The Grasshopper (13 page)

“Do you hear, Raul? That’s not a
girl that left…” Margot said.

“She left someone?” said Gloria.
“Pascal? Nonsense! Who could leave Pascal? I’m sorry, Raul, but you
are very naïve if you really believed Pascal.”

“You think?” Raul asked.

“Of course!” said Gloria with the
authority of an expert. “And even if she had left him, she wouldn’t
be crying because of it. I’ve left guys… I mean, it’s unpleasant
while you tell them, but when that moment passes, you immediately
forget everything and think about him. I mean, the new one… that
you like. Right?” Gloria asked her colleagues.

“Exactly,” the girls
confirmed.

“Alright, alright… You’re probably
right,” Raul interrupted them. “Svetlana left for some reason of
hers. It’s not important. What’s important is that she is safe.
She’s neither with Pascal nor with us. No one will be looking for
her,” said Raul. “Now please return to your seats. I have to think
in peace about which city we should go to. Liam, I expect to hear
your recommendations.”

“Very well,” said Liam.

Chapter 43

“You know, I’m getting old… I get
sentimental very easily… but let’s continue…” said Mr. Kaella.
“Yes, dear viewers, that was the state of Earth when I was born.
And as a boy, growing up alongside my father, I wondered… what is
my mission? What is it that I have to do, to create in my life, to
prove worthy of my name?”

“Growing up and pondering, I
realized that it wasn’t enough that our family, our Company,
provides mankind with energy. People also need food and water. When
I looked around, I was surprised with what I saw.

“Numerous companies that used our
energy, at a very cheap price, were selling food to people at
astronomical prices and profiting from the hungry and the thirsty.
That is why I increased the price of energy to a level that they
couldn’t withstand. And I bought them all and merged them with our
company. The prices of water and food immediately dropped
drastically for all people.”

“Then I wondered, what next? What
else do people need? What belongs to people? Education, healthcare,
protection of lives and properties… Does every person have this?
Does every person, to who my family selflessly gives energy, food
and water, also have everything else necessary for a decent life?
No. And why not? Because not every person can earn enough to be
able to put their children through school, get medical treatment…
And why not? Because there is no work for them, or they aren’t paid
enough, or the company that they worked for went bankrupt. Is a
person responsible for their company going bankrupt? Is another
person responsible for their company not going bankrupt and for
being able to educate their children? While their neighbor
cannot.”

“At one moment, I was nearing
forty, it became clear to me what I must do. I have to create an
Association of Companies within which all companies will
collaborate, and not compete against and destroy each
other.”

Chapter 44

The elevator doors opened. Bear
stepped out into the garage and passed by his colleagues with his
head hung low, carrying a role of duck tape. He walked up to the
presidential car, opened the passenger door, bent over and said to
the dead driver

“Hello, Barney.”

He threw the tape on the passenger
seat, stood up and went to the rear door, opened it wide and knelt
beside them.

The Xings were seated, fastened to
the seats and backs by wide gray adhesive tape. Seated on Bear’s
left were her mom and dad, and across from them, to Bear’s right,
looking with dead eyes at their parents was she, and next to her -
her brother.

Bear reached into his jacket pocket
and took something out. He put his hand on her lap.

“I found this in your sheets last
night, Liv,” whispered Bear, gently laying Henry on her nightgown.
“I didn’t know… you know, your Bear isn’t very smart, Liv… that
there used to be birds in tuxedos.”

With angry jerks of the fingers and
nails of both hands he tore the tape fastening her upturned palm to
the seat. He raised the bluish hand to his lips and kissed
it.

His colleagues looked on in silence
as Bear slowly rose, closed the rear door, took the roll of tape
and sat down in the passenger sat.

At that moment Iceman ran up and
held the door with both hands, preventing Bear from shutting
it.

“What are you doing,
Bear?”

“Let go of the door,
Iceman.”

“Don’t, my friend… please. It’s
difficult for me too. For all of us.”

