Luis Ardego was perhaps the most important person in the small town. None of the other residents might notice it, but he was. He never bragged about his status, and he made a point of not pressing the idea upon them, but it was the truth. He was, after all, the best of the town beggars. His livelihood depended upon his ability to be where the wealthy people were.

In this town, wealthy meant foreign. The mines had given out, the authorities were watching the airstrip for drug smugglers, and even the university was giving up on teaching anything beyond reading to their students. Money came from the tourists, those strange people that came here from far away. And Luis knew where to set himself to see them when they arrived. Knew how to move to intercept them at the best moment. And how to pitch his voice and wave his arms in the most pleading manner possible to pry their pockets open.

He wouldn't steal from them. Stealing was wrong, as the priests taught. But accepting alms weren't stealing, these were freely offered to him, and he knew how to best make their offerings suitable for a man of his station.

A new face had appeared in the town, and Luis had moved rapidly, splaying himself before the foreigner, and offering his best gap toothed smile to the benefactor. He briefly marvelled at their smooth features, so different from his own red leather skin. After he had managed to accept a ten dollar bill (Ten dollars! He could do almost anything for the next two days.., he loped back to the shanty that he lived in, the squalor of his domicile a better defense than any security system.

Once inside, he pulled at the mattress that he slept upon, the bed sliding away on smoothly oiled castors. Hidden against the wall was a computer, one that he warmed up and began entering commands with astonishing ease. When a distant communications panel answered, he made his report quickly and sharply, the simpering attitude gone from his voice.

"Another has arrived, surely one of the people that you described." He watched as several pictures rose on his screen, and he chose the picture that most closely represented his mark. "I will make sure they get the next invitation. Rest assured, they will enter your complex in an agitated state of mind.

Closing down the console, he quickly adjusted his attire. Another train might arrive, or they might choose to travel by car. Either way, Luis would be looking for them, laughing at those who mocked him, knowing that he had money carefully hidden away.

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"Bucky, we're not playing Rock, Paper, Scratches." - Get Fuzzy.