The Grasshopper Read online

  “Manami, please stop. Don’t say anything more. You’re in shock, my love… you’re out of your mind. Let’s sleep on it…”

  “That’s the way it is, Pascal. You don’t understand it. You’re not that type of man. You’re not interested in your public image or your place in history.”

  “You’re the only thing that’s important to me, Manami.”

  “I know that, my darling. But you weren’t interested in those things even before you met me.”

  “I wasn’t, you’re right. I just wanted to be free.”

  “Think about it. What would you do if I left you?”

  “How can you say that to me, Manami?! I would never say something like that to you!”

  “I know. Forgive me… but answer me. What would you do?”

  “I’d kill myself. That very instant. A bullet to the hearth. In front of you.”

  “There, you see how simple it is. And you tell me that I’m exaggerating. I’m not exaggerating. Julius too will kill himself… or he’ll kill us… but for his own reason.”

  “I won’t allow him, Manami. Here, I know what I’ll do. I’ll go out of the shelter and talk to him. Man to man. We’re not the only adulterers in the world, right?”

  Chapter 147

  “Let’s put that aside, Mr. Grasshopper. You’ve explained what this world is like. You’ve sent your warning. You’re aware that your mission has been successfully completed. And that’s why you’re begging me to stop you somehow,” said Dr. Palladino.

  “And Doctor, you now expect me to raise my revolver and shoot myself?” the Grasshopper laughed.

  “No. I know that’s not how it goes. I have a different proposition.”

  “Do you? What is it? I’ve been wondering all this time what you will come up with. Where do you get such self-confidence? This order of yours to turn on energy for the people was quite cute. I barely kept myself from bursting into laughter.”

  “But you switched it on nonetheless.”

  “Because I can switch it off again at any time.”

  “I know.”

  “And decisions that there is no turning back after require a much stronger reason than my temporary sympathy.”

  “Or an excuse,” said Dr. Palladino.

  “An excuse?”

  “Yes. I hear your cry, Mr. Grasshopper. ‘Come, Dr. Palladino, stop me!’ but I can’t come to you and kill you. Instead of that I can give you an excuse to kill yourself. The entire time you have been expecting a good excuse from me. You can admit that much to yourself.”

  “Perhaps. Do you have it?”

  “Perhaps. You’ve been claiming the entire time that throughout the history of mankind only the excuses for killing have changed.”

  “Exactly.”

  “And that they themselves are not important. That it isn’t at all important whether it is an idea, membership in a group, greed…”

  “Yes. Completely irrelevant.”

  “It is important to exercise the instinct to kill? Any excuse is good?”

  “Precisely.”

  “So, if every excuse for killing is good, then every excuse is good to stop killing, Mr. Grasshopper.”

  “You were very cunning coming up with that,” the Grasshopper smiled. “Let’s accept that. But these excuses for killing are in fact notions. They have their names, they have meaning…”

  “The excuse to stop killing which I place in your hands has both a name and a meaning.”

  “And that is?”

  “Luck.”

  “Luck?” the Grasshopper was surprised.

  “Yes. Do you remember when you told me how you strived and what all you did to get to the command desk?”

  “I remember.”

  “You imposed yourself on Erivan as the logical choice for his squads, won over his trust, wrote your doctoral thesis…”

  “I know what you’re saying.”

  “What?”

  “That in the end it was luck that decided. Because I told you that it could have happened that I wasn’t recruited, that I was killed in action, a number of factors… and that’s true. I still think that.”

  “You’re a smart man, Mr. Grasshopper, a man who knows that despite all the effort, knowledge, abilities, in life it also takes luck to achieve goals. You are a man who is reduced to sitting at a command desk thanks to yourself and to luck.”

  “That’s right. I agree.”

  “That’s why you are a man who will allow the world to try its luck one last time. You will allow for the die to be cast one more time.”

  Chapter 148

  “First of all, you’re not going anywhere, Pascal. Second, you’re not listening to me at all or you’re not understanding what I’m saying. I’m not in shock, Pascal. I’ve known the entire time that this moment would come. I’m just thinking intensely right now.”

  “Alright, Manami, if that’s what you want, let’s think together. Let’s say that the mayor decides to kill only me. That’s emotionally the simplest for him. Do you agree?”

  “I don’t agree,” Manami said firmly.

  “Why? Explain it to me,” said Pascal.

  “He won’t raise his hand against us. He would never threaten the life of another person. That’s what I think. But the two of us cannot rely on my opinion, because Julius was never in such a situation. Humiliated like this. Now I’m thinking about what he could do. What are the options that he has available?

  “He cannot bring the inspectors to our shelter to arrest you and take you away, because he knows, he’s aware that… but even if he wasn’t sure of that, he cannot dismiss that possibility… that I’d jump on the inspectors, pull you from them, scream… in front of the children… in front of Peter.

  “Such a scene in front of his son could destroy Julius. He cannot take such a chance. Even if he were only to send Noah... or come himself… the same thing would happen in front of Peter. No… he would never allow that, for any reason. To be humiliated in front of his son.

