- Magnum: [narrates] Fate has a nasty way of popping up and waving its long, bony finger under your nose. Sometimes it's a squeaker at 70 miles an hour. Sometimes it's a plane you missed that never makes it back from the Bermuda Triangle. But whatever it is, you always get the message: it's time to stop taking your good luck for granted.
- [Magnum is mowing the lawn at the estate. Higgins approaches with the dogs, scowling. The dogs bark at Magnum]
- Magnum: [smiles] Morning, Higgins. Guys. Something wrong?
- Higgins: [annoyed] Simply put, you are not qualified for this work.
- Magnum: Gee, Higgins, I don't think that's very nice. Look at my rows. They're even, they overlap. I know how to mow a yard.
- [Higgins bends and picks up some lawn stems]
- Higgins: To the untrained eye, this may appear to be just another suburban lawn. But for your information, we are standing on a scientifically formulated carpet of bahía, Kentucky bluegrass and an African zoysia. One doesn't just mow it.
- Magnum: Gee, Higgins. I was just trying to do you a favor.
- Higgins: [takes the lawn mower] I hope it can be saved. You were cutting at least 30 degrees against the grain.
- [Higgins walks away with the lawn mower. Magnum walks next to him, pushing the wheelbarrow in front of him]
- Higgins: Favor?
- Magnum: Well, I just figured it was time I paid back some of the favors that I owe everybody. Even the score, balance my karma. You know what I mean?
- Higgins: Assuming you had some grasp of a subtle Eastern concept like karma...
- Magnum: I'm serious, Higgins. Make me a list of the favors that I owe you, and I'll take care of them.
- Higgins: [impatiently] I already have a list. What I don't have is a reason to believe you.
- Magnum: You know that case I had last week? The guy from Maui who couldn't live unless I found his wife for him, you remember?
- Higgins: Really, Magnum, I'm not interested in listening to another of your tawdry divorce cases.
- Magnum: Well, I found her. In some kootch joint on Hotel Street. It was a heart-warming reunion.
- [Magnum and Higgins place the tools in a storeroom]
- Magnum: She had a gun, he had a gun and, I had the hiccups for about six hours after the shooting.
- Higgins: A case of hiccups is hardly a revelation.
- Magnum: No, no, I'm serious, Higgins, I'm serious. There I was, right between 'em, and I didn't get a nick. I think it was... some kind of gypsy's warning.
- Higgins: [mockingly] Karma, gypsy warning. I suppose your horoscope clinched it.
- Magnum: Not my horoscope. This.
- [Magnum shows Higgins a fortune cookie, not very fresh]
- Higgins: [winces in disgust] Good God, that's horrible. What is it?
- Magnum: It's a fortune cookie that I got from some takeout Sichuan food after the shooting.
- Higgins: I thought you had the hiccups.
- Magnum: Just read the fortune.
- [Higgins takes the cookie, takes out the note and reads it aloud]
- Higgins: "A man of good fortune repays his reward". I agree. That's quite a coincidence.
- [Higgins hands the cookie back to Magnum. Magnum places the note back inside the cookie]
- Higgins: Magnum, are you serious about this? I mean, it isn't one of your silly attempts to extract some favor from me, is it?
- [Magnum kisses the cookie, then raises his right hand]
- Magnum: I swear.
- Higgins: There is an errand you might be perfectly qualified to perform.
- [Higgins hands Mangum a bill of lading]
- Magnum: Thank you.
- [Higgins sighs and rolls his eyes, as if saying "I know I am going to regret that"]