Part 91 (1/2)
”Fine, why?”
”I'an walking The Spook knew his way around and described e of the city, the country and its culture This kind of educated hacker was not what Scott had expected He had thought that today's hackers were nerds, the propeller heads of his day, but he was discover- ing through the Spook, that heScott remem- bered Clifford Stoll's Hanover Hacker was a well positioned and see stolen couue?
They walked to the outer edge of Old Aracht at the Leidseplein Without a map or the Spook, Scott would have been totally lost The streets and canals were all so sioes, you can't tell the players without a scorecard Scott followed the Spook onto an electric street car It headed down the Leidsestraat, one of the few heavily coain
The street car proceeded up the Nieuwezuds Voorburgwal, a wide boulevard with masses of activities on both sides This was tourist ht Scott
”This is freedom,” said the Spook
”Freedoue, the BBS he suspected was up to no-good The Spook and Freedom?
”At the end of this street is the Train Station Thousands of people coh this plaza every day to experience Amsterdas, the wority of its population to work Can't you feel it?” The Spook positively glowed as he basked in the aura of the city
Scott had indeed felt it during their several hours together An intense sense of independence that caulated drugs, a welfare system that per Class structures blurred by taxes so extraordinarily high that most everyone lived in similarly comfortable condi- tions Poverty is almost non-existent
Yet, as the Spook explained to Scott, ”This is not the world for an entrepreneur That distinction still belongs to the ol' Red, White and Blue It's almost impossible tobehind the western part of the city, over the church steeples and endless rows of townhouses
”Hungry yet?” Spook grinned at Scott
”Hungry? I got a case of the munchies that won't quit Let's eat” Scott's taste buds were entering panic mode
”Good,” the Spook said as he lit up another joint on the street car ”Let's eat” He hastily leapt off the slowvehicle
Scott followed hied cars, busses and bicycles They stopped in front of a suised with a red and white striped awning and darkened s
”Ever had Indonesian food?”
”No, well ed Scott into the unassu strains of Eastern music replaced the city noises on the street outside The red and white plastic checkered tablecloths severely clashed with the gilt of the paGoda shaped decorations throughout But only by A Mas was a much touted and reputable restaurant with very fine native Indonesian chefs doing the preparations
”Let ,” the Spook said ”This food is the absolute finest food available, anywhere in the world, bar no idyllic island location, better than a trip to Hershey, Pennsyl- vania to cure a case of the munchies It's delicate, it's sweet, it's taste bud heaven, it's a thousand points of flavor you've never tried before” The Spook sounded like a hawker on the Ho Network
”Shut up,” Scott joked ”You're just as Anticipation” The waiter had appeared and waited patiently It was still early and the first seating croo hours away ”Do you uest Just ed
”Ah, let's have a couple of Sate Ka, and so And,” Spook looked at Scott, ”a couple of Heinekens?”
Scott nodded ”And, if there's any way you could put that order into warp drive, my friend here,” he pointed at Scott, ”would appreciate it ood,” the dark skinned Indonesian waiter replied as he scurried back to the kitchen
It still took half an hour for the appetizers to arrive Scott chewed up three straws and tore two napkins into shreds while waiting
”What is this,” asked Scott as he voraciously dove into the food