Two civilians, man and a woman, met
on a pedestrian bridge over a river in the early afternoon on a sunny
day. They showed each other document identification, before they
stood and leaned over the metal rails to pretend to be casually
chatting. From time to time they paused and politely moved out of
the way when a stranger pedestrian passed.
Your identification card is proper,
but I was expecting someone else.
Yes. It is
all
right. I am the replacement. The other had an accident. At work.
I was not told.
They said
there
was not time. I was to expect distrust. A normal expectation in our
line of work; would you not say?
I do not
like
this.
Me, too.
But we
are mere workers working for the same cut-throats. Right?
Don’t make
a
sudden move. I won’t hesitate to kill you.
Me, too. I will not hesitate to kill
you.
Good. We
understand each other.
You are in
charge.
Totally.
Tell me what they told you.
Who you are, and where I was to meet
you. Here. They said all else is up to you. You are in charge.
Identity of
the
target?
Near-Royalty.
Or
Royalty. It does not matter to you and me.
Near-Royalty
or
Royalty will be using a pedestrian bridge?
I wondered
about
that. But, then, probably trying to blend in. Embarrassed he was
dumped by a woman Commoner.
ACommoner dumped
Royalty?
She wanted to improve her social
status. Cheers for her.
What could
he want
from her, that he could have easily gotten from royal-born women?
A Commoner
would
have been far more compliant.
The rumour is she wanted marriage;
rumour is he was ambivalent.
Ambivalent? Big word.
It means he
wanted
what she was peddling, but he didn't want to pay her price.
You sound more informed about them
than I am. Or are you just guessing?
I am just
an
ordinary nosey citizen, nosey especially about our Nation's royalty.
It must really hurt royalty to be dumped by a Nobody. It would hurt
me. But, then, I am just a nobody commoner.
It cannot
be
hurting as much as the pittance we are being paid to do to him.
I was told
it must
hurt as little as we can manage. It will not hurt a bit because we
finish it quickly.
He has no
reason
to suspect we want to harm him. We can finish it in seconds.
They said they want his head.
When they
hired
me, it was because they knew that is my specialty. They need not have
spelled it out to you.
Twice, they spelled it out to me.
It did not
seem to
me they doubted your efficiency. In this business, best plans can
suddenly go sideways. It’s just that they know heads are not my
thing.
I do his head. You go for whatever is
your specialty.
Good enough for me. His head is
yours. No help from me. Did they tell you he wears some kind of
soldier thing around his neck?
No, they
did not.
They did not need to mention it to me. They know I've done many, many
kinds of heads. Perhaps they felt a need to tell you because they
know heads are not your special thing? By the way, do you have a
special thing?
My knife,
when I’m
twisting it in someone.
They want
his
head; only his head. I asked them for one helper who would distract
him. He is a seasoned warrior soldier. His head will be the least
accessible part of him.
His head is
all
yours. For the good of the cause.
Did they
say 'for
the good of the cause’?
I do not
remember.
It gives me inner strength to tell myself 'for the cause' because I
have accepted pay to kill a countryman. Doesn't that bother you? Just
a little bit?
This
soldier is a
good, winning soldier on the battle field, so far. But for years and
years before this war he showed no respect for the women of our
country; his country. Now, during the war, he continues to treat our
women as toys he can play with, and then throw away when he gets
bored. I tell you this, only because you should know in killing him,
we are not killing a noble countryman. I am doing it for the money.
If there can be another reason, it is to let our Generals know that
this is an immoral war; and in killing him for them, I am killing
them for our country. I think I see him approaching.
Don't draw
your
knife until he's close. He is a soldier; he will smell metal.
Is that he?
Yes. And
alone.
Perfect. Greetings, sir.
Greetings, sir!
I'm armed! Stay!
A wise
precaution
in these times, sir. The two of us bring a message from your Lady,
sir. Sealed.
Two to
bring one
message; and from a Lady?
Your Lady's preference, good sir. We
are just hired workers, sir.
She herself said we could meet you
here, good sir.
She could not know I would be here.
You acknowledge there's a Lady, sir.
Then, let her message speak to you,
good sir.
I do not wish to know the message.
Your
choice, sir.
We accept; but the Lady must be given proof we tried, good sir.
Without the proof we tried, we don't
get paid, good sir, for our faithful service.
Please, sir, break the seal and write
an indication we did try.
We cannot read or write, good sir.
May we approach, good sir?
Only one of
you.
Your arms stretched out.
Yes, sir.
Approach.
Slowly.
You see my sword.
We see it,
sir.
Looks like it has many kills, sir. We commend your practical wisdom,
sir. Dangerous times.
The Lady
said you
would be armed, good sir.
The one
murderer,holding a piece
of paper in an
outstretched hand, walked slowly to the soldier. The soldier lowered
his sword with one hand while reaching out the other hand for the
piece of paper. The murderer rushed the soldier. The other murderer
ran up from behind the first. The three figures scuffled violently.
The soldier is killed, stabbed multiple times.
Cut off his head!
You have to
do it.
I cannot. He cut off my hand.
I said
heads are
not my thing.
Contact
Ezra (Unless
you
type
the
author's name in
the subject
line
of the message we
won't know where to send it.)
