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“Yes. But these two minutes now, through the nightgown,” Pascal caressed both her breasts, “can it also be with kissing?”

“Alri…” Manami was already kissing him, not to waste time.

“Alright. Now you tell me,” said Manami five minutes later, when the agreed two minutes were up.

“What should I tell you about?” Pascal asked.

“I want you to tell me what kind of world you will create.”

“I won’t. I’ve already told you.”

“Yes, you will.”

“Alright, I will. Whatever you say.”

“Well, then it will not only be the law of the jungle that applies in the struggle for survival in your free market.”

“It isn’t my free market, Manami. It doesn’t belong to anyone. That’s why its called a free market. Those are its rules. As powerful as nature’s laws. Like evolution. Whoever opposes it will lose. Sooner or later.”

“Evolution created life, Pascal. All life. Including man. And human life, regardless of whether it is strong, young, full of energy, triumphant… or weak, ailing, old, incompetent, a loser… whatever it may be, it is the greatest value there is. You will create a world that will bow to life… and protect it.”

“Whatever you say, Manami.”

“Pascal, as your wife, I will warn you.”

“My wife!” Pascal shouted. “My wife, my beloved wife!” He kissed her passionately.

When they finally separated after a while, Manami continued:

“I will tell you when you must interfere. When you must stop the torrent of the free market and protect the people. Protect the little nature that we still have left. To defend life. And you will listen to your wife.”

“I will. I will obey my wife. I will always, always listen only to you. I will do everything that you want.”

Manami kissed him gently and placed her head on his chest.

“Manami, do you have a gold kimono?” Pascal asked.

Manami raised her had and gave him a puzzled look.

“I do. How do you know that?”

“I don’t know how I know. Perhaps the mayor mentioned it during one of our conversations. I really don’t know. But I dreamt of it that day… before the war.”

“Of my kimono?”

“I dreamt of the two of us… in a huge ballroom… I dreamt of it while I was putting on that dark suit and the shiny black shoes… like dance shoes. And a white shirt. I wanted to be shot in the heart. So that you could see on TV how my heart bleeds for you.”

“Don’t say that! I don’t want to hear that, Pascal!”

“Forgive me. I won’t. I won’t let anyone shoot at me. I want to live every moment with you, Manami. I dreamt of just the two of us being in that ballroom. Hugging… and you, my love, were in a gold kimono. Beautiful!”

“That’s my great-grandmother’s kimono,” Manami said. “My family gained artwork status for it. So that the Inspectorate wouldn’t destroy it, as outdated. Perhaps you saw that kimono somewhere on the Internet. There are pictures of it. It says that I own it.”

“Possibly.”

“The kimono is my family’s prized possession. That’s why I brought it with me to the shelter.”

“Manami!” shouted Pascal. “Go put it on! Immediately! Please!”

“Not now, Pascal. I didn’t know that you knew about my gold kimono. And that you imagined us dancing alone.”

“Alone, Manami. Just the two of us, in the whole world. Why won’t you put it on?”

“Because, Pascal, this entire time I’ve been having my own dream about the kimono.”

“What is your dream, my love?”

“When we first make love, I’ll be in the gold kimono. And you will take it off of me slowly and gently.”

“Well that’s what I’m telling you. Go, put it on,” Pascal said with a smile.

“Don’t torture me, Pascal, please. Alright, alright… as a reward for dreaming about my kimono you’ll get two extra minutes under the nightgown…”

Chapter 119

“Are you comfortable, Your Imperial Majesty?” the Grasshopper asked.

“Comfortable? Fantastic, Grasshopper!” Erivan exclaimed. “Like in the nicest dream!”

“I’m glad for you, Your Imperial Majesty. And what do you like the most?”

“Everything. I like everything! The reality show at the stadium… Wow, how quiet it gets when I raise my thumb. And when I give the thumbs down — ovations! How my subjects adore me! How they shout when they carry me through the streets… You see that, I guess?”

“I do, I do, but I don’t have audio. And I like it when you tell me. I’m the happiest if you are happy.”

“I’m overjoyed! And the orgies! Phenomenal! Live, at my residence. And not like at Kaella, only in porn movies. But do you know what’s bothering me, Grasshopper?”

“What’s bothering you?”

“I get stuffed to quickly, I’m about to burst. I want to eat more, I want to eat all the time… all the goodies that they make for me… and I can’t.”

“That’s no problem, Your Imperial Majesty. As soon as you feel that you can’t eat anymore, just vomit.”

“Yes?”

“Yes. Make some room in your stomach, and then go at it.”

“Great idea! How didn’t I think of that?”

“That’s because Kaella first made his money from food, and later on teas, pills and therapies for losing weight, and he covered up this best method for continuous eating. And I see that you also have interesting events in the streets and squares.”

“We do, we do. I do all that for my subjects. And I love them.”

“Of course.”

“I have something for them every day… a firing squad, a hanging, guillotine, impalement, crucifixion… and then they make an offering to me. And I eat a young heart. You have no idea how healthy it is! I come alive! Hey, do you know what my subjects love most of all?”

“What?”

“Bonfires! I do them twice a week. They all cry out in excitement.”

“You’ve spoiled your subjects. It’s no surprise that they adore you.”

“They adore me terribly! Terribly!”

“I see that you’ve opened to them the two sports arenas, Kaella 1 and Kaella 2.”

“I have. So that they too can organize binge drinking, drug consumption, feasting and orgies. And they aren’t called Kaella anymore.”

“No?”

“I’m not sure. They gave them some odd names.”

“Sodom and Gomorrah.”

“Yes! How did you know?”

“From now on demand that they address you as ‘Your Highness the Human Being’. And you, Your Highness, have truly deserved that title.”

“I will! Great name! I’ll immediately call the television station to tell them…”

“No, no… wait a bit. Throw off that stupid tunic that conceals your beautiful human body. From now on, let them carry you naked, standing up.”

“What will I do naked, Grasshopper?”

“Alright… have them make you a thong with your image.”

“Well… I can’t do that either…”

“Why?”

“I have a boil on my ass.”

“Don’t worry. It will be a wonderful fashion detail.”

Chapter 120

“Doctor?” Erivan called his psychiatrist in the middle of the night.

“Yes, Your Highness the Human Being?”

“Should I take a double dose? I can’t go to sleep.”

“No, don’t. It won’t help you. And it can damage your liver.”

“So what should I do? I can’t go on like this . I’m not getting any sleep. I can’t even enjoy myself properly.”