ABSTRACT
Tadpole Sok sat all alone in the corner of Master Yun's room, cradling his tadpole belly in his arms. He worked for Master Yun as a kind of middleman, a broker, you might say in modem parlance. Never in his wildest dreams had Tadpole expected to witness these grave looks and pathetic signs from a man whose face normally showed only irritation, complacency, or aggression. Being merely a philistine money broker, Tadpole wasn't cut out to plumb the depths of human emotions. All he could see before him was a man who possessed vast wealth, a group of heirs, and longevity. With business concluded, Tadpole should have been up on his feet, but for the sake of future business relations, he decided to take full advantage of the opportunity to curry favor with Master Yun.
