The Grasshopper (37 page)

“Certainly. But I was thinking of
Anna Karenina.”

“Anna Karenina?” the Grasshopper
was surprised.

“Yes. Tolstoy’s introductory
statement, that all happy families are alike and unhappy ones are
not, seemed monstrous to me.”

“Why?”

“Because in it he suggests to the
reader that they should be unhappy.”

“How did you come to that
conclusion?”

“Why would someone seek happiness
if it is dull? Always the same. Like your neighbor’s. And now I’m
certain that the claim is incorrect. At least in its second
part.”

“Why?”

“Look at the Earth, Mr.
Grasshopper. Misery is dull. Pain is dull. The same for all people,
endless.”

“And you wish to test the truth of
the first part of Tolstoy’s claim on my case?” the Grasshopper
raised his voice. “Because you think that I am happy now. And you
want to hear from me that my happiness is equal and dull this
entire time. And that I will stop what I am doing and kill myself
because of the dullness. And with Hercule Poirot you tried to make
me empathize with the people that love life. Dr. Palladino, I do
not know how to feel, nor empathize. I only know how to think. I
feel neither happiness, nor sadness, nor satisfaction, nor
dullness, nothing. I only know how to read the feelings in the eyes
of other people. To understand and classify them. To draw
conclusions from them and form opinions. And to act based on those
opinions. I’m a little disappointed in you, I must
admit.”

“It’s all clear to me, Mr.
Grasshopper,” Dr. Palladino said loudly, getting up from his chair.
“But I simply have no ideas, I don’t! My greatest problem is that…
I want to tell you that with Tolstoy and dullness I made a
desperate attempt, but not with Poirot. You asked me why hunting
killers meant so much to me, and I answered you honestly and
precisely.”

“It’s alright, Doctor,” said the
Grasshopper in a calm tone again. “Continue. You wanted to say
something else. What is your greatest problem?”

“It’s that I find no faults in your
opinions. Your actions based on these opinions are horrific. But I
cannot change that. I was hoping, this entire time, that I would
find a crack… some inconsistency in your thinking. That I would
point it out to you, that you would change your mind, at least in
some detail, that you would act differently because of it… you
would do that, I’m certain.”

“I would.”

“But I can’t find it… I’m not
educated enough, I wasn’t interested in all that… You probably
wouldn’t accept to talk to other experts… historians…”

“My last conversation is with you,
Dr. Palladino.”

“That’s clear to me… Alright, like
this… Tell me, what do you think about Pascal Alexander? You
mentioned him only once. And the strength of his movement, which
would topple Kaella, right?”

“Yes, I did.”

“So you know how he thinks? His
conclusions?”

“I do.”

“Can you tell me what you think of
them? They are the complete opposite of yours. They are full of
life energy, optimism, hope. Can you tell me why they are
wrong?”

“I can.”

Chapter 137

“First of all, I’m immensely
grateful to Mr. Pascal Alexander. Without him I would never have
had the opportunity to sit at this desk. Someone else would have
appeared, undoubtedly. But not at the right moment. Not at the
moment when I was ready,” the Grasshopper said.

“So, Pascal made it possible for
you to kill? That is a very unfair claim, Mr. Grasshopper!” Dr.
Palladino said angrily.

“That’s the way it is, Dr.
Palladino. Mr. Alexander made it possible for me. Had he not,
someone else would have done the same for the Kaellas, another
Erivan… another Grasshopper. The absolute weapon is there. The only
question is who would pull the trigger and when. Like in the
theater, when there is a rifle hanging on the wall. Everyone knows
that it will go off by the end of the play.”

“Your logic is horrific! Awful! I
simply don’t accept it, Mr. Grasshopper!” Dr. Palladino got up from
the chair and angrily paced around the office.

“It’s not my logic. I’m not
original in any way,” the Grasshopper continued in a calm voice.
“My answer, that I will kill all people because I can, also isn’t
original. Everyone killed because they could. Or at least because
they thought that they could.

“And all the groups of people
strived to create opportunities for themselves to kill, just as I
have done. To be stronger than other groups of people. To have
better weapons, a larger and better trained army.

“And when they achieved that, when
they could kill other people, it was easy to come up with an
excuse: they hate us, they are a threat to us, we have to expand
our territories, we have to ensure resources for ourselves, they
believe in something else, we have to get revenge, we are superior…
a million excuses.

“You’ve seen history shows on
television. No one wastes time explaining why one group of people
killed a different group, why did the groups fought in the first
place. They don’t explain that because wars and killing are
implied. They only talk about who was more skillful, which king,
tsar, general or admiral outsmarted the other one, how a certain
war, a certain battle developed. When you watch at those shows you
get spattered by blood and death.

“I’m not original in any way, Dr.
Palladino. I only asked myself why I would kill only the members of
this group or the other group of people, when I have the
opportunity to kill all people.”

Dr. Palladino calmed down. He
returned to his chair. He looked at the Grasshopper and
said

“Would you please continue the
discussion about Pascal Alexander?”

“As you wish, Doctor. I know more
about Mr. Alexander that can be deduced from his speeches,” the
Grasshopper continued. “Because we had him under surveillance on
several occasions.”

“And? What did you hear? I’m
interested in Pascal’s intimate thoughts.”

“Mr. Pascal Alexander was an
utopist. One of many. With the exception of being the last one, he
differed from his predecessors in that he did not offer anything
new. His goal was the restoration of the old. Restoration of
democracy and the free market.

“He wanted… and this needs to be
said in the beginning: Mr. Alexander saw a link between evolution –
he was a biology teacher – and the free market.

