Free The Grasshopper by TheGrasshopper Page A

appearing at
the bottom of the screen, along with the price of your message. The
selected viewer that gave the correct answer will win a submarine
trip for two.”
     
    Babe looked away from the camera
and looked at Mr. Kaella.
    “Mr. Kaella, you like this type of
outings?”
    “Yes, but before I answer your
questions I’d like to say in front of the audience that you look
truly marvelous today, symbolizing our State, our planet. This is
why I would like to invite our dear Consumers to follow in your
footsteps, Miss Babe. Dear ladies, show in your appearance what you
carry deep in your hearts.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Kaella. I am truly
honored.”
    “To answer your questions. Yes, I
enjoy these outings. This silence underwater relaxes me in a way.
It allows me to think more clearly, to understand even better the
progress that we have achieved compared to the society, well
actually compared to the former, fragmented, constantly clashing
human communities. Sailing down the avenues of these submerged
cities, throughout our planet, I wonder how it is at all possible
that in the not-so-distant past man’s level of awareness was so
low.”
    “Incredibly low, Mr. Kaella,” Babe
agreed.
    “If they had worked so diligently
on developing the greenhouse effect and increasing the temperature
on Earth, why then did they invest so much, why did they live in
coastal towns and why did they defend them for so long,
unsuccessfully of course, from the ocean by building futile damns?
Why didn’t they realize that the waves of every following tsunami
and super storm would easily get over those ridiculous walls? And
my son, completely oppositely… I mean, I hope… that your viewers
are aware that my son has dedicated his life to the struggle to
save the planet and mankind.”
    “Of course,” said Babe. “We are all
immensely grateful to Mr. Prince for this. Mr. Prince, can you
please tell us briefly what is the essence of your
struggle?”
     
    Babe was sitting in the middle of
the couch with her legs tightly together, her body turned towards
Prince. Only her head was faced the old Mr. Kaella. Being aware
that during this introductory part he was being constantly on
camera, Prince struggled with himself and held his eyes fixed on
Babe’s face, as was becoming of a respectful interviewee. The two
little Earths that dangled from Babe’s face wouldn’t let him be.
Even from this distance, a lot closer, he could not see where the
chains were anchored. He couldn’t see any rings. “They must be
covered by the thick blue eye shadow around her eyes,” he
concluded, and stopped thinking about it.
    But when Babe looked at his father
he noticed something else. A tattoo behind her right ear. The
tattoo was very discrete. Like a chain of barely visible symbols,
in a color that was just a shade darker than her skin, arranged in
an arch that followed the contour of her ear, which was completely
covered in golden star-shaped rivets.

Chapter 30
    Pascal was waking up. But he didn’t
open his eyes nor did he move any part of his body.
    “I won’t move. Let them think I’m
not awake. Maybe they’ll talk. Maybe I’ll hear them.” But he didn’t
hear anything: no one’s breathing, movement, clothes rustling…
nothing.
     
    He recalled Mayor Seneca at the end
of the hallway. “He was just standing there, waiting for me to
approach him. And I was just thinking about… not revealing myself…
for him not to notice, not to suspect anything. And I didn’t pay
attention at all… It can’t be! That wasn’t Raul. No, Raul would not
join up with Seneca against me. Not only with Seneca, with anyone.
Except… to save me from… myself. Raul knows me. He saw… it was
clear to him that I actually wanted to die. That I was practically
committing suicide. And he didn’t allow it. He saved my
life.”
     
    “I really can’t hear anything.
Silence. Absolute silence. How long have I been unconscious?”
Pascal wondered. “I can’t hear the