THE BLUE DAUNTLESS!  The Man Who Helps!

      Story & Characters © 2010 by Peter W. Mitsopoulos  

                Illustrations by Jana Pivkova

                     Chapter One of Ten

                      In Search of Sam

  “You have a nice pair,” he said.

  “A nice pair of what?” she asked.

  “Um, eyes.  Nice pair of eyes.”

  “Yeah, mister.”  She inhaled on her cigarette and blew a gentle puff at him.  “Sure I do.”  Clicking her fingernails against her glass, she sat back on her stool and sized him up.  About fifty, she guessed.  Shorter than her by several inches, pencil moustache, pot belly, rumpled white suit, dirty shirt with a fedora to match.  And speaking of eyes, his shifty brown ones were set too far apart.  He reminded her of a pet toad Sam had in the fourth grade.  But wasn’t Sam why she was here? 

  She studied Toadface again.  He couldn’t possibly be the man, could he?  She looked away from him and scanned the hotel bar.

  What a dump.  A few drunks scattered among the tables, a lady of the evening flirting with the fat bartender, flies hovering overhead, and the stench of cheap wine hanging thick in the air.  Of all the dives in this dreary little country, this one had to be the worst.  But she hoped she wouldn’t have to find out.  Maybe she’d get lucky right away.  

  “First visit to Curatongo?” 

  She turned back to Toadface.  “Yes,” she said.  “Just got here.”