The Grasshopper (18 page)

“You saw Pascal too?!”

“No… it has nothing to do with
them…”

“So?”

“Promise me that you won’t tell a
soul.”

“I promise. Tell me
already!”

“Last night, when you said that you
wouldn’t be coming to the club, I paid for my drink and started for
the exit. What was I going to do there by myself,
right?”

“And?”

“So I’m already nearing the door
when I hear… it was noisy, loud music… you know how it gets
there…”

“What did you hear?”

“Well… I wasn’t at all sure in that
noise. I thought that I had imagined it. I didn’t even turn
around…”

“OK, so?”

“And then, a second time, much
louder. I heard someone shout ‘Gloria! Gloria!’, and I turned
around…”

“Who was it?”

“A young man.”

“A young man! Really? Was he
handsome?”

“Very handsome”

“Wow, tell me more! How did he
approach you? How did you get introduced?”

“Well… we didn’t get
introduced.”

“I don’t get it. How didn’t you get
introduced? Why then did he call out to you?”

“You don’t get it, Dorika. He
called me by my name. There was no need for us to get
introduced.”

“You know him?”

“You know him too.”

“I know him too. Where do we know
him from? What are you trying to tell me, Gloria? He isn’t one of
our guys, is he?”

“You promised that you
wouldn’t…”

“Yes, I did! Who?”

“Guess!”

“Guess?... alright. You say he’s
handsome?”

“No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’? You
said…”

“I said ‘very
handsome’.”

“Could it be…?”

“Yes, yes!”

“Habib!”

“Yes, him!”

“Wow, Gloria! Tell me, tell me
everything! So you turn around and you see Habib calling you! My
leg would have turned to jelly.”

“What do you think, that mine
didn’t?”

“Come on… tell me…”

“I didn’t see who he was with at
the club. He never left my side. Whoever he was with didn’t
interest him anymore.”

“You lucky girl!”

“We danced, we talked…”

“What did you talk
about…”

“Nothing much… about our campaign,
our work… it was too loud in there. And I was keeping a distance,
like between coworkers.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean ‘why’? Well you
can’t immediately show how much you like him. The guy has to work a
little.”

“Wow, you know everything. Lucky
you.”

“I’ll advise you, when you find a
guy.”

“A guy? Me? I’ll never find a guy.
And where would I find one? We work all day long.”

“You’ll find one, you’ll find one.
Now, when Pascal becomes president, we’ll work less, get good
salaries, buy only the most beautiful things… guys are going to be
all over you.”

“Eh… you think?”

“Absolutely! You bet… this is what
I wanted to tell you. It was because of him that I didn’t wake you
when Svetlana cried.”

“Because of Habib?”

“Yup. I told you. I pretended not
to be interested in him. And I saw, I know how to recognize this,
that he was really into me. From before, you get it? Not only last
night at the club.”

“Really?”

“Really. I can read men between the
lines. And when we went back to the hotel I immediately told him
good night, and went to our room. I was certain that he wouldn’t
resist and that he’d knock on our door, and take me down to the bar
for a drink, and then he’d tell me that he’s liked me for a long
time…”

“Aw, Gloria… and what would you
have told him?”

“I would have said that now, ahead
of the elections, really wasn’t the time for such
talks.”

“Would you, really?”

“I would. But only in the
beginning, when he first mentioned it. So that he would have to
repeat it, to explain why he likes me. To tell me what my hair is
like, what my eyes are like, that he can’t sleep… that he’s
constantly thinking of me.”

“And what if he didn’t repeat it?
What if he accepted what you said and actually waited until the
elections?”

“He’ll repeat it, he’ll repeat it.
And if he doesn’t, then I would pout until he said again that he
likes me. You can’t really plan it like that. You have to feel the
moment, and then either be silent or smile or pout. As
necessary.”

“I wouldn’t know how to. I’d
immediately tell him how handsome he is.”

“I know, but… this is what I want
to say to you. That is why I didn’t wake you. Last night when I
entered our room, I stood fully dressed near the door for a few
minutes. And then I quickly changed, put on my nightgown and lay in
bed. So that when I opened the door he would see me in my
nightgown. So that he didn’t think that I was waiting for
him.”

“You’re really clever. You think of
everything.”

“You have to, Dorika. Of course, I
didn’t take off my makeup. Who would put makeup on again? Men
really don’t get those things.”

“Of course.”

“So I’m lying there… and I hear
Svetlana and all that. And after that I still hoped and waited for
him… And that’s why I didn’t wake you, you get it?”

“I get it.”

“So you’re no longer
angry?”

“I’m not. Actually, I am! Why
didn’t you tell me this morning about Svetlana?”

“This morning? What’s with you,
Dorika? We were all in panic. Raul banged on everyone’s door and
shouted ‘Get up! Pack! We’re leaving Megapolis!’”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I remembered Svetlana only after
the plane had taken off.”

“What are the two of you doing here
all alone?” asked Habib, a member of Liam’s team, standing behind
Gloria and Dorika.

Chapter 66

Pascal calmed down and stopped
shouting and pounding on the door. “I cannot save her and the
children this way. By giving away that I’m awake.”

He turned off all the lights and
closed all the doors in this underground apartment of his. He stood
in the narrow corridor with his back to the wall.

“I’ll wait for someone to come in,
one of Prince’s bodyguards. He’ll go towards the bedroom door.
Probably with a raised hand and holding a gun. And he won’t see me
in the dark. Then I’ll jump him and take his gun. I’ll run outside,
shooting at anyone who is with him, whoever is waiting for him. I
just have to make sure not to kill all of them. I have to force at
least one of them to tell me where she is. And where the children
are.”

