The Grasshopper (15 page)

“Less than century, I
think...”

“Excellent. What was the False
Balance based on?”

“States becoming
indebted.”

“Bravo, Miss Babe! And how did it
end?”

“It burst. The states couldn’t even
pay the interest. There, I remember everything!”

“Very good, very good!”

“And then there was a war of
money…” Babe continued the history lesson.

“Currencies.”

“Yes, currencies.”

“And what happened
next?”

Babe stopped for a moment. Mr.
Kaella helped her.

“The collapse…”

“Ah, yes,” Babe remembered. “Then
came the collapse of the global financial system.”

“Bravo. Next…”

“Then protectionism… then
isolationism…”

“Wonderful, next… what thin line
had been crossed?”

“I know that!” Babe shouted
excitedly. “The national social states crossed the thin line and
became national socialist states.”

“Which led to…”

“To bloody wars…”

“For…”

“In the beginning for raw
materials, for natural resources… and over time, with the
destruction of the planet’s ecosystem, for water, for food, for
shelter… for survival.”

“The national socialist
states…”

“Fell apart.”

“Because…”

“Even within them people fought for
rivers and lakes that were drying up… they fled from the ocean
shores inland…”

“This led to…”

“The great migrations of the hungry
and the thirsty…”

“Did hunger and thirst account for
the most victims?”

“They didn’t…”

“What did?”

“It was skirmishes with nuclear
warheads.”

“That too. But the greatest number
of human lives were taken by…”

“The pandemics!” Babe
remembered.

“Because…”

“Because viruses mutated at an
accelerated rate due to the climate changes.”

“Bravo! Bravo! Bravo, Miss Babe!
And what happened to the survivors?”

“I don’t know what you mean, Mr.
Kaella.”

“People…”

“Oh, yes! People melted
together”

“They created…”

“New, ad hoc communities around
sources of drinking water and fertile land.”

“Until…”

“Until your grandfather discovered
Cosmic Energy, Mr. Kaella!”

“Miss Babe, you are wonderful, you
are a jewel!” the thrilled Mr. Kaella shouted.

Babe, proud and happy, looked at
Prince. He was completely stiff in the armchair, with both hands on
the armrests, as though he couldn’t take it anymore, like he was
about to jump up and pounce on her. Having seen this, Babe
announced a commercial break.

Chapter 52

The vertical cliff of a tall bare
mountain reflected the hot sunrays like a mirror. That was until
its two halves parted and withdrew into the flanks. This revealed
the secret hangar of Erivan’s squads. A silver airplane took off
from within the mountain.

This stolen Non-Consumer airplane
was piloted by Zodiac, the leader of Z Squad, towards the nearby
Capital City. He had on several occasions fired missiles at cars on
the shooting range in the desert, and determined that this
Non-Consumer airplane could not guarantee the destruction of such a
small target with only one rocket. The aircraft’s other limitation
was that it could carry only four missiles. This is why he and
Erivan decided that Zodiac would attack the president’s car on
Short Street.

This had several advantages. First
of all, Alpha’s two escort vehicles and four motorcycles would be
just alongside the presidential limo, because Erivan told them that
the attack would be carried out later, on Cypress Avenue. And that
they should only then increase their distance. And not before this
avenue, so as not to raise suspicion. This meant that with four
missiles Zodiac would surely manage to destroy all the cars and
motorcycles. Secondly, the people waving flags will also be
alongside the motorcade, which guaranteed a maximal number of
casualties per rocket.

“That Erivan really knows how to
get the maximum out of every situation,” Zodiac thought. “He’s
truly a top-notch strategist. And on the other hand, it’s no
surprise. I would be too, if I were vice president of the State and
head of the Inspectorate.

“Erivan says that what pleases him
most of all is that he will finally be rid of A Squad. The
Repentant - that’s how he calls them. But not because they have
done something that they have repented, but because he regretted
recruiting them. And then he removed such repentant from other
squads and assigned them to guard the presidents. How did he put it
at the meeting. ‘You can imagine what the rest are like, if Alpha
is their leader,’ he said.

“Ah, we did laugh… except the
Grasshopper. I mean really, what’s up with him? There hasn’t any
word of him in a long time. Is he…? I’m sure he is. Erivan is
preparing him for the conquest of Megapolis. Wow… that’s not good.
We’ll all be placed under the Grasshopper’s command. Perhaps that’s
not… It’s… What else could it be? We’re screwed… if you make any
mistake… But… what can I do? Whatever will be will be. It’s war.
When I clear this Short Street, I’ll eject, my guys will destroy
the plane, and then everyone back to Erivan’s residence. And later…
wherever he sends us. That’s what this job is like.”

Chapter 53

When the jingle for the commercial
break rang out over the speaker, Mr. Kaella waved to Prince and
nodded towards the toilet.

“Of course, father. You’ve really
held yourself heroically,” said Prince, while lifting his father
from the armchair.

“Yes, I have… but now I have to…
you know, not only… prostate but also digestion… we’ll be late
for…”

“Don’t worry, father. We’ll cut the
interview short. You take all the time that you need.. I’ll talk to
Miss Babe.”

“Alright, son…”

Prince nodded to one of the
bodyguards. “Take my father to the toilet.” He ordered the other
bodyguard to stay and signaled with a glance towards the cameraman
who was the only one that didn’t go out for the break, and was
looking out through the huge portholes onto the submerged
city.

The body threw out the terrified
cameraman into the hallway, gripping his neck with iron
fingers.

“Stay at the door and let me know
when my father comes out of the bathroom,” Prince
ordered.

