“All those wretches in past wars…” the Grasshopper spoke contemplatively, “… went into the street and had no idea who was on their side and who was the enemy. They differed only in the invisible. In what was in their heads.”
“What heads, Grasshopper? Man, do you see this gaze of mine? Do you see it?”
“But that’s man. That’s how he was created. Experience doesn’t play a role… only instinct. Here, look at this generation of ours. There were other such generations in history, when the lulls lasted several decades. I mean… periods without wars. These children think that wars serve only to torment them in history class. There were other such generations that thought that wars were the thing of their past, stupid, primitive and undeveloped ancestors. And that they were developed, civilized, humane… and then a war would break out, like this one… after an entire century… and people immediately, instinctively start kicking.”
“Ah, they’re funny,” said Erivan, watching the generals push and shove on their side of the table.
“I’m thinking about our season clothes. What’s wrong with that? Nothing. People have found all kinds of excuses to kill each other throughout history. So why should this one, with the t-shirts and different stripes, be any less worthy than the previous ones? Perhaps it isn’t as dignified as the pervious ones? It’s really a pity that I don’t have audio so that I can hear one of the heroes, bare-chested, carrying a staff with the t-shirt hanging on it, charging the enemy barricades, shouting ‘Horizontal stripes!’ or ‘Vertical stripes!’, just before being cut down by a hail of gunfire.”
“Are you still running a fever, Grasshopper?” Erivan asked, going back to the story from the evening news.
“No. I’m just very content. I would sometimes wonder… doubt myself… for a moment…”
“Did you notice at all how I approached the table, Grasshopper?! Did you see that stride!”
“I’d think about whether the Balance has actually been achieved. Is that the final answer? Has the killing come to an end? Although, Kaella did kill the old and the sick to keep the Balance…”
“Yes, he did. What a scoundrel he was. Here, I’m slowly making a fist…”
“…in those hospital of his, Euthanasias.”
“Yes, the hospitals are full. They’re constantly pestering me with that, Grasshopper! They say, ‘what should we do, Mr. President? There are many wounded, then there are these epidemics… we don’t have drugs…’ I’m sick of them… Look, look! Are you watching my footage at all, Grasshopper? I’m placing the fist on the table, leaning on it…”
“But that was systemic, regime killing. That is why I wondered what happened to the basic human urge… and now I’m at peace, content. That is… always the same, just with a new excuse. And those striped t-shirts of ours, that is probably the cutest excuse in history.”
“Cute? You think that they’re cute? I think they’re really funny!” Erivan laughed loudly, watching the generals stretch their necks.
“And now I’m certain. Now I know… Now that I’m finally here, in this room, I know that I was right all along, that my effort wasn’t in vain… that my life has a purpose…”
“Grasshopper, that’s…” Erivan was laughing so hard that he struggled for air.
“To serve you, Mr. President,” Grasshopper jolted back from his thoughts.
“I’m going to die laughing, to die… Hmm? What did you say?”
“I say, to serve you, Mr. President.”
“And you’re lucky to have me, Grasshopper,” said Erivan, watching himself wisely nod his head over the map of the world.
Chapter 100
“Move it! Move it!” shouted the commander of the firing squad while his men were taking their positions. “Come on!” he continued. “Don’t disgrace yourself! You see the large audience we have today!” he pointed to the group of Consumers from the nearby city, who stood on the side and watched their fellow-citizens, the Non-Consumers, lined up in front of the firing squad.
“Lucky, what is this horrible movie?” Sayash asked Lucky, while holding him in his arms. “I’m getting the creeps. You’re not afraid of anything, are you, Lucky?” Sayash bowed his head and looked at Lucky. “You don’t even blink, do you? How are you going to fall asleep tonight?”
“Get the bum back in line!” shouted the commander, when he saw Sayash and Lucky in front of his firing squad.
“What’s that, Lucky? It’s started to rain, is it?” Sayash asked, looking up at the sky, when Lucky’s first tear fell on his arm. “It isn’t rain, Lucky,” Sayash concluded. “Everything is dry,” he turned Lucky towards him. “There, I knew it! You’re crying! This isn’t the movie for you, Lucky! Let’s go to another one.”
Lucky turned in Sayash’s arms away from the Non-Consumers, lined up to be shot, and looked towards the gathered Consumers.
“Mommy, look! The dog is crying!”
“What dog? I don’t see it.”
“In that man’s arms!”
“Give your other hand to your father,” said the Consumer, when she saw Lucky’s tears. “Let’s go,” She took a step towards the Non-Consumers and took her son and husband with her.
All the Consumers followed them and mixed with their fellow-citizens, the Non-Consumers.
“Let’s go home, neighbor, for a chess match. What do you say?”
“I’m white.”
“Today dinner is at our place.”
“That’s out of the question, neighbor. It’s our turn.”
“So, when are you going to pay back that money?”
“I knew that was going to be the first thing you ask.”
“So, you put on last season’s clothes because of your daughter-in-law?”
“Don’t mention it. We barely found them. Can’t you see that I have on this season’s shoes?” the father answered his colleague.
“She still isn’t our daughter-in-law,” said the mother, “but she will be. What else could we do? Our son doesn’t want to live without her. Isn’t that right, son?”
The son didn’t answer. He just hugged his girlfriend.
“Mommy, where are that man and the dog?”
“I don’t know. They’re around here somewhere.”
“People! People! It was them!”
“Them who? Why are you shouting?!”
“The Saint and the Dog! They bring good luck and then disappear!”
“What Saint? That plaid bum? You’ve already started drinking, but you’re not sharing, are you?”
“Dad! Dad!”
“Wait a moment. Don’t you see that I’m talking to our neighbor?”
“Dad, we will all be playing in front of the building! All of us, dad! Do you know how long it’s been since we all played together?!”
“Alright, alright, but only until dark.”
“Get in the vehicles! Let’s go! These people have completely lost it!” the firing squad commander said with a terribly annoyed tone.
“People! How long are we going to keep standing here in this wasteland?! Let’s go back to our city! To hide it! So that one will ever find it!”
Chapter 101
“What’s wrong with you, Mr. President? Why are you so pale?” the Grasshopper asked Erivan.
“I haven’t been sleeping enough… problems…”
“What problems? The war is going well, as far as I see. And I’m looking at these snipers in the cities. Are those our boys?”
“Both ours and the others. Everyone has a sniper these days. And I released from prison all the killers, rapists, pedophiles… let them terrorize the Non-Consumers a little.”