The clerk had, I'm afraid, a shrew of a wife—shrill, vehement, and fluent.

He was riding high that night, with a brick of Wage's ketamine on its way to Yokohama and the money already in his pocket.

[…] when he saw the fuse of the firecracker was lighted, he turned the torch on the powder under the barrel of dried apples, and in a second everything went kiting; the barrel of dried apples with the cat in it went up to the ceiling, the stove was blown over the counter, the cheese box and the old groceryman went with a crash to the back end of the store, the front windows blew out on the sidewalk, the old man rushed out the back door with his whiskers singed and yelled Fire!

In Xixingsheng lane of the Xicheng District, more than 20 armed policemen were beaten up by mobs; some were badly injured, and the others’ whereabouts are unknown.