“Move out of the way,
Iceman.”

“Don’t be crazy…”

Iceman was silent when Bear drew
his pistol from his belt holster with lightning speed and pointed
it at him.

“Move away, Iceman, I’m telling
you.”

Iceman stepped back. Bear closed
the door and locked the car from the inside.

Chapter 45

“And I created the Association
around my Kaella Cosmic Energy Corporation,” Mr. Kaella presented
his life’s journey to the viewers. “I sent a public invitation for
all companies to join me.

“Dear viewers, don’t think that
everything went smoothly. On the contrary, it was a lengthy
process. I traveled the world and spoke to and begged CEOs and
managing boards to hear me out. Some did and some companies joined
the Association. But they were a minority.

“At one moment I had had enough of
the begging and convincing. I created two prices for my energy: one
was for the companies that were part of the Association, and the
other, ten times higher, for those that were not.

“In the following months all the
companies either joined or simply collapsed. Miss Babe, perhaps
your viewers are confused,” Mr. Kaella looked at Babe. “I am aware
that people call the Association of Companies simply the Company,
but this is not a single company, neither legally and formally, nor
by ownership.

“My family fully owns only our
company, which dear Consumers, provides you with energy, water,
food… We later also took over pharmaceuticals, in order to be
certain that all people would have access to medicaments, and my
son also took over all infrastructural and construction businesses,
in order to provide people with new, modern apartments in our
planet’s green oases.

“For the other things, which are
not of vital importance in your lives, dear viewers, i.e. in the
other companies, which we today call sectors of the Association,
our family has only majority, but not full ownership.

“Well… you yourself know. You all
have shares in the sectors for vehicles and transportation, for
communication and internet, for consumer electronics, for interior
decorating, for retail, for film production… music, for fashion
accessories…”

“Miss Babe,” Mr. Kaella suddenly
said loudly. “Had I known that you would look like this today, I
would have bought shares in the fashion accessory sector. Thanks to
you they will skyrocket after this show.”

The three of them
laughed.

Chapter 46

“Forgive me, Liv, for not saving
you,” Bear said quietly to her, while they sat back to back. “Your
Bear didn’t save you. And you always asked that Bear protect you
and follow you everywhere. To drive you to the university, to wait
for you after class… to drive you to the movies… shopping… always
Bear.

“Because you knew that Bear would
not tell mom and dad about that older student. Nor that you didn’t
go to class, but rather to the movies with him. And that you didn’t
go shopping alone… nor that you didn’t try on clothes alone in the
changing room,” stuttered Bear, as though he was weeping, but his
eyes were dry and his gaze was empty.

“Forgive me Mrs. Xing, for hiding
their love from you. But… I knew that you would get worried because
he was older… and you wouldn’t let Liv see him anymore… And she
would have suffered… But no need, trust me, ma’am. When I noticed
it, I immediately checked out the young man. He is an excellent
student, his parents are respected experts, decent people. He also
has a brother who is much older. Also with a university degree. A
good job. Two children. A serious family man. You have nothing to
worry about, ma’am. Trust Bear. Do you think that I would allow
just any guy to hang around Liv just because she is the President’s
daughter? I would have chased them away… and then some. But this
boy… he loves Liv very much. Sincerely. And our Liv… If you could
only see how she glows when she’s with him.”

“And ma’am, I didn’t save her. I
didn’t save your little Sasha either… I love him too… You taught
him well. ‘Mr. Bear’… and he always says hello. And an excellent
pupil. Who could he take after poorly? Who? You, ma’am? The
President?”

