The Grasshopper (9 page)

“What is he eating now? Who’s
cooking for him?” wept Citra, Raul’s distant cousin and Pascal’s
personal cook. “He’s picky… he can’t eat just anything…”

“Citra, calm down, Citra… Don’t
overreact,” said Raul. “Pascal isn’t a child. He’ll eat something.
You cook for him… I mean, of course you cook the best and he likes
it best when you prepare something for him. But… that’s primarily
for security. So that we’re sure that no one has gone near his
food… that no one’s touched it, you understand?”

“There!” Liam exploded again. “And
now, Raul, how can you know now who all is near his food?
How?!”

“People, people… friends… Do you
think it’s easy for me? But that is only until the elections, and
after…”

“Why until the elections?” Margot
was surprised. “Isn’t the most important thing that we are together
and that we make appearances, that we are present publicly every
moment until the elections?”

“Margot, allow me… I’m trying to
say what happened… Why we made this decision.”

“OK, OK… I apologize,
Raul.”

Everyone was quiet. Only Citra was
still sniffling.

Chapter 29

Babe was extremely pleased with
herself. Having transformed herself into the flag of Earth she
reminded Prince of what he had grown accustomed to since he was a
child. What was implied. She reminded him of who he actually
was:

Prince Kaella, heir to the most
magnificent throne in the history of mankind. Ruler of everything
that exists. Having reminded him of his infinite power she injected
him with the strongest dose of aphrodisiac. Directly into the vein.
Judging by his reaction she had exceeded even her wildest
expectations.

Babe started her interview with
this great feeling of self-confidence.

“Dear viewers, it is my great honor
to host on my show two men, father and son, two of the greatest
persons today,” said Babe, looking directly into the
camera.

After that introduction she turned
to Mr. Kaella.

“Mr. Kaella, good day.”

“Good day to you too, Miss Babe,
and of course, to your viewers,” Mr. Kaella said with a great
smile.

“Greetings to you too, Mr. Prince
Kaella.”

“Good day,” Prince greeted her
too.

“Dear viewers, as you yourself have
noticed, we are in the Kaella family submarine and we are sailing
towards one of the numerous submerged cities. You can send your
answer to the question which city it is to the number appearing at
the bottom of the screen, along with the price of your message. The
selected viewer that gave the correct answer will win a submarine
trip for two.”

Babe looked away from the camera
and looked at Mr. Kaella.

“Mr. Kaella, you like this type of
outings?”

“Yes, but before I answer your
questions I’d like to say in front of the audience that you look
truly marvelous today, symbolizing our State, our planet. This is
why I would like to invite our dear Consumers to follow in your
footsteps, Miss Babe. Dear ladies, show in your appearance what you
carry deep in your hearts.”

“Thank you, Mr. Kaella. I am truly
honored.”

“To answer your questions. Yes, I
enjoy these outings. This silence underwater relaxes me in a way.
It allows me to think more clearly, to understand even better the
progress that we have achieved compared to the society, well
actually compared to the former, fragmented, constantly clashing
human communities. Sailing down the avenues of these submerged
cities, throughout our planet, I wonder how it is at all possible
that in the not-so-distant past man’s level of awareness was so
low.”

“Incredibly low, Mr. Kaella,” Babe
agreed.

“If they had worked so diligently
on developing the greenhouse effect and increasing the temperature
on Earth, why then did they invest so much, why did they live in
coastal towns and why did they defend them for so long,
unsuccessfully of course, from the ocean by building futile damns?
Why didn’t they realize that the waves of every following tsunami
and super storm would easily get over those ridiculous walls? And
my son, completely oppositely… I mean, I hope… that your viewers
are aware that my son has dedicated his life to the struggle to
save the planet and mankind.”

“Of course,” said Babe. “We are all
immensely grateful to Mr. Prince for this. Mr. Prince, can you
please tell us briefly what is the essence of your
struggle?”

Babe was sitting in the middle of
the couch with her legs tightly together, her body turned towards
Prince. Only her head was faced the old Mr. Kaella. Being aware
that during this introductory part he was being constantly on
camera, Prince struggled with himself and held his eyes fixed on
Babe’s face, as was becoming of a respectful interviewee. The two
little Earths that dangled from Babe’s face wouldn’t let him be.
Even from this distance, a lot closer, he could not see where the
chains were anchored. He couldn’t see any rings. “They must be
covered by the thick blue eye shadow around her eyes,” he
concluded, and stopped thinking about it.

But when Babe looked at his father
he noticed something else. A tattoo behind her right ear. The
tattoo was very discrete. Like a chain of barely visible symbols,
in a color that was just a shade darker than her skin, arranged in
an arch that followed the contour of her ear, which was completely
covered in golden star-shaped rivets.

Chapter 30

Pascal was waking up. But he didn’t
open his eyes nor did he move any part of his body.

“I won’t move. Let them think I’m
not awake. Maybe they’ll talk. Maybe I’ll hear them.” But he didn’t
hear anything: no one’s breathing, movement, clothes rustling…
nothing.

He recalled Mayor Seneca at the end
of the hallway. “He was just standing there, waiting for me to
approach him. And I was just thinking about… not revealing myself…
for him not to notice, not to suspect anything. And I didn’t pay
attention at all… It can’t be! That wasn’t Raul. No, Raul would not
join up with Seneca against me. Not only with Seneca, with anyone.
Except… to save me from… myself. Raul knows me. He saw… it was
clear to him that I actually wanted to die. That I was practically
committing suicide. And he didn’t allow it. He saved my
life.”

