"Easy, dammit. You’re looking for trouble," Khern turned to him irritated.

"They say these representatives are really bigshots. Bigger than village heads; bigger than county chiefs, bigger than sheriffs,  bigger than provincial governors, and most importantly, bigger than the police. Now that’s it. You can do anything. Whiskey, beat up anyone, kick the Chinese in the pants. Who could stop you? You could get even with that damn Police Sergeant Huat. Just yesterday we ran into each at the poker game at the chief’s house behind the police station."

Khern listened intently to Kwahn rave. He laughed, wagging his head like a tall bell tower moving in the first storms of the rainy season. He muttered, "This here Kwahn doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I used to be chief canvasser for the provincial governor. Now I know that anyone who gets to be a representative has to be an important person, really knowledgeable about money matters." He paused for a second to reach for his glass of whisky, then took a gulp. "Even as we are, people say we’re bad. You know, if it wasn’t because I have some money and did some bullying to help the big guys at the last election, by now the police would have done me in." He fixed his eyes on Kwahn. "I can’t even be a decent person myself, how could I represent anybody else?"