The Grasshopper Read online

  She also didn’t allow any device for communication with the outside world or accessing the media to be brought into their hospital room. “What will be will be,” she told Pascal. “I won’t watch that.”

  Pascal wanted Manami to also be sedated, but she wouldn’t agree to that. “I want to feel you until the very last moment,” she told him.

  That morning she said that no one could enter their room anymore.

  At half past nine she moved Eir to Peter’s bed and told Pascal to sit on the edge of it. She lay down in his lap and held her children’s hands.

  Pascal caressed her back and kissed her hair.

  Chapter 155

  Dr. Palladino sat alone at a table in the middle of the square. In front of him, installed on a tripod, was a camera that was filming him. He had earphones in his ears and a microphone in front of his mouth. He held his sweaty palms on his knees. Dr. Palladino looked at the small monitor in front of him, next to which lay a revolver and one bullet.

  Noah stood behind him. The table, camera, Dr. Palladino and Noah were protected by inspectors, with their bodies. They stood in a perfect circle, with their backs turned towards them.

  A huge screen was installed along the entire width of the television station building. The people that had flooded the square watched it in silence.

  The Grasshopper placed a revolver and one bullet on the command desk. He watched the satellite image of the square in Megapolis. At precisely ten o’clock he switched on his camera and microphone, and established communication with Dr. Palladino.

  When the participants in the Russian roulette appeared on the big screen, split into two halves, the entire square gasped.

  “Good day, Dr. Palladino,” said the Grasshopper.

  “Good day, Mr. Grasshopper.”

  “Dr. Palladino do you see my revolver lying on the command desk?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “That means that the command desk is locked. In the event that I lose this game of ours and if my head hits the desk, it won’t cause any change in the energy system.”

  “I understand,” said Dr. Palladino.

  “In that case, the shields from all the platforms and the Command will be automatically lowered at noon exactly, your time. This means that specialists will be able to enter this room and take over control of the energy system.”

  “I understand,” Dr. Palladino repeated.

  The Grasshopper took the bullet, placed it in the revolver and spun the barrel. Dr. Palladino did the same.

  “Who will go first, Doctor?” the Grasshopper asked.

  “You.”

  “No, I won’t. We’ll flip a coin. Tails – I go first, heads – you go first.”

  “Alright,” said Dr. Palladino. He pulled out a coin from his shirt pocket, spun it in the air, caught it with one hand and placed it on the table. “Heads. I go first,” he said quietly.

  At that moment the Grasshopper noticed something unusual on the satellite image of the square full of people. Near the television station building, under the large screen with his and Dr. Palladino’s images, was an empty space, with a colorful border.

  He zoomed in.

  The border was made up of children dressed in shirts of different colors, holding hands.

  He zoomed in.

  They stood around a funny gray-haired old man, whose colors were even more vivid than theirs.

  He zoomed in.

  The old man was holding a dog in his hands. And the dog was crying.

  Dr. Palladino raised his revolver. At that moment he saw the Grasshopper place his right hand under the desk.

  “Why are you putting away your revolver?! Where is your revolver, Mr. Grasshopper?!” shouted Dr. Palladino in panic.

  “I’m changing the rules of the game, Doctor,” said the Grasshopper, returning the revolver to the holster on his right thigh.

  “What do you mean?! You can’t do that! The game has started! We had an agreement, Mr. Grasshopper!”

  “I’m going first, Doctor.”

  Dr. Palladino couldn’t see what the Grasshopper was doing under the command desk. But he saw Grasshopper’s shoulder drop slightly when he took the revolver from the holster on his left thigh.

  “You took the revolver with the full cylinder?” Dr. Palladino asked quietly, having realized what the Grasshopper had done.

  “Goodbye, Dr. Palladino.” The Grasshopper placed the barrel of the full revolver against his temple. “It’s been a pleasure,” he said and pulled the trigger.

  When the Grasshopper’s head fell on the command desk, everyone sighed in relief. And then nothing. They just stood in silence. All as one.

  Dr. Palladino took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his jacket pocket. He tried to open the pack, but his trembling hands wouldn’t obey him. Noah walked up to him, took out a cigarette, lit it, and placed it between the Doctor’s lips. Dr. Palladino closed his eyes and took a deep drag.

  Chapter 156

  “We’re saved! We’re alive! The Grasshopper killed himself!” shouted a nurse running into the room. “I have to get out into the square! I have to!” she turned, ran out of the room and slammed the door.

  Manami got up from Pascal’s lap, bent over and kissed the sleeping Eir and Peter on the cheek, straightened up, offered Pascal her hand and pulled him towards her.

  “Kiss me! Kiss me!” she cried out.

  When their lips separated, she shouted out in joy:

  “My darling, my president!” She bent over again and loudly kissed Eir and Peter, stood up, and took Pascal’s hands in hers.

  “My love… my wonderful love,” Pascal whispered.