“I really can’t hear anything.
Silence. Absolute silence. How long have I been unconscious?”
Pascal wondered. “I can’t hear the rotors of a helicopter, airplane
engines… I don’t feel any vibrations… shaking. I’m not in a car, in
some trunk. Or maybe I am? Just that the vehicle is standing still,
that it isn’t moving. Am I still in Megapolis? Or did Raul take me
with them? And we might already be there… in one of our cities. Or
are we waiting for the airplane to take of? But… this silence… is
so absolute. If the vehicle is stationary… it isn’t an airport or a
parking lot… no one is passing by… there’s no sound of the wind… no
sound at all. No smell. Smell?”

Only then did he realize that he
smelled something. Stale, right next to his nostrils. “There is
some kind of cover beneath my cheek. I can feel it on my skin. It’s
soft… I’m lying on a bed. On my right side. It isn’t the cold floor
of some cell. And it’s completely dark. If there was any light I’d
see it through my eyelids. I’m sure I would. But the darkness is
absolute… Is this a grave?”

Pascal abruptly opened his eyes.
And it was as though he hadn’t. The darkness truly was absolute. He
pushed himself up on his elbow. He felt a pain in his arm and
thought of Raul again.

“Raul, who gives you the right to
decide about my life? Who are you to save me from myself? Not even
you, Raul, after all these years… the struggle, everything… you
don’t understand. Freedom is above everything else. Not only
freedom from Kaella. The freedom to live as you want and die as you
want. You don’t understand… Don’t get me wrong, I’m not angry at
you. Nor at Seneca, or anyone. You can’t learn these thing, that is
something you have to be. I would never prevent you from dying, my
friend. For any reason. Regardless of whether I knew the reason or
not. Regardless of whether I understood your reason or not. I would
never in any way limit your freedom. To decide about you instead of
you. I’ll explain it to you. You’ll set me free. When you come… to
bring me food and water.”

Chapter 31

“Why are you asking me, Babe?”
Prince thought to himself. “Talk to my father, let me watch you in
peace.”

And he told Babe in front of the
camera:

“Well… I wouldn’t… I really
wouldn’t want to take valuable time from my father and you. There
will be other opportunities for those topics.”

“You know, Miss Babe, my son is
very modest,” Mr. Kaella explained. “He never wants to talk about
himself and his achievements. Not only in public. He is the same
within the family. And he always has been, since he was a
child.”

“That is the characteristic of
great people, I think, Mr. Kaella.”

“That’s right. That is why I will
sing some praise for my son, if you permit.”

“Of course, of course. Please, Mr.
Kaella.”

“Through his struggle with the
ruthless nature my Prince is saving humanity, while we await the
arrival of the ice age. And one day when it comes it will be much
milder than ignorant people fear, precisely thanks to the
greenhouse effect. It will be like a slightly colder winter from
the past. And we will easily adjust to it. Industrial production
will turn to making heating appliances instead of cooling
appliances. Transportation means will adjust to snow and ice
instead of sand and rocks, and there will be countless, I mean
countless, other changes and adaptations. And what is the main
thing that this new industrial drive will bring?”

“Jobs and preservation of the
Balance.”

“Bravo, bravo, Miss Babe. And let
someone try and tell me again that beauty and intelligence don’t go
together. Of course – the Balance. That is my greatest achievement,
the pinnacle of my life.”

“Mr. Kaella, the Balance that you
have established in society, which you yourself say is the pinnacle
of your life, is such an important topic, the most important topic.
I would like to give it more time. Actually, I would like for you
to tell us your life’s journey. Please describe how you made it
possible of us, people, Consumers, to live peacefully in a balanced
community of man.”

“I will. I agree with you, Miss
Babe, here…”

“Just one moment, please, Mr.
Kaella. I would like to first briefly ask Mr. Prince how he
succeeded in protecting people from such a fate, from the forever
lost settlements, like the ones that we can see outside the
submarine? What is your intention when you selflessly invest,
building modern poleis and making it possible for people to
resettle?”

“Alright, I’ll answer you. But
really shortly. Unfortunately we inherited from our ancestors the
greenhouse effect. Due to the climate changes food production and
sources of drinking water inevitably relocated. Had food and water
have had to be distributed to remote old human settlements under
such conditions, it would have caused huge and completely
unnecessary additional expenses. The development of modern poleis
in the vicinity of food and water will allow people to satisfy
their existential needs at the lowest possible price. We live in
such a historical time. After the ice age, the mild one, as my
father explained, the Earth will be once again become soaked and
deserts will become fields, there will be plenty of drinking water
throughout the planet. And then, once again, our descendants will
be able to build their settlements wherever they want. I am only
using basic logic for us to adapt in the most rational manner to
the conditions that nature has imposed on us during this
period.”

“You are right, Mr. Kaella. Your
son is too modest,” said Babe.

“That is what he is like. There’s
nothing we can change about it,” the proud father said.

“But we can admire him,” said Babe
and nodded slightly, looking at Prince with eyes full of
admiration. “And now, Mr. Kaella, I’d like to ask you to describe
your life’s journey to our viewers. Before the interview I received
countless messages, emails, letters, in which Consumers demand that
I ask you this and that, so… and I think that you will answer all
these questions if you tell us as many of your memories as
possible.”

“Alright, Miss Babe, I will. Well
…”

Chapter 32

“As you know, Seneca yesterday
prohibited Pascal’s speech. You saw that they dismantled the stage
this morning,” Raul explained the newly-created situation to his
team.

“He stabbed us in the back ahead of
the elections. That was all planned long ago. And we naively
believed that he had crossed over to our side, that he had turned
against Kaella,” said Jagdish, head of the analysts.

“It’s not like that, Jagdish.
Seneca yesterday received reliable secret information from Kaella’s
Company that Pascal was winning by a landslide with sixty-two
percent of the votes.”