“His thesis was that creation of
companies that would compete between themselves in the free market,
companies that are constantly developing, changing and adapting to
market conditions – is a next phase in evolution. Just like
different life forms changed through evolution and struggled for
survival.

“And that in this same way, in the
free market the strongest survive, and the weaker, unadjusted,
incompetent – die out.”

“What do you think of that, Mr.
Grasshopper?”

“I didn’t go into that. I’m not
interested in the market, free or not. Or evolution. I’m not
interested in whether man was created by evolution, God or
something else. I’m also not interested in whether man’s instinct
to kill was imbedded by the creator intentionally or by accident. I
only understand what has been created. And if this unknown creator
truly had the intention to create sustainable life, life capable of
surviving – then his project is failing, he’s become perplexed,
like a pupil solving a math problem for a test. And I will help
him. I will do what is most sensible in such cases. I will tear out
the piece of paper with his scribbling, crumple it up and throw it
in the trash. Let him start solving the problem from the beginning,
on a blank piece of paper. If he has any time left until the school
bell rings.”

Dr. Palladino got up and went to
the window.

“You have nothing to say?” the
Grasshopper asked.

Dr. Palladino didn’t answer. He lit
a cigarette and looked out the window.

“In any case, don’t you think that
this is quite alright, that a Grasshopper is sitting at this desk,
Dr. Palladino?”

“What do you mean ‘alright’?” asked
Dr. Palladino moving in heavy steps back towards the
chair.

“Don’t movies depict Earth and
mankind under attack by monsters from outer space, with many arms
and legs?”

“I don’t watch such films, Mr.
Grasshopper,” said Dr. Palladino while taking his seat.

“I believe you. These movies differ
only in the number of hands and legs that the monsters have. There
was a competition between the moviemakers in who would have the
most limbs. And it turned out that it functioned only up to a
certain degree. Up to an optimum. After that it was
counterproductive; every limb that the author added to his monster
only increased the movie’s financial loss. So I’ve been thinking,
perhaps it is optimal for mankind that it be killed by a
Grasshopper. Six legs is perhaps the optimal number?”

“I’m surprised by your cynicism,
Mr. Grasshopper.”

“It wasn’t my intention to be
cynical, Dr. Palladino. I’m just surprised by the level of
dishonesty among people. They don’t want to admit that the greatest
monster in the universe has only two hands and two
legs.”

“I think you’ve been kidding
yourself the entire time, Mr. Grasshopper,” Dr. Palladino
said.

“What do you mean?” the Grasshopper
was surprised.

“Because you consider yourself an
honest killer who doesn’t need an excuse.”

“That’s right, Doctor.”

“It’s not true. Your excuse is your
disappointment in people, Mr. Grasshopper.”

“No, it’s not,” the Grasshopper
answered immediately, without a second thought. “I’m not
disappointed. In order to be disappointed in something one must
first have some expectations. And I don’t have any. I never had
any.”

Chapter 138

“Manami, do you see how much I love
Peter and Eir?” Pascal asked.

“I see, my darling.” Manami sat in
his lap, straddling him. She ran her fingers through his hair. “And
I’m overjoyed about it. I also see how the two of them have
accepted you... alright, for now as someone they are living with,
but even there you would be able to see any animosity, any
antagonism. And there is non, my love. Not even a speck. I know
that my children will also accept you as my husband. Perhaps there
will be some initial resistance in Peter. Not perhaps – there
surely will be. But so many people get divorces, and the children
adapt, don’t they? The children grow, they get interested in
children their age, their generation. It will be alright. I know
it. It’s clear to me. I stopped worrying about that long
ago.”

“And I will always love them like
that. Even if…” Pascal fell silent and dropped his head.

“What? Even if what? What could
happen?” Manami was frightened.

“Nothing, it’s not important…”
Pascal looked at her and smiled.

“Why are you smiling, Pascal? What
are you scheming?” Manami relaxed when she realized that Pascal was
teasing her. “Tell me, even if what?”

“Well that… I mean, it isn’t
unusual… actually it happens to other people at our age. When a
married couple agrees, what and how…”

“I do, my love, I do! I want it!
The children also won’t mind if they get a baby sister or a baby
brother. You’ll see, my love! You’re wonderful! Wonderful!” Manami
kissed Pascal ecstatically.

“Do you really? I was sure that you
wouldn’t. You already have Peter and Eir…”

“I also want our child! How could I
not want it?!”

“And for it to be beautiful like
you, and smart like you, Manami.”

“Stop kidding around, Pascal! Kiss
me, please. The two minutes start earlier tonight.”

“That sweet tongue of yours has
gone wild, Manami” said Pascal, when they stopped for a moment to
catch their breath.

“Don’t be sassy,” Manami laughed.
“What do you mean ‘wild’? It’s like it always is during the two
minutes.”

“No, not like always. I mean, yes,
it’s always wild, but not exactly this much. This is a bit too much
for such a lady, Manami.”

Manami thought about it.

“Perhaps you’re right. But that’s
only now. Because I’m so happy.”

“So in your case, like with me,
happiness causes physical excitement,” Pascal said.

He left one hand on her breast, and
for the first time, he gently lowered his other hand down her
stomach.

“Don’t you…”

“Dare,” Pascal ended her usual
command. “I know that and I’m getting tired of it.”

Manami kissed him.

“Hey, darling, slowly,” Pascal
laughed. “I’m afraid.”

“What are you afraid of? Don’t play
around with me any more, Pascal,” Manami laughed too.

“I’m afraid that your tongue might
get free,” Pascal teased her and sighed deeply. He was running his
hands over her thighs and buttock for the first time.