Prelude to Year 3
Part 1
Manny took one last look at the town in which his name had become famous as the glamorous proprietor of Cafe Calavera.Then he looked down at his mop and the dirty deck ahead of him and began his job for the next year. ( at this moment, the Grim Fandango Game camera swings upward and fades to Year Three. But we don't.)
Late in the first night of his journey to Puerto Zapato, Manny settled in to his double bunk (which had a slight bump in it,due to Glottis sleeping underneath). He sighed to himself, "What a night." As the clock in his room struck midnight, he could hear the silent swish of thousands of souls returning from the Land of the Living from visiting their families (it was the Day of the Dead). He turned and fell asleep.
6.00 AM the next morning. The voice of Captain Laszlo boomed through the room "All hands on deck!!" Manny forced himself out of bed--and slammed into the ground 2 meters below. "Oh yes, the double bunk," he muttered to himself. After shaking Glottis awake, he put on his sailor suit and staggered out of the room onto the deck. He had barely pulled himself together when SLAM!
A huge hand slapped him on the back. It was Capt. Laszlo's trademark welcome. "Ah see you got yerself into the outfit after all!" thundered the captain. "Good!" The six -footer strolled off. Manny rubbed his back and muttered under his breath. Captain Laszlo was a huge, square-shouldered,slightly short-sighted perfect example of what years at sea can do to you. Manny hoped never to turn into something like THAT.
It was Manny's turn to be coffee-boy to the captain that day. Manny walked into the captain's cabin and saw that Laszlo had some guests on board. he went over to where the captain was sitting and waited. Laszlo beckoned to him and whispered into his ear, "These people are here to check the ship. Bring them some of our finest coffee. and,uh...hide the Premium Walkers in the secret compartment." Laszlo winked at Manny before sending him off.
As manny walked out, he thought "Customs officials,eh? Hmm." Manny knew the Premium Walker wine in the galley wasn't very "legal" and would be confiscated if not hidden. He also knew there was a secret pantry built into the galley wall. He walked into the galley and prepared five cups of the freshest coffee he could find. Then he took out the six bottles of Premium liquor and put them into the secret pantry. After that he picked up the coffee tray and walked back to Laszlo's cabin. On his way he passed the stairway going down to the engine room and heard the sound of Glottis tinkering with his new tools. Manny smiled and continued on.
Just before he entered the cabin he heard the sound of gunshots. Manny dropped the coffee tray, took out his scythe and ran into the cabin. A shocking sight awaited him there. Captain Laszlo was sprawled on the floor, marigolds sprouting out of his body. All five customs agents were standing, one of them holding a Sproutella gun. They were all staring at Manny now. Quick as lightning Manny used his scythe to knock the gun out of the villain's hand. By this time a crowd of sailors had gathered outside the cabin. First Mate Costo burst into the cabin behind Manny. Another assassin took out his sprouter and aimed it at Manny. Manny ducked and the dart hit Costo instead. As the First Mate slumped to the ground, Manny used his scythe to trip up the assassin with the gun. At that moment the whole crew ran into the cabin. Amid all the confusion, the assassins picked themselves up and escaped through the door. Ensign LeRoy saw them and shouted "There they go! Stop them!" And the whole crew scrambled out the door, chasing the assassins. One of the fleeing criminals turned and let loose a round of sproutella darts. Manny hit the floor just in time. Ensign LeRoy and Second mate Pedro were both hit and died within seconds.
The assassins jumped overboard onto their speedboat and sped off. That evening, the four bodies were given the traditional burial at sea. As Manny and Glottis watched the bodies floating off, they heard another crew-member say, "That Laszlo was involved in some under-cover racket with the mob in Rubacava. The story goes that he missed a few payments. This is what the mob does to people who miss their payments."