  “He doesn’t have any choice… Julius is powerless, Pascal, while we are in the shelter. He must find a way to get us out of the shelter, all together, all four of us… and then to somehow separate us… to get you away from us… or you and me, together, away from the children.”

  Manami sat up on the couch and looked at Pascal determinedly.

  “Listen to me very well now, Pascal! When the time comes that we have to or want to leave the shelter, the four of us must not be separated even for a moment.

  “Don’t you dare be a hero, defy anything, feel sorry, feel sorry for someone, because of some guilty conscious, because of some regret… anything.

  “I won’t permit anything! I’m forbidding everything! You can’t think anything! Or feel!

  “You must constantly repeat to yourself that the four of us must not be separated. At any cost! For any reason!

  “That’s the only thing you must think about. And listen to what I tell you. And do what I tell you. Is that clear, Pascal?”

  “It’s clear, my love,” Pascal whispered.

  “What’s the first thing that I told you, Pascal?”

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

  “What’s the first thing that I said? What was my first thought? I said that Julius would do something to himself. Julius… and my father… the two of them would raise their hand against themselves if that meant that they saved face. The two of them… that’s how they are… that’s what they are made of… That’s the type of people they are.”

  “And me? What am I made of, Manami?”

  “You, Pascal? You’re not made of hard materials.”

  “So, you think that I’m soft,” Pascal smiled.

  “You are… made of… of love for me.”

  Pascal didn’t say anything. He just ran his fingers across her hair, her face and her lips.

  “Pascal, I couldn’t change any of that even if I wanted to. I have no guilty conscious. Why would I? Am I to blame? I’m not to bl
ame. You simply appeared and I fell in love.

  “I too was no stranger to love before that. No, Pascal,” Manami said thoughtfully. “I learned about different kinds of love. For my parents, cousins, friends… I loved Julius, too. And the children, of course. You know very well how much I love them…

  “Julius and I, we had… not only the two of us… all of us, our family, we had wonderful moments… not only nice moments… everything was nice… our entire life… organized, decent… our luxurious ship anchored in a calm port.

  “I tell you, Pascal, I knew very well what love is, even before you. But that love... all those loves… somehow they… how can I say… they… as my late father would say, they came with the territory. Do you understand what I’m saying?

  And now this… this is… You’re an impulsive man… you can explode in an instant, become wild… But this, what I feel for you, how much I love you… Well, that love, Pascal, is the truly wild, wildest, crazed, strongest storm! It washes away everything in its wake! The ship, the port… even the coastline!... It washes everything away!”

  “My love…” Pascal whispered.

  “Don’t think that I’m trawling for titles. I want that to be clear to you. Like, the Mayor of Megapolis isn’t enough, and I need the President of Earth.”

  “Manami, really…”

  “I thought about that too, Pascal. I asked myself whether I’m that kind of woman. Are titles important to me? But I concluded that it isn’t so. That you could be working in a grocery shop or as a clerk… Anywhere, anything… and the first time that I saw you I would have fallen in love.”

  “Manami… what are you saying, my love…”

  “I would come every day to your shop to get a glance at you… to force you to fall in love too…”

  “Silly, I would have fallen in love long before…”

  “Pascal…”

  “Yes, my love?”

  “I can’t talk any more, I can’t think…”

  “I know, my darling… Don’t worry… Everything will be as you said. The four of us will stay together.”

  “I’m tired, Pascal, of all of this. I need you… Kiss me, please.”

  Pascal moved towards her lips. Manami gently stopped him by placing her hand on his chest.

  “But not that way, Pascal.”

  “I don’t understand, Manami.”

  “Don’t kiss me that way now.”

  “What way?”

  “Shamelessly.”

  “Shamelessly?” Pascal laughed.

  “Stop pretending! You know very well how shamelessly you kiss me.”

  “Alright, I won’t kiss you shamelessly. So tell me, how should I kiss you?”

  “Well… like… gently… just affectionately.”

  Chapter 149

  “And what would you like, Doctor?” the Grasshopper laughed. “That we just throw the die or coin, heads or tails? Tails – I kill myself and the world lives, heads – the two of us say goodbye and I continue with my work?”

  “No,” Dr. Palladino said calmly.

  “So?”

  “Russian roulette. The two of us will play. I will play on behalf of mankind.”

  “Why? What’s the difference?”

  “First of all I don’t believe that if tails fall that you will actually raise the revolver and kill yourself. And as a participant in the game you will pull the trigger. And the second thing is only important to me. I couldn’t bare staying alive after our talks and watch you continue killing.”

  “I understand.”

  “When do we start? You have your famous six-shooter revolver. Charlie, who is in front of the door has a similar one.”

  “Doesn’t it seem to you, Dr. Palladino, that your self-confidence is turning into arrogance? That you might anger me?”

  “No. I know that you will agree to Russian roulette. It is such a logical ending. Whoever invented that Russian roulette, invented it solely for this moment.”

  The Grasshopper was silent.

