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     "You happy, Sun?"
     "Yes."
     "Nick?"
     Pause.
     "He's happy. Sleeping."
     "My love?"
     "I'm tired. Excited. I'm happy."
     "Hit Burger World in one hour twenty minutes. You're pretty cramped back there, huh?"
     "It's o.k."
     "Ever been to Mex?"
     "No."
     "Family drove to Tijuana one December::::buy Christmas gifts on the cheap. Sat on a mule painted-up like a zebra, big sombrero on my head. Mom's gotta have that picture somewhere. Shit! Mom!"
     "We'll call her from the border."
     "Yeah. Nick here is a veteran. He goes surfing down here few times a year."
     "Oh."
     "So. Why don't you tell us about yourself? You can go long::::we've got quite a trip ahead of us."
     "Well, where?::::"
     "::::Don't be shy. Start genealogically. How far back you know about your ancestors?"
     "Shit."
     "Good use of the word."
     "My father is a prefect in charge of irrigation in Gui Xian. His father was a land-owner and farmer. His father was a rice farmer. His father was a rice farmer. His father was a rice farmer. His father was a rice farmer::::"
     "Wait. How long does this go on?"
     "Well, the ancestor which I know of as my starting point, is one Ippen."
     "Japanese?"
     "Yes."
     "But you're Chinese?"
     "Yes."
     "How does that work?"
     "Ippen was a very famous hijiri monk. He had children in his, let us say, experimental period::::one of whom is my forefather. His son's son became a fisherman, who ended up in Southern China following a storm. There's much more."
     "No. Wait. I mean, I can tell you that my grandfather was like this foot soldier in World War Two. But that's it::::far back as I go::::you're embarrassing me. Start, from say, birth, and come forward."
     "I was born April 10th, 1976, 10:10 pm. My father::::well. I grew up in a small rice-farming village outside Litang. My father was in charge of all of the irrigation of the rice paddies. I helped him, and studied by night. I was quite good at mathematics::::so I was sent to a school in Guangdong when I was fourteen. Shall I skip details?"
     "How'd you end up in Los Angeles?"
     "As a university student I became acquainted with what one would call a revolutionary cell. Seven of us stole a fishing boat and made our way over to Japan. We had discussed our options the night before::::it was quite spur of the moment, perhaps irrational::::we opted to leave China forever."
     "Wow."
     "It was a harrowing trip."
     "So you ended up in Japan."
     "Yes. I believe most or all of the others were deported back to China. The Japanese were interested in my mathematical skills. They arranged citizenship for me. I furthered my education there::::but ultimately disappointed officials with my tendency to be fond of mindless activities."
     "Computer games."
     "Quite right. I found work with a small film production studio::::mostly anime stuff. I made some acquaintances over the internet in Los Angeles. They arranged for me to come and work for a start-up cartoon distributor. Then, later, quite recently, I got a job with Weber Broadcasting. But our anime project will not be ready for launch, so here I am."
     Pause.
     The traffic on the freeway flows, though stressful, so Dick has to concentrate. Angel stares out at the brown and pink horizon::::thinking-feeling that there's something growing inside her::::unknown::::an emptiness filling::::pleasant. Sun stares out the windshield over Dick's shoulder peering ahead over the ridges of the freeway at the overcrowded house-scape::::thinking of nothing::::but feeling comfortable with these strangers::::even a bit giddy with excitement::::well contained. Nick lets out a mucousy snort that not even his friends would've laughed at. It continues.
     "Just jab him in the side"::::Angel.
     Sun hesitates::::not frightened, but serious::::alert::::feels a sense of ritual imperative::::and suddenly jabs into the thick quilt through to Nick's upper arm with his elbow. Nick simply shifts position. All is well.

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