“I understand, Mr. Kaella,”
responded the burly lad, and he stood in front of the door which
could not close completely because of the cables. He faced the
hallway.

Babe didn’t get compliments from
Prince about her thorough knowledge of history, because Prince
immediately pounced on her, trying, as he had promised himself, to
spread that gap in the middle of her lips. He grabbed her firmly
with one hand around the waste and thrust his other hand under her
jacket. In shock, Babe pulled her head back and held his hand in
such a way that Prince’s fingers only managed to knead her breast
only through the jacket.

“Prince, what’s with you? Do you
want to mess up my makeup?”

Prince realized that Babe was
right. He could not kiss her before the end of the
interview.

“Alright, I’m sorry. I was wrong.
But why don’t you let me…” he was still struggling with Babe, who
was gripping her lapels tightly with both hands.

“Why don’t I let you?” Babe
whispered passionately. “What do you think – that I’m made of
stone? That I don’t want you?”

“Well then let me…” Prince released
his grip around her waste slightly, intoxicated by her
words.

Babe took advantage of the moment,
broke free from him and ran to the large window.

“How can I let you,” she said to
him while he approached her with a heavy step and even heavier
breathing. “If I feel your hands on my breasts, my back, my nails,
behind… down… everywhere, all over me… how will I finish the
interview with your father? How? Prince… my Prince… I’m already
going mad… when I just think of your hands, your body…” Babe was on
the verge of bursting into tears.

Prince approached her and stopped
with his hand by his sides. He looked at her with a serious gaze.
And Babe was trembling, looking at him with eyes wide open, with
the terrified gaze of a doe.

“From now on you’re only mine,”
Prince told her in a firm voice.

Babe quickly nodded her head in
compliance.

“I need such a wife. A Prince needs
a Princess.”

“My Prince…” Babe
whispered.

“To fight together, to create
together… to give me strength when I am tired…”

“I will, I will, my Prince… Always
by your side… always…”

“To win together… to be one body,
one soul…”

“Yes, yes… one soul… my Prince… on
a white horse.”

Being sensitive as she was, Babe
completely surrendered to her emotions when her Prince uttered the
word “soul”. She took his hand into her tender palms.

“Your State needs you, Princess.
Even you don’t know what difficult times are approaching. To stand
by my side during them, to be the model, the ideal for Consumers
throughout the world. My Princess, we face a great clash with the
Non-Consumers,” the determined ruler gave away the greatest state
secret to his heart’s desire. “That is why I need you. To be my
flag, my standard…”

“I will, my Prince, I’ll be it…
We’ll defeat them… I can see it clearly…” Babe raised her visionary
gaze towards the ceiling of the submarine.

Chapter 54

Mr. Kaella sat on the toilet. He
had urinated, that was alright, but number two was somehow a
problem. He wasn’t pushing much. He actually welcomed a slightly
longer break on the can to calmly prepare for the declaration of
war.

“This isn’t so easy now,” Mr.
Kaella thought. “To speak to the camera as though I didn’t know
anything… as though I didn’t know that they would be informing the
director that the Xings have been killed, that he would burst into
the salon and whisper that to me on camera… And then for me, in
shock, to get up out of the armchair and declare war. I’m not… some
actor. I need time… to be off camera… for at least a few minute,
before he bursts in. To prepare in peace for the
declaration.”

“I’ll tell Babe to let Prince talks
about the Balance… Hey, wait a minute… It wasn’t my son who created
the Balance. It was me. Only me. That is how it must go down in
history. Well… my Prince did help a little with the Euthanasias.
And he instated mandatory medical checkups and restored the
Balance. Yes, he did… That’s all true. But those are the details,
not the principle, not the philosophy… Let Prince talk about his
work, about the poleis and the ice age… and those things… And I’ll
talk about the Balance even longer, in even greater detail, in the
next interview. This today felt really good. From now on I’m going
to have frequent interviews with Babe. What a great girl. What
intelligence.

“What did she ask Prince? Nothing.
That little thing at the beginning. Purely out of courtesy. She
knows precisely who is still in charge. She admires me. She
understands everything. It’s clear to her how great I am. And I’m
still not for the scarp yard. No, no. I’m going to live for some
time. I’ll win this war. History will remember me as the ruler who
eradicated the last Non-Consumer. And I will eradicate them! You
don’t want to spend, do you? But you want water, food and energy,
you nits? Well that won’t do, you monsters! That won’t
do!”

“No… I can’t get this excited… I
can’t look like this when I declare war. I have to be calm,
dignified… Just a little dark, somber… How did Erivan put it? I
have to look sinister. For the Non-Consumers to be terrified when
they see me. That’s it, of course! Sinister! Sinister!”

“Sinister!” shouted Mr. Kaella and
pushed.

As though the Inspectorate drums
and bugles were playing a magnificent march, the toilet bowl
rumbled with the sounds produced by Mr. Kaella’s digestive tract,
calling to arms!

Chapter 55

“What do you see?” the slightly
surprised Prince asked.

“I see you…” Babe described the
scene before her, “ somehow magnificent… on a white horse tearing
through the Non-Consumer ranks…”

“And? What else do you see, my
Princess?” Prince asked excitedly.

“In your right hand you’re holding
a razor-sharp saber…”

“And?”

“In broad, strong swings you’re
cutting down the Non-Consumers… I see them… I see them falling…
like wheat before the scythe…”

“I’m cutting, I’m cutting… you
bet!” Prince was excited.

“And I am in your lap, your
Princess, your flag…”