“I would vote for you, Mr.
President. Iceman also promised that he would vote for you. And the
others… they say… what do they care… The Kaella’s appoint
presidents, no one even votes anymore… And I listened to all your
speeches. And excuse me, but I have to tell you where you went
wrong. You were like… we’ll change things slowly, one step at a
time, over the course of several generations… and so on. You say
that this Alexander is dangerous… How did you put it? Radical.
Well, you were wrong there, Mr. President. The Kaellas and Erivan
actually need someone dangerous. To shoot them in the forehead…
like the Grasshopper did to you… us. And you paid for this mistake
with your life. And your entire family… Liv…”

Bear was silent and passed his hand
across his face several times. Then he turned towards the
driver.

“But… you play the hand you’re
dealt is. Isn’t that right, Barney?” Bear slapped Barney on the
knee. “What’s up? You just keep quiet and listen, don’t you? And
you can’t wait to run after your cooks and maids, and tell them
that Liv has a boyfriend? Right? Admit it. You didn’t even say
hello, Barney. You don’t see me. They’ve taped you to the head rest
across one eye, so you’re just squinting with the other one. And
where’s that big smile when you see me? And you say, ‘where have
you been, Bear?’ How do you… that hat of yours…” Bear turned
towards Barney, gripped the brim of his hat and moved it up and
down. “That’s it… that’s how you greet your friend.”

Chapter 47

“And these shares in our companies
guarantee you a good life even after you’ve finished working, dear
Consumers. They are constantly increasing… our stock exchange does
not have, like there once was… bubbles, and then they burst, and
shares lose their value and an entire generation of older people is
left without a livelihood. You are certain that your shares will
always be at least worth the same.”

“That’s right, Mr. Kaella,” Babe
confirmed. “Even average people, thanks to the sale of shares, can
extend their lives for months. Here, I am working on a story about
a lady, with quite an average income, who fell ill, who isn’t able
to work anymore, and who managed to live off the money from the
sale of the shares for another two and a half years. Do you hear
that, dear Consumers?” Babe looked at the camera. “Two and a half
years! She paid her bills, bought the seasonal goods and got
treatment. Albeit, she did eat every second or third day… but she
had money for the medicaments. Well… in the end she didn’t have
enough for the surgery… but that’s normal. Surgery is expensive. I
won’t tell you any more, dear viewers. You will see my story. We
filmed the lady the day before she went to Euthanasia. You’ll see,
a very positive inspiring human story.”

“There, you see all the things that
I have provided for the people. And I can’t wait to see your
report, Miss Babe,” said Mr. Kaella, and continued. “It was really
funny… You know, some people accused me of being a
communist.”

“Impossible!” Babe was
stunned.

“Yes, yes, Miss Babe. Communist?
Me? I, who consider private ownership the greatest sanctity? I
mean, not only mine, but that of every person. And when they saw
that everything had worked out, that these people were actually the
owners of shares in various sectors, then they accused me of being
an usurper, an oligarch. They asked why I didn’t go public with
company on the stock exchange, so that anyone could buy its shares.
Can you imagine that, Miss Babe?”

“Ridiculous!” Babe shook her head
in disbelief.

Then for a moment she turned
towards Prince, smiled at him and with a glance gestured toward her
side. His eyes obediently looked down and he saw that Babe, running
the tips of her black nails upward from her knee, slowly passed
over the haunch, all the way up to the edge of the skirt, and as
though by accident raised her skirt even higher, and she tilted
sideways even more and he saw… Prince saw… how the black lace
ended… and the beginning of her curve… firm and protruding…
tanned…

“I can’t take it anymore… Don’t do
that to me… Sit like you were before… Clench your knees… I can’t… I
can’t anymore!” Prince was going crazy, tearing at the leather
armchair with his nails.

“…
that I take
risks,” Mr. Kaella startled Babe. “That I don’s sleep at night,
thinking about whether that day energy, water, food,
pharmaceuticals reached every Consumer, their families, children?
That this is decided by some managing board of dispersed owners?
Come on, please! Our family discovered Cosmic Energy, brought it to
Earth, gave it to the people. We have been proving this humanity
for generations. This is simply in our genes. That is what we
Kaellas are like, the only guaranteed benefactors of all the people
on Earth.”