“There, there. But I’m curious about these snipers. I wonder, how do they choose who to kill?”
“Well you’ve killed people so many time with a sniper, Grasshopper. What’s strange about it?”
“That’s different. Those were targets that you identified for me, Mr. President. And I wonder, how do they…? Sitting in a window, watching the people in the street through their scopes… I can’t grasp, what is their criteria? I see them kill both men and women, young and old, children… I really don’t get it. I guess depending on whose face they don’t like. I couldn’t do that. All faces are the same to me.”
“You wouldn’t kill anyone until I gave you a target?”
“No, no… I’d kill them all.”
“You can’t do that with one sniper, Grasshopper. You kill one, and the others run from the street. Then you have to move to a different skyscraper. It isn’t easy for them. Its hard work. Especially if the elevators don’t work. By the way, do you know that Consumers have started to protest?”
“Why?” the Grasshopper was surprised.
“Because I said that we would seize the Non-Consumers’ shares…”
“I know.”
“And the Non-Consumers immediately started selling them on the stock exchange. And the prices dropped, so the Consumers started to panic. And they too started selling. Within a few days the Company lost ninety percent of its value. And everyone is blaming me.”
“Well that is a great opportunity, Mr. President.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, buy now, when the price is so low.”
“What can I buy it with? My salary?”
“Who said anything about your salary? Do you know how much money Prince Kaella has in the vaults beneath his palace?”
“That’s right! Why didn’t I think of that?”
“But, I was thinking about something else.”
“About what? Tell me.”
“Kaella’s family is still in the palace?”
“Yes.”
“Throw them out, and move in. Those presidential quarters aren’t really that nice.”
“Well, they aren’t… I too was thinking about moving, but after the war. Here I have communications and logistics.”
“You’re right. But then don’t move into their palace.”
“Why?”
“Because the colonnades are too low. For them they were even too high, but for you, Mr. President, they have to be at least a meter higher. To make it clear to everyone who is the new ruler of the world.”
“A meter? Five meters!”
“I agree. First get the money from the vault, then tear down Kaella’s palace, the whole thing, not only the colonnades. And build yourself the most lavishing edifice that has ever existed on Earth.”
“I will! The most lavishing!”
Chapter 102
“When will we start the blackouts, Mr. President?”
“Well we could gradually, Grasshopper. Are you sure you know how to control that?”
“I trained for that for five months. Do you doubt me?”
“I don’t doubt you. OK, start switching if off.”
“I will, but I don’t know which cities to turn off the power to.”
“What do you mean ‘which ones’, Grasshopper? To the Non-Consumer cities.”
“I know that, but where should I start?”
“First black out Megapolis.”
“Megapolis?”
“Yes.”
“Is that what the generals said?”
“No. they still don’t even know that I’m going to switch off the power.”
“They don’t know? So that’s why you think that they will immediately propose that you switch off the energy to Megapolis. You are absolutely right, Mr. President. That is exactly what they will propose. Because they envy and hate you. And that is why they don’t want you to leave Megapolis for the end of the war.”
“You’re right, Grasshopper. They envy and hate me. I don’t trust them at all.”
“That’s right. That’s why you won’t listen to them. And you will wait until the end of the war, when the entire world has already surrender and bowed before you. Only then will the two of us switch off the energy to Megapolis. They are all spoiled wimps and they will surrender quickly. And then you will arrive in the center of their main square in a gold chariot pulled by sixteen white horses. There at the table the defeated Seneca will be waiting and before you he will sign the capitulation of Megapolis.”
“That is wonderful! Fantastic! That’s all I’ll dream about from now on!”
“So, what should I switch off first?”
“Switch off whatever you want, Grasshopper.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. President.”
Chapter 103
“So what don’t I understand?” wondered Pascal, while sitting at the dining room table, with his back turned towards the kitchen.
“Pascal,” said Eir. The little girl raised her head, while sitting in his lap, offering him a doll that she had just put a dress on.
“Yes, Eir?” asked Pascal, accepting the doll. “Well that is a very pretty dress. Now put this one on her,” Pascal pointed at a floral dress. “So we can see which one is prettier.”
“Oki,” said Eir and took the doll from Pascal.
Pascal’s eyes went back to the white sheet which had been covering the couch for the past two weeks. “How long will I stare at that sheet? What am I waiting for? A fairy godmother to turn it into our cover? To turn this room into ours? I have nothing to wait for. Nothing to hope for. I have experienced the pinnacle of my life. My five minutes are passed. They’re passed, Pascal!” he shouted at himself. “Accept it. It’s over, finished, caput, no more, the end!”
“…my husband doing now?” he heard Manami behind him. “He’s been gone for days. He’ll defeat Erivan. If you can say that anyone is truly exceptional, then it’s my husband.”
“There, Pascal. Did you hear that? You did, you did. That’s all you hear. That’s all you listen to all day long. ‘My husband, my husband!’ Your Mrs. Seneca has made up her mind. That night, your only night, Pascal, she sat next to you in her nightgown and she saw that you’re nothing special. That she doesn’t need that. You probably stumbled upon her during a small marriage crisis. The young woman, whose husband is never at home, longed for a little attention, a little adventure, a break from monotony. And she slipped into her nightgown, put her head on your shoulder and that was it. For such a conservatively raised woman that was more than enough. She ended her adventure and went back to her family. After that she ‘accidently’ spilled tea on your cover and she said that she had to wash it. And she still hasn’t washed it. And she will never wash it. Regardless of how much you stare at that sheet.”
“There, I’m done in the kitchen,” said Manami, taking Eir from Pascal. “The two of us are off to our quarters. Thank you very much, sir, for looking after her,” said Manami, without looking at him.
Chapter 104
“You had your hopes up again, Pascal?” Pascal asked himself when Manami took his plate after lunch. “Your hands tremble every time that you raise the spoon to your mouth. You think, this time, for sure… Well, it wasn’t this time either! And it never will be! She didn’t put chili in your food once! Sober up! Get out of here! Go already, man! It’s over! Over! You heard the lady, what she’s telling you the entire time? My husband this, my husband that! No more Julius! Only my husband! So that you will finally understand who she is and who she belongs to. To get you off her back once and for all.”