  “Don’t think. It’s not something to think about. It has to be an impulse. When do we start?”

  “I have to think about it. I’ll get back to you.”

  “No!” Dr. Palladino jumped up from his chair. “I won’t permit it! It’s not a rational matter, Mr. Grasshopper! It is a matter of your entire being! It must now say whether it is an absolute killer who will kill all life or the greatest serial killer who is begging me to stop him. Which are you? Tell me – which are you?!!!” Dr. Palladino shouted.

  “I’ll let you know in four, five days, Dr. Palladino,” the Grasshopper said calmly.

  “In five days? What does that mean? What do you need those five days for? Don’t you dare even think about shooting at Earth again! Is that clear to you?!” Dr. Palladino threatened the Grasshopper with his finger, putting his face in the camera.

  “You’ve become quite delightful, Doctor,” the Grasshopper laughed. “We’ll play Russian roulette.”

  “We will?” Dr. Palladino stopped breathing.

  “Yes, Doctor, we’ll play.”

  Dr. Palladino placed both hands on the desk, lowered his head and sighed deeply.

  “But you will be in Megapolis.”

  “Why do I have to be in Megapolis, Mr. Grasshopper?” Dr. Palladino again put his face in the camera. “It’s complicated! How will I get to Megapolis safely? If something happens to me, nothing compels you to…”

  “Dr. Palladino, calm down, please. That’s my concern. I will arrange it with Mayor Seneca. He, in cooperation with Charlie, will provide you with safe transport,” the Grasshopper said calmly.

  “But why Megapolis? And why do you need four, five days?”

  “Megapolis is my city,” said the Grasshopper, lowering his voice. “My University. When I went to school there… it wasn’t like it is now. I was one of the first generations of students at the new University. Mr. Seneca became mayor at that time. He introduced uniforms, emblems, an anthem, manner… We were full of enthusiasm, pride…

  “For a while… no, not only for one period… it happened several times… Megapolis, the University managed to shake my intentions. Megapolis was the only thing that managed to do so.

  “In the meantime I was recruited. And I met Erivan. I haven’t been shaken since.

  “That is why I will give Megapolis one last chance. Giving the world a chance without Megapolis means nothing. It will quickly turn out new Kaellas and Erivans. And if Mr. Alexander’s Third Renaissance ever materializes, it will be in Megapolis.

  “Dr. Palladino, Megapolis is the only excuse that I will agree to.”

  “So Megapolis was important to you the entire time. That is why you never switched off its energy supply. So that people would swarm to it, and then… Capital City, too.”

  “No, not Capital City. It means nothing to me. My plan was to direct the beams towards the oceans, once I destroyed Megapolis. And to lock the energy system in that position,” the Grasshopper fell silent.

  “And?” Dr. Palladino whispered.

  “And?” the Grasshopper smiled. “And then, Dr. Palladino, I would calmly watch from here as the oceans heated up and storms ravaged the Earth.

  “I would regularly measure the increase in temperature on the planet, but I wouldn’t get too excited about it. How could I prove that the temperature was increasing because of my beams if I didn’t have enough historical data? What could I compare it to? I would know very well that it was only a claim by vicious tongues and that such an increase in temperature was actually a regular cycle in nature… I’m joking, of course…

  “I would direct the beams towards the oceans, lock the energy system and kill myself. The evaporation of the oceans would do the rest. I would kill all life. The collective Thanatos would triumph.”

  “And that’s exactly what you will do, if Megapolis loses against you.”

  “Precisely.”

  “And five days?” Dr. Palladino was persistent.

  “That is approximately
how long it will take me to redirect the beams towards Megapolis. When I’m finished, only then will I call Seneca and inform Charlie. I want you to be in that residence as long as possible, safe. Because I won’t play Russian roulette with anyone else, Dr. Palladino. So please don’t tell Charlie anything. I will communicate with him.”

  “I won’t, of course,” said Dr. Palladino.

  “And then I will see what Seneca and Charlie will say. How much time it will take them to get you safely to Megapolis. Then we will set the exact time of the Russian roulette.”

  Chapter 150

  On the fourth night after Seneca had left their shelter, Eir, Peter, Manami and Pascal heard the elevator doors open.

  “Noah,” said Eir.

  “It might also be dad, “ Peter was hopeful. “Yes! It’s dad!” He shouted when he heard the shelter door unlock.

  “Dad!” shouted Eir, sliding off the chair and running with her brother towards the door.

  Pascal rose from the table and looked at Manami. She just calmly nodded to him.

  Noah entered the shelter for the first time. He was a very handsome shapely young man, wearing an Inspectorate colonel’s uniform.

  “Noah!” Peter ran up to him.

  “Hello, Peter,” Noah said and put out his hand.

  “Noah, what are you doing in the shelter? What has happened?” Manami asked.

  “Madam Manami, Mr. Alexander, the mayor has said that the four of you should immediately come to his office.”

  The shelter fell silent. Peter stood in silence in front of Noah, and Pascal stared at the floor.

  “Why, Noah?” Manami asked after a few moments.