  “I apologize, Mr. President,” Manami smiled, “for taking up your precious time…”

  “What president, Manami…”

  “The best! Smartest! Handsomest! My President! Only mine!” Manami shouted.

  “Let it be, darling. We’ll see. What’s important now…”

  “What’s important now, Mr. President is that you address these people, who have suffered so much. The people, for whom you were the only hope. Not only their hope – you were their faith. People believe in you, Pascal!”

  “Alright, alright… there’s time…”

  “There’s no time! The people need you immediately, now! Go to the studio and address them. No, no… find… have them bring Noah to you. He knows the situation best. Discuss with him what you should say first, for the people to calm down, to organize food and water… Primarily for the children, Pascal! Come on, there’s no time to waste! Go to the studio, have them dress you, put on makeup. You’re all wrinkled and pale. You must listen to your wife, Mr. President!”

  When Pascal heard her words he hugged her tightly.

  “My wife! My wife!” he shouted and kissed her.

  “Come on, come on…” Manami laughed, gleaming with joy. “Why are you getting all soft? I’ll wait for my children to wake up… their mommy will explain everything to them. They will always love and respect their father, but they will live normally. They will be mommy’s happy children. And yours, Pascal. You are to love them and cuddle them like you did in our shelter! Do you hear?”

  “Yes, my love! I will, darling, I will!”

  “And we have to hurry up with our baby, Pascal! It’s your own fault! Why did you fall in love with an old woman, and now you have to hurry!”

  “We will, my love, we’ll hurry it up. Already today. Now! Let’s go to a room, while the children are still asleep!”

  “You really want me very much, sir?”

  “Very much! Very much!”

  “Well nothing before marriage, sir,” Manami smiled. “As soon as Peter and Eir wake up, we’ll take them to our house. And you and I will get married. You will marry me already today! Is that clear, sir?”

  “Clear, clear! Today, immediately, my wife! My wife!” Pascal shouted.

  Manami kissed him. After that she stepped back and said in a serious tone.

  “Pascal, I
really want to get married today. As soon as possible. Please, find Noah, address the people… so that they see that you’re alive, that you’re here, that you are thinking of them, that you love them… do you understand?

  “And then we’ll get married in secret. Noah will be our witness. No one else will know. We mustn’t even burden the children with that. Peter and Eir have to have time to mourn the death of their father, to get used to their house again, to normal life…” Manami paused and thought. “The only this is that you have to come with us immediately… to live with us.

  “I’ll tell Peter that you have nowhere to go. That you will be with us for a while. We’ll think of something. And I cannot… I won’t allow you, Pascal, to be gone all day long!” she raised her voice. “That you are at some presidential office!

  “You will do everything from our house. We’ll make you an office there.

  “That’s it! We’ll say that its for your safety. So that its easier for the inspectors to protect you. There, that’s what Noah will say as the official explanation. That he, who is responsible for your safety, demands that.

  “And Peter will accept that, Pascal! He adores Noah!”

  Manami lowered her voice and touched Pascal’s face.

  “That will be the official reason. And my reason is you. For anything, for everything. Just you. You can’t be away from me for a moment. Because I can’t live without you anymore, Pascal.”

  She gently kissed his lips and ran the fingers of both hands through his hair. She smiled, took him by the hand and led him to the door. She opened it and pushed him into the corridor.

  “Find a studio, tell them to fix you up and fetch Noah. The two of you discuss what should be done next. Go now, go already…” The smiling and overjoyed Manami shut the door.

  Chapter 157

  Pascal stopped after several steps. “What’s with you, love?” he thought. “What studio of yours? Alright… I’ll find Noah. He also claims that people believe in me… It seems that my friend Raul was right… Raul, my friend… my friends… Do you resent me for not thinking of you, for being so happy? Forgive me… but I can’t help it, I’m overjoyed!”

  Pascal only then realized that the corridor was completely empty and that there wasn’t a sound. He continued down the corridor looking in the rooms, through their open doors. All the rooms were empty.

  “What’s this? Where are the patients? Where are the nurses?” he thought to himself. “Did the Grasshopper actually kill himself or…” dread came over Pascal. And then on the television set in one of the rooms he saw the image of the dead Grasshopper. “Yes, he did!” he sighed in relief. “You’re dead!”

  “Pascal!” managed to shout a man who was lying in bed with his raised leg and arm in a cast, in one of the rooms that Pascal had just passed by.

  “Sir,” Pascal was happy to have found someone. “Where has everyone disappeared?”

  “Pascal…” the patient whispered.

  “Yes, it’s me. Tell me, please…”

  “Everyone rushed out…” the man was coming to. “Outside… to the square…”

  “How could the patients…”

  “Everyone… however they could… look in the ICU… there must be a nurse there, Mr. President! Our President! We knew that you were alive! We knew!” the patient shouted.

