“Yes. Why are you torturing me again, Raul? Do you think its easy for me to part with all of you? I told you clearly that I would hold that speech.”
“How? The stage is being dismantled, people are being driven away. Who will you speak to?”
“I don’t know. I’ll go out into the square and speak. To the inspectors if need be.”
“Pascal, in all these years, how many times have we been driven out of some city?
“Countless times.”
“And what? Nothing. We continued on. And we returned to those cities a few months later, a year later, when our movement gained strength in them, when our people took local power. So what’s the difference?”
“This is Megapolis.”
“I don’t believe you, Pascal. I don’t believe that you are being stubborn against Prince Kaella because of Megapolis. Those that want power are stubborn. And Pascal Alexander is not like that. I don’t believe you, Pascal. There’s something else going on. Svetlana, right? You’re disappointed and miserable because of her?”
“Yes, because of her.”
“Why? What happened? Liam reported to me that his guard in the lobby saw Svetlana leave the hotel, suitcase in hand, at dawn.”
“She left me.”
“Left you?” Raul was surprised, and then asked “Did you tell Svetlana what happened at Seneca’s place yesterday?”
“I did.”
“And you told her that you were still going to hold the speech?”
“Yes.”
“And it didn’t occur to you that she left only in order to make you go with her? To get you out of Megapolis?”
“That’s not why she left.”
Pascal stared at the floor the entire time, with his head hung low and speaking softly. He did not look up even once at Raul, who stood in front of him.
“Pascal, excuse me, but I have to tell you. You too are not as young as you used to be. Svetlana is probably the first woman to leave you?”
“Yes.”
“You are actually in shock now. I can understand that. But you’ll realize that it is normal, natural. Time does its thing, Pascal. We’re getting old. And Svetlana is young. She has the rest of her life to live. Someone her age probably caught her eye… but… where did she meet him? She’s been with us the entire time… Is it someone from the campaign? No, no… someone would notice it. OK, OK… you’re in shock. Svetlana could have waited a bit longer, she could have chosen a better moment. Not like this… to disable you. I did notice, I really did, that she’s been kind of quiet lately… restrained. And you, Pascal, when you calm down you can finally find yourself a serious woman your own age. Well, not exactly your age… just a little younger. And you can have children, create a family. As befitting a democratically elected president. That’s what I’ve been telling you all these years. Now you see for yourself that I was right… Admit it.”
“I admit it.”
“There, you see… You’ll be better, I’m not worried… But hey, let’s not talk about women now. We’ll go somewhere. We’ll hide out until the elections, even if we have hide in a foxhole. You won’t appear in public. We don’t need any more speeches. Think about it. You’re the rival of Kaella’s current president. Officially. Your name is printed on the ballots. People take their telephone and circle it. Sixty-two percent of the people. And what do they need you for at that moment? They don’t need you. And after that… we’ll wait for Kaella’s move, and then we’ll decide. You can set up your office in any city. Wherever you are will be the capital of Earth. Understand?”
“You’re right,” Pascal said softly.
Raul was delighted, with a huge smile.
“Of course I’m right. When was your Raul ever wrong? When?”
“I’m old. I’m very old… and tired.”
“I didn’t say that you were old for president. You’re tired… Its normal to be tired. We all are…”
“Raul, I had no idea… I never thought that it was possible to be this old.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Look at me. I’m fifteen years older than you. But our struggle has made me a young man. I’m full of energy, life. Come on, pack up so that we can get going.”
“I’m not going anywhere anymore.”
Raul walked to the door, grabbed the doorknob and turning to Pascal he asked:
“Will you at least say goodbye to the staff? The bus for airport is almost here. We’re leaving, Pascal.”
“I can’t.”
Chapter 19
Julius Seneca, the mayor and director of Megapolis TV, watched from his office on the last floor of the tall building as a torrent of people converged on the square from four avenues.
He ordered the Megapolis Inspectorate to use force only in extreme, isolated cases. For example, looting, torching, the breaking of shop windows. This would in any case be done only by delinquents.
The citizens of Megapolis would not. Nor would he ever use force again them. Megapolis was not made up of its magnificent buildings, avenues and squares. Megapolis was made up of its citizens. They are Megapolis. And he is their mayor.
The ring of the telephone pulled him from his thoughts. He picked up immediately.
“Yes, Raul?”
“Mr. Mayor, as we expected, he is not giving up. He will hold his speech,” Raul said, breathing heavily, while walking down the stairs from Pascal’s room to the hotel lobby.
The mayor didn’t respond. He wasn’t surprised. “Each of us is fighting his own battle,” he thought.
“Mr. Mayor, do you hear me?”
“I hear you, I hear you.”
“He’s in a worse mood than he was yesterday. Svetlana has left him. It seems that it has completely crushed him. The man simply won’t accept any arguments.”
“What Svetlana? What does that mean now?”
“Svetlana… you know… she sometimes came with us to your place for meetings.”
“How? She is a very young woman.”
“She is. And that is what has crushed him. He feels terribly old and tired, he says.”
“But these are things not becoming a presidential candidate. Such a gentleman. I am very surprised.”
“You didn’t know that? He’s been chasing women his entire life. That is to say, they’ve been chasing him. And now he has been dumped.”|
“Alright, alright… leave that. These are Mr. Alexander’s personal affairs,” Mayor Seneca interrupted the conversation on this topic.
“Perhaps it is better like this. The two of us have an agreement, Mr. Mayor.”
Mayor Seneca didn’t answer.
“Mr. Mayor, you promised me,” Raul was concerned because of Seneca’s silence.
“Alright, Raul, we’ll do it…” Seneca finally spoke.
“Thank you, truly,” Raul sighed a sigh of relief.
“What did Mr. Alexander say, when will he go to the square?”
“He didn’t say anything. The stage is gone. Your inspectors have surrounded the hotel. They are appealing to the people to disperse from the square. Pascal is in a strange state, Mr. Mayor. He’s very nervous. He’s going to take a shower, get dressed and go to the square as soon as possible.”
Seneca was silent.
“Mr. Mayor?” Raul was uneasy again.
“Listen to me carefully, Raul. I will not send the bus to take you to the airport.”
“But, Mr. Mayor…”:
“It’s too risky. Many people would be involved. I’ll send you my airplane.”
“Your airplane?”
“Yes. My airplane has a wide opaque tube, like a large hose. For the event of an emergency, for evacuation. The airplane will hover over the hotel and lower the tube to the roof. Your people have to attach its opening to the door that leads to the roof, so that nothing can be seen. Do you understand what I mean?”