The Grasshopper (2 page)

“…
twenty years of
work, creative thinking, late nights… Megapolis, my Megapolis, a
city far from any shore, unburdened by the rising ocean level,
beyond the reach of tsunamis, in an area with the fewest storms,
hurricanes… best protected from viruses,
epidemics…”

“I know, son, I know everything…”
Mr. Kaella whispered.

“…
with drinkable
tap water,” Prince got up and started violently walking around the
Royal Suite, “…parks, avenues green with trees… Every person on
Earth dreams of living in it. In my Megapolis! And that worm will
hold his speech in the square that I created, in the largest and
greenest square on the planet, a square that bears the sacred name
Consumer Square. He’s spitting on my entire life! On everything
that I am and everything that I exist for!”

Prince suddenly became quiet and
went to the window. He watched the lights of the city beneath him
and breathed with difficulty, trying to calm himself.

When Mr. Kaella finally managed to
raise his feeble body from the deep armchair, he approached Prince
and put his trembling hand on his shoulder.

“Just a little more, son, and we’ll
defeat them.”

“I know that, father,” Prince
answered in a much calmer voice. “But that speech will be held. It
is clear to me. We have to allow this, in order not to arouse
suspicion. But even after our victory, that act will…” he spoke
softly, full of bitterness and despair, “will always be a open sore
on my heart.”

After several moments of silence
Prince turned from the window towards his father and looked at him
tenderly.

“Forgive me, father,” he said.
“Instead of unwaveringly supporting you in these historic moments,
I’m burdening you with my actually irrational, solely emotional
outbursts of anger. Forgive me.”

“No, you forgive me, son… for not
doing this ten years ago. Had I done so, no scoundrel would have
gotten close to your Megapolis. But I didn’t. It is difficult to
make such a decision. It’s contrary to the convictions, efforts and
results that our family had achieved over four generations.
Actually, that wasn’t my decision. The Non-Consumers themselves
made the decision. I will just very considerately give them what
they want.”

“I understand, father.”

“Now go, son. Sleep, get some
rest.”

“I will. Good night.”

“Good night, son.”

Chapter 5

At that moment Svetlana came out of
the bathroom into the modernly, tastefully and functionally
furnished room in the hotel located on the edge of Consumer Square
in Megapolis, adjacent the magnificent building of the television
station. This slender girl with symmetrical facial features, long
brown hair, leaned over to pick up her thong and bra off the
floor.

“Leave it,” said Pascal
Alexander.

Svetlana stood up and looked at
Pascal, who lay naked on a large bed.

“Why?” she asked.

“I want you to stay with me
tonight… I want to tell you something.”

Svetlana lay down next to Pascal,
placing her head on his shoulder, her eyes following the tips of
her fingers while she gently passed them across his
chest.

“You know, until I met you I didn’t
believe that a man in his forties can still have such a muscular
body and smooth, tight skin.”

“I want you to leave Megapolis
early tomorrow morning,” said Pascal.

Svetlana trembled but didn’t say
anything.

“You don’t ask why?” Pascal was
surprised.

“Tell me,” she
whispered.

“What is going on with you,
Svetlana? You didn’t even ask me what I had discussed with Mayor
Seneca and Raul.”

“Tell me… if you want.”

“Seneca received shocking news from
the Company Sector for Marketing and Public Opinion
Polls.”

Having said that, Pascal looked at
Svetlana waiting her reaction. And she continued to silently caress
his chest.

“You’re not interested in what this
shocking news is?” Pascal became angry because of her unexpected
indifference. “Well, I’ll tell you anyway. According to the latest
polls, I will win the elections by a landslide, with sixty-two
percent of the votes, becoming the president of Earth.”

He lifted her chin and made her
look at him.

“President of Earth, do you hear
me? Aren’t you pleased? You’ve been working tirelessly for my
campaign for two years… and now… nothing… you’re
silent.”

“I’m pleased. Congratulations.”
Svetlana said quietly and again looked down.

“You have nothing to congratulate
me for. This is the official information that Kaella received. And
he is surely in shock now, thinking frantically. No one expected
such an advantage. Seneca believes, and I think that he is
completely right, that Kaella has two options at this moment:
either to fake the elections and reelect President Xing, or to kill
me. All three of us agreed that an assassination is more likely.
And Raul is almost convinced of this. He is convinced that Prince
Kaella will not allow me to hold the speech tomorrow in his
Megapolis.”

“So why do only I have to leave
Megapolis? Doesn’t the Mayor…” Svetlana whispered.

“And as far as Mayor Seneca is
concerned,” Pascal continued, “for him the most important thing is
to preserve peace and order in this city. And that is why he wants
us to leave it immediately. But he doesn’t want to force us, to
drive us out, escorted by the inspectors. Actually, it was more
like he asked Raul and me to leave, rather than demand. I have
great respect for Seneca… and I am grateful to him for everything.
But Svetlana, despite this, I will hold that speech. I’ve made up
my mind. If they kill me, they will make me a martyr, an icon of
resistance to Humane Capitalism. I could be more useful to the
cause dead than alive. That’s why I told Raul today for him and his
team to decide on their own whether they will stay or leave
Magapolis. And you, Svetlana, I am ordering to leave.”

Svetlana was silent for quite a
while. Pascal knew how difficult it was for her, which is why he
didn’t interrupt the silence. Finally Svetlana sighed and
said:

“You were absolutely right to not
allow Raul and the campaign staff to get marry you off for the sake
of the presidential campaign. It would be truly an injustice for
only one woman to enjoy you, Pascal.”

“What are you talking about,
Svetlana?” Pascal was surprised by such a reaction from her. “What
does that have to do with anything? I want you to leave here, you
understand?” Pascal asked, turning towards her.