  “Yes, I’m alive,” Pascal smiled. “Excuse me, sir, where is the intensive care unit?”

  At that moment the nurse that cared for Peter and Eir ran into the corridor.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Alexander, but I had to go down into the square. Here, I’ll go immediately to the Madam and the children…” she ran past Pascal.

  “Wait please, nurse…” Pascal grabbed her by the hand and stopped her. “Tell me please, do you know where Noah is?”

  “The new mayor?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t know. Probably upstairs… in his office. Try there, I’m sure there is someone. They will tell you.”

  There was no one in the secretariat or in Seneca’s office. “What should I do now? Manami will be angry if I return immediately. I have to tell her at least that I talked to Noah… I’ll go to the square, like everyone else. I’m sure he’s there.”

  Pascal took the elevator down to the magnificent hall of the television station building and walked towards the door. As he passed a group of inspectors, a captain who had noticed him stepped out in front of him.

  “Where are you going, Mr. Alexander?” he asked.

  “Captain, you sure must know where Mayor Noah is,” said Pascal.

  “He’s in the square. But we had to stay here to prevent you from leaving the building.”

  “Why?” Pascal was surprised.

  “Those were the mayor’s orders. The situation is presently unpredictable. He said that you must return to your room and wait until he comes to you.”

  Pascal turned around and ran to the elevator. He chose the floor of the improvised hospital. “This turned out great! You won’t be able to drive me away, my love!”

  He came out of the elevator and rushed down the corridor. He opened the door to the hospital room and was surprised to see a nurse sitting next to Peter and Eir, who were still asleep.

  “Where is the Madam?” he asked.

  “She first told me that she didn’t need me, that she would call me when the children are awake,” said the nurse while getting up. “Then she ran past the nurses’ station, I didn’t even get a good look at her… and when I came into the corridor she just shouted to me ‘Have the gentleman come to our room!” And I was surprised, why should I tell you that if you are here, in your room…”

  Pascal turned around and rushed to the elevator.

  Chapter 158

  “To our room! To our room, my love! And you said only after marriage! After marriage, right? And now you can’t wait even until tonight?! My excited darling! You’re on fire! Do you know what? We’ll make love for hours! For hours! Let the children awake with the nurse. So what? Who knows how long they’ll be drowsy?”

  Pascal rushed into the Mayor’s office and saw that the painting had been moved. He called the elevator. “That’s why you sent me away, you little fox! Like, I should address the people. Like, it can’t wait until tomorrow, or the day after. It has to be immediately. So that you could go to our room before me and put on your gold kimono! The gold kimono! My love, my wife, my goddess!”

  He rushed into their shelter and was stunned. Manami stood in front of their cover, in their room, wearing the gold kimono.

  “My beauty! You’re wonderful! Gorgeous! You’re even prettier than in my dreams!”

  Then he looked at her face. He saw that from a small split in the middle of her upper lip, at the top of that small heart that he loved to kiss so much, like the thinnest strand, in silence, without any gurgle, flowed the first trickle of her blood.

  He bit down hard on his lower lip and when he felt the taste of blood he rushed towards Manami.

  “Don’t Pascal! You can’t! Because of the children!” shouted Manami and ran behind the couch. She stayed there, her back turned towards him.

  Pascal was completely stunned. He didn’t say anything. Only tears poured from his eyes.

  Chapter 159

  None of the numerous mutations of the XZW virus were transferred by airborne droplets. Only by blood. And there was plenty of blood in the case of people infected with any version of the XZW virus.

  The first symptom, without any warning, was the sudden appearance of dry cracked skin throughout the patient’s body. This is what created lesions on the skin, which with the occurrence of internal bleeding, transformed the dying into geysers of blood.

  This is why people called death caused by the XZW virus – the Bloodbath.

  The XZW-851 mutant of the XZW virus was special in one way. The infected person would first develop cracks on their lips, and soon after the ruptured capillaries in their eyes.

  Several hours into the process of dying the person
infected with the XZW-851 would not feel any pain, only a stream of blood would flow unstoppably from their lips, and it would seem as though the person, aware of their impending death, was crying tears of blood.

  Death by the XZW-851 virus was generally no more horrible than death caused by any other mutation of the XZW virus.

  Except for the people whose loved one was dying this way. Because it was most terrible to watch someone you love bleed precisely from the eyes and lips. The things that you love most of all to look at and kiss.

  That is why people call the XZW-851 virus the Love virus, not out of ridicule, but as a description of that immense pain.

  The survival rate for people infected with this virus was a zero.

  Chapter 160

  “Turn around, Pascal” said Manami. “I don’t want you to remember me like this. I won’t look at you either.”

  Pascal turned away from her. Between them, on the red silk, was an embroidered black rose.

  “Julius infected me,” Manami said quietly. “I told you that he always found a solution. This virus would have provided him a honorable way out. He didn’t want to kill me, Pascal. Just himself. He infected himself.