth. "Boy," he said to John, "you god id down perfect." "Thank you," John said.
Andy said, "Tiny? Tell us some more countries. You got any more like that?"
"Tons," Tiny said. "How about Cape Verde?"
"I thought that was in Louisiana."
"It isn't. It's in the Atlantic Ocean off Africa."
"Next to Atlantis," John suggested.
"I don't know that one," Tiny said. "But I do know Bahrain and Qatar--"
"You get that in your throat," Andy said.
"--and Burkina Faso, and Oman--"
"No, man," Stan said.
"Yes, man," Tiny said. "And Djibouti."
John said, "How can you say that without snapping your fingers?"
"Say what?"
"Djibouti," John said, and snapped his fingers. It did something for the name.
"I will from now on," Tiny promised. "And there's the Maldives. And Sao Tome and Principe, that's one country."
"What's one country?" Andy wanted to know.
"Sao Tome and Principe," Tiny repeated, and shrugged. "Maybe they're gonna break up, like Grijk's crowd. You all had enough?"
While they all agreed they'd had enough, J.C. pondered. What would be a nice name for a country?
Similar Books
ImPerfectly Matched! (The Match #2)
Mj Fields
Mist Over the Water
Alys Clare
Coveted: An Alpha Male Romance
Naomi Wyatt
Obsessions: A Monster Squad Novel 7
Heath Stallcup
Stolen-Kindle1
Merrill Gemus
Crais
Jaymin Eve
Point of Betrayal
Ann Roberts
Dame of Owls
A.M. Belrose
Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie
Maya Angelou