Hank walked Li Jie over to the used minivan and handed him a package wrapped in wax paper.
"Eat this on the road. Beef pies my wife baked. More substantial than that fancy stuff in Gotham."
Li Jie took it. The wax paper was still warm. After a moment's thought, he pulled a stack of bills from his wallet, probably a little over a thousand dollars, and stuffed it into the front pocket of Hank's work pants.
"This is..."
"For the room, the food, and the drinks."
Li Jie opened the door and settled into the driver's seat. "And tuition for teaching me how to clear a bunker with a flamethrower and trim a cow's hooves without cutting into the quick."
"Heh, heh, heh." Hank stared at him for a few seconds, then shook his head with a smile. "You little... All right, I'll take it. But call ahead next time you come. I'll save you the best room."
"Will do."
Li Jie started the engine, then paused before putting it in gear. He rolled down the window and looked at the gray-haired man who was a bar owner, guesthouse owner, and amateur hoof trimmer all in one.
"Hank," he said, unusually addressing him by name, "you've got a good town here."
Hank smiled without saying anything. He just touched his fingers to his temple in something like a salute.
The vehicle pulled off the main street. In the rearview mirror, the town shrank in the morning light until it became a gray speck against the horizon.
The interstate stretched endlessly ahead beneath the wheels. Li Jie turned on the radio and tried a few stations, all playing Texas-style country music or sermons. He switched it off and let silence fill the vehicle.
Hank's gift lay on the passenger seat: