Chapter 90
For hours the Grasshopper did not answer Erivan’s persistent calls. In the meantime he had moved the four bodies to the amphitheatre and cleaned up the operations room. He finally called Erivan.
“Grasshopper! You’re alive!” Erivan shouted. “I’ve been beside myself since you crashed like that. And the connection died.”
“Forgive me, Mr. President,” said the Grasshopper, with a stronger voice. “It wasn’t intentional. I passed out.”
“I know, I know. Are you alright now? I mean, you can’t be alright. But are you better? Or will you pass out again?”
“I won’t anymore. At least I think I won’t. The wound hurts and I have a slight fever. But nothing much. I’ll take an antibiotic, rest for a few days and I’ll be as good as new.”
“Alright, alright. You rest as much as you need. This first phase of the war is working for me. Do you know how interesting it is to look at maps with the generals. Then we discuss which city to attack. It was awesome! And Consumers need to perish some more. So that they get fired up even more. You just recover calmly. No hurry. But pick up the line as soon as I call you.”
“Of course I will, Mr. President.”
“Alright, go lie down now… wait, stop,” it dawned on Erivan. “You didn’t tell me what happened over there. Why did your men attack you? And how did you kill the Command crew so quickly?”
“Simply, Mr. President, I sent them all to the amphitheatre…”
“What’s that?”
“It’s the largest space here. It’s used for meetings, lectures…”
“Alright, and?”
“And their chiefs stayed with me in this operations room, supposedly for me to explain to them the new method of operation.”
“And?”
“My men killed the two of them immediately. And I switched off the oxygen to those in the amphitheatre.”
“Bravo! It’s like watching myself! Why did your men attack you? What was it, they didn’t have the stomach for it?”
“No, no. I told them back on the ship that we would kill everyone here. That’s why I brought the five most brutal men. But… that’s what surprised me so much. When these five couldn’t take it…”
“What?”
“In the end I told them how it was. What your orders were…”
“And they refused?! My orders?! It’s good that you killed them!”
“I killed three in the hallway, and then, wounded as I was, I burst into this operations room, and two of them were on my tail. And I protected the command desk with my body and shot…”
“That’s good, that’s good!” Erivan shouted. “My generals are at the door. I can hear them already. I have to go, Grasshopper.”
Chapter 91
Pascal chose a place at the table for himself. The place from where his view of Manami in the kitchen was least obstructed by the counter.
“That’s very interesting, ma’am,” he said, while Manami was preparing lunch. “The fact that you wear a kimono.”
“That is my family’s tradition, sir. I observe it with great pleasure,” said Manami, turning towards Pascal. “And this isn’t a kimono,” she smiled. “It is obvious that you are not knowledgeable about this type of clothing.”
“It isn’t?” Pascal was surprised.
“This is a yukata. It is thinner than a kimono. It was originally made of cotton soaked in indigo. Today they are colorful, like this one.”
“Yours isn’t exactly colorful. Neither are the other ones I’ve seen, which aren’t blue.”
“It isn’t? Well it isn’t exactly youthfully colorful, with flowers, etc. But you see that it has geometric patterns on it.”
“It does, it does… but they are just a little darker… and they’re gray. They don’t stick out much. But you know what? I’ve already forgotten the other name. For me that’s a kimono.”
“That’s what dad says, too,” said Peter, while playing with Eir on the floor. “It’s a kimono to him, too.”
“Peter,” said Manami. “You need to start studying soon, son.”
“Aw, mom!”
“No ‘aw’. You know what your father said. Just like at school. And I’ll help you go over the new material.”
“If you would permit me, ma’am… I mean, you have plenty of work with Eir… And you’re cooking for us, cleaning… I could work with Peter. You know, I’m a teacher.”
“Yes, I know. Biology.”
“Yes, but that’s not important. The two of us will cover all the subjects. To help the time pass. Isn’t that right, Peter?”
“Great!” said Peter, jumping to his feet. “I’ll go get my tablet. And if the teacher wants to give me a low grade, I’ll tell him that that’s what the president taught me!”
“Peter!” Manami pretended to be angry. She waited for Peter to leave the room, she looked at Pascal and asked “So, you are bored with us? Something to help the time pass, is it?”
“Ma’am, please… don’t joke like that with me.”
Chapter 92
“The Mayor told me that there had been some problems at the University…” Pascal said.
“Yes, there were…” said Manami, while putting a cup of tea on the table.
“And that you proposed at the time…”
“Pete’… doggy,” Eir placed a toy dog on Peter’s tablet.
“I can’t study because of you!”
“Forgive me, Peter,” said Pascal. “It’s my fault. I won’t speak any more.”
“Peter!” Manami shouted. “What is that behavior?!”
“Mom, I really can’t study!”
“Of course you can’t! But we too cannot be silent all day because of that! Mr. Alexander explained the new lessons to you. Now go to your room and study. When you learn it, come and he will test you.”
“But mom, it’s nice here.”
“And where did you study at home? You studied in your room, Peter. The sooner you learn it, the sooner you will be able to join us and talk with us. Come on now, go to your room.”
Peter reluctantly got up off the couch.”
“And Eir? She might fall from here…” he said.
“Sir, I have to clean up the kitchen. Please take Eir,” Manami said.
Peter went to his room. Pascal took Eir in his arms and walked around the living room. He finally went into the kitchen and stood next to Manami.
“Eir is exactly like her mom,” he said quietly.
Manami turned and kissed her daughter’s arm. “Eir has a soul like a fine string,” he said.
“Like you… like yours, ma’am.”
Manami looked away.
“Eir is an unusually calm child,” Pascal continued.
“She is calm… yes,” Manami looked at him. “But not as calm as she is now. I think, it seems to me… that Eir, in her own way, feels the atmosphere. That she understands. That is why I said that she has a soul like a fine string. The smallest breeze will play a tone on her. It is because of Eir that it is important that Julius doesn’t tell us anything. I might be able to hide my pain from Peter, but not from Eir. Regardless of how strange it might sound.”
“It doesn’t sound strange, ma’am.”
“You say that Eir is like me. And not only in appearance.”
“Yes.”
“I wish for my little girl to experience everything that her mother did. But on time. That she doesn’t inflict pain on anyone because of it.”
“You are not inflicting me any pain, ma’am. There is no room for it. There isn’t any room for anything else, ma’am,” Pascal whispered.