A Happy Man

The door burst open and he walked in: poised, confident, strides even and steady. He wore a business suit, and there was a smile on his face.

Inside, the three women froze. Each of them were holding pistols, and were shoveling money into a briefcase; three others lay beside them. The smiling man looked at them calmly. "You really shouldn't have done this," he said. "The Party doesn't look kindly on embezzlement."



Panicking, the thieves opened fire on the smiling man. Poise unbroken, he held out his hands, blocking the bullets. One of the thieves threw her gun at the smiling man (which he ignored) and charged him; he tripped her and left her sprawled on the floor, kicking her gun away.

The other two turned and ran for the far end of the room. They stopped as the smiling man advanced, inexorably; then one of them turned and smashed the window, jumping out. The other froze, looked both ways repeatedly, then (as the smiling man came closer) jumped out the second story window.

Outside, ten more men waited - completely identical in suit, tie, and face to the smiling man inside. They looked at the thieves, smiling, and closed in.

-

In the back of an unmarked white van, the three thieves were handcuffed to chairs next to the briefcases of cash. A smiling man looked at them kindly. He took off his face, like a mask. Beneath it was a nearly identical face.

Frowning, he said to the thieves: "Now, the Party will have its due."