[pshrynk]

At the back door of the Casino, Miyatake and Hilda were pondering over the remote control that leTerrible ahd given them.

"I say that he told us that there was a sequence to follow to set off the explosions," said Miyatake.

"Nonsense!" barked Hilda, "He said to push the red button and run like hell was after you!"

"We should look up the instructions," said Miyatake, sweat breaking out on his face.

"Maybe so, but they were several pages ago and the writer is too lazy to look them up."

"Maybe someone will do that for us, then."

They stood and shuffled their feet for a few minutes. "Nothing!" said Hilda. "You just can't get good help these days!"

"My dear, I do believe that what he said was 'Do not push the red button,' otherwise, why would there be a green and a blue button next to it?"

"Decoration? Maybe he had a design esthetic."

"True, he is French."

From a dark corner of the alley, there came a barely moan of, "Quebequois! Can't anyone get it right?"

"Where is leTerrible, anyway?" asked Hilda. "He was supposed to be here by now."

"He said he would come."

"But he's not here."

They stood and looked around for a few moments.

Hilda snorted derisively and said, "Oh, bugger the neo-classic references! I say we just push the button and then get on with getting the diamonds so we can get the coup d'etat started. Mr Castro may be young, but he did not look like he had a lot of patience!"

Just then the Cuban National Synchronized Sauntering Team marched by. Hilda noted that they were synching on the off-beat rather than on the time. She snorted again. Modernists!

Unnoticed by the spies, the last saunterer in the line stepped off the mob and stood inobtrusively in the shadows. A big dog came up and sniffed at Hilda's shooes and stuck his nose in Miyatake's crotch.

"Get away you filthy beast!"