“‘
If they are
alive’? They are alive! They are alive!!! I know it! Today I stood
at the hotel window and they didn’t shoot at me. They also didn’t
kill me now. Perhaps they still haven’t killed Seneca or Raul.
They’re waiting for something. I’m sure they’re waiting for the
elections. I’m sure! To kill us all on the day before the
elections, for example. And for the people to be afraid and to feel
only fear. So that they don’t have time for anger and for an
uprising. And then they cancel the elections and declared a state
of emergency. Or something like that.

“They’re alive! I’m sure they’re
alive! I’m Kaella’s greatest enemy. He wouldn’t kill others before
he killed me,” Pascal calmed himself, while lying in
wait.

Chapter 67

“We’re not here all alone…”
stuttered Dorika, when she and Gloria turned suddenly towards Habib
in surprise.

“Why are you eavesdropping on our
conversation, Habib?!” Gloria erupted. “That’s very
rude!”

“I wasn’t eavesdropping. I was
dozing on the seat in the back, and I felt like a stroll… and then
I saw… the two of you… alone here…”

“Nonsense!” said Gloria and turned
away from Habib.

“May I sit with you a bit?” Habib
asked, already sitting down next to Dorika.

“Of course…” Dorika
uttered.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to have
a stroll?” Gloria asked Habib crossly, looking straight in front of
her.

“I just wanted to stretch my
legs…”

“So stretch them.”

“I’ve already stretched
them.”

Gloria fell silent and looked out
the window.

“So, Dorika, you’re really angry
with Gloria, because of Svetlana,” Habib laughed.

“No… that was just for a moment. We
made up immediately.”

“Aha. That’s nice, such a
friendship.”

“It is.”

“Do you also leave guys as often as
your friend?”

“Me? Well, I… no…” Dorika
stuttered.

“And that’s very nice of you. And
Gloria…”

“Gloria – what?” shouted Gloria. “I
intentionally made that up in order to convince Raul that Svetlana
didn’t leave Pascal. If you can’t understand that than we have
nothing to talk about.”

“We do, we do… about many
things.”

“Such as?”

“Such as how is it that you heard
Svetlana in the first place?”

“I’m not deaf.”

“Neither is Dorika, are you
Dorika?”

“No, I’m not, but I was
asleep.”

“Aha. And you Gloria, you hadn’t
gone to sleep?”

“I was reading something, if you’re
so interested.”

“I’m interested, I’m interested…
I’m very interested…”

“Excuse me,” said Dorika. “I have
to get something to Margot… you know, Gloria, what she asked me
for… that list…”

“Ah, that… yes…” Gloria was
relieved because Dorika understood that she should
leave.

“Habib, please, just a little… so I
can pass.”

“Here you are, Dorika.” Habib got
up from his seat.

Chapter 68

At that moment Raul was napping in
his seat. The telephone in the inside pocket of his jacket vibrated
twice and fell silent.

“Who’s calling me now?” wondered
Raul. He didn’t feel like talking on the phone. This nap was doing
him well, this semi-sleep after all the stress that he had been
under that day. “And everything ended well. The people are calm…
and they are happy, because of all that support for Pascal. They
are proud… I see, how proud they are… there… there… and they
deserve it…”

“But that’s not my telephone… mine
is at my waist… ah, yes… it’s Pascal’s. Forgive me, my friend… I
know that you’ll forgive your friend Raul. I even stole your
telephone today… So that Kaella, even if he can locate it… he isn’t
all-powerful… thinks that you are with us. It doesn’t matter… some
journalist got a hold of your number, Pascal, and he’s being a
drag.

“Wait, wait… that’s not your
telephone. I gave it to Margot… and she placed it in her bag… Yes,
I saw her, when she put it in…”

Raul rose up suddenly in his seat
and opened his eyes. “Seneca’s telephone! With the secure line.
Raul, remember what Seneca said when you were going into that tube!
He’ll call me only in the event of an emergency. Pascal! What has
happened?!” Raul panicked.

“Seneca didn’t betray him! He
didn’t! Why would he call me if he did?

“Pascal, you must be causing
problems! You’re awake and you want to into the street. To be
killed. Like, you’ll be more useful dead than alive. Tell that to
someone else. That won’t fly with your friend Raul. But, you were
scared today, my poet, so you think that the Kaellas will calm down
if they kill you and that they won’t take revenge on the people.
You can’t stand people suffering because of you.

“It’s not suffering, Pascal.
There’s been enough suffering. An entire century. The struggle for
freedom is starting. And the people need you, alive. Not just as a
symbol. Not as an idea in people’s minds, which will be passed on
for generations, and which will topple the Kaellas through
nonviolent resistance.

“You’re wrong, my friend. When
people such as yourself disappear, then those around them craving
power ride that wave and pervert the idea, transform it into the
opposite. They become the same or even worse than those they were
fighting against.

“You tried to trick me this morning
that Svetlana left you. The secretaries laughed at me. Seneca will
put you on the telephone and you’ll pay for that, Pascal.” Raul
looked at his watch.

“Hurry up, Raul. You’re getting
chatty… What did Seneca say? First two vibrations, and then exactly
five minutes later – a call. To give me time to find privacy, to
get away from the staff. Where can I be alone? The toilet is… I
can’t go through the salon, people will get suspicious.

“I’ll go to the back, to the tail
of the airplane… Hurry up, Raul. The man’s going to
call.”