“I understand,” Svetlana replied.
She lay on her stomach, leaned on her elbows and looked at him. “I
understand everything, Pascal. It’s all clear to me.”

“Alright, if that’s
true…”

“I understand that I have to leave
Megapolis, I understand that Seneca will take down your stage, I
understand that despite all that you will take to the streets and
wait for the sniper’s bullet. Pascal, I also understand that after
almost two years… of our relationship, let’s call it that, you can
calmly tell me your decision and don’t even ask me what I think,
what I feel…”

“Forgive me, Svetlana, forgive me…
but I… it cannot be any other way. This is how it has to be,
Svetlana.”

Svetlana suddenly flipped onto her
back and covered her face with her hands, trying to hold back the
tears. When she calmed down, she lowered her arms next to her body
and without opening her eyes, she said

“We both know that you will not go
into the square tomorrow.”

“I will, Svetlana, I will
go.”

“You won’t, because Raul won’t let
you.”

“Raul? How can Raul stop
me?”

“Raul, Margot… Liam. Liam will stop
you. The security guys.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. They wouldn’t
dare.”

“Perhaps they wouldn’t… Raul will
call Seneca… His inspectors will arrest you, drive you out of
Megapolis.”

“Seneca could have already done
that. I clearly told him today that I would hold a speech to the
gathered people. Regardless of how many of them there
are.”

They both lay on their backs in
silence, each in their own half of the bed.

“You know what, Pascal?” Svetlana
suddenly spoke out, loudly. “I really don’t care now. It isn’t at
all important to me. These are now your things, right? I’m not
involved anymore. But all this will be happening tomorrow. And this
is my night, Pascal. My last night with you. and it will be the way
I want it to be,” Svetlana turned over again, propped herself on
her elbows and looked at Pascal. “You didn’t thank you PR for all
the votes,” she said with a sad smile.

“You? Of course I’m grateful to
you… And not only to you, to all our people, the entire
staff…”

“No, no, primarily to me. My large
screen at your speeches brought you the votes.”

“Well, I see that you’re joking
now.”

“It wasn’t enough for people to see
you from afar, Pascal. I told the cameraman to shoot only your face
for the big screen.” Svetlana removed a lock of hair from Pascal’s
forehead. “For people to see your dark hair… gentle waves… the lock
that falls on your intelligent forehead… and you brush it away
without any concern, with a swift movement of your hand… or head.
You pull the long hair… on the collar of your shirt… behind your
ear. And those lips…” Svetlana ran the tips of her fingers over
Pascal’s lips, “beautiful lips, very beautiful… full, juicy… and
the chin, the round chin, not aggressive… it is charming, amiable.
And you know what actually secured the votes of the
women?”

“Svetlana, please.”

“Be quiet… just be quiet… This is
my night,” Svetlana whispered. “You never thought of it, admit it.
That very slightly pug nose of yours. Like that of a boy. It awakes
motherly instincts. And your eyes. Dark, deep… ‘Eyes, get the
eyes!’ I told the cameraman… because when they look at a person… it
is so, like… Every person feels that you are focused on them, that
you respect them, understand them… that you know everything about
them. And they don’t notice, captivated by those eyes of yours…
that at one moment your gaze went through them. It didn’t wander,
it didn’t. But it went someplace… only it knows where. Uncatchable,
untouchable to anyone else…” Svetlana started to cry.

“Don’t, Svetlana, please,” Pascal
held her to his chest.

“And then your gaze, Pascal,”
continued Svetlana without daring to look at him, fearing that she
would see acknowledgment in his eyes, “did in fact stop on someone.
It didn’t pass through someone. It reached its place… that it
loves. From where it doesn’t want to go… anywhere.”

“Please, stop cry, please,” Pascal
kissed her hair.

“Tell me… tell me… has your gaze
stopped?”

“Stopped? My gaze? I don’t
understand a thing you’re saying, Svetlana, really. You’re too
upset. But don’t worry, calm down. I’m sure it will be as you said.
Seneca will arrest me and won’t let me go to the square. Raul also
would never allow me to. You’re completely right. And this is not
our last night. And stop sobbing,” Pascal smiled and raised her
face towards his. “I just don’t want to you be in any danger.
Tomorrow is a critical, uncertain day.”

Chapter 6

Having come out of his father’s
suite, Prince Kaella did not go to his room. He took the elevator
to the hotel lobby, nodded to the inspectors who were watching the
hotel, and walked to the reception.

“How can I help you, Mr. Kaella,”
the receptionist said.

“I’m interested in whether the
members of the television crew were still working or whether they
had gone up to their rooms?”

“Most of them are still working,
sir. Only the editor-in-chief and Miss Babe are in their
rooms.”

“Very well. Thank you. Good
night.”

“Good night, Mr.
Kaella.”

Prince got off the elevator on the
third floor and walked down the hallway looking for room 314. The
head of Babe’s television station, Capital City TV, had booked the
same hotel, following Prince’s instructions, and informed him of
Babe’s room number.

He stood in front of her door for a
while. There was no sound. Slowly, indecisively he raised his hand
as though to knock, then unexpectedly lowered it, turned around and
walked back to the elevator.

Chapter 7

Pascal managed to calm Svetlana
down.

“Let’s go to sleep,” he
said.

“I don’t want to. I talked about
you, now I want us to talk about me,” Svetlana said.

“OK. You want me to talk now, how
beautiful you are?”

“No. I want something else. You
said that you don’t want me to be in danger.”

“Of course I don’t.”

“Don’t you think that I put myself
in jeopardy two years ago, when I started working for your
campaign?”