by Zac Funstein
Marija’s understanding of Horikoshi’s accident was slender so had to fictionalize most all of the surrounding circumstances of action and character, which eventually, as inevitably happens in writing, led to other stories that hadn’t been originally conceived of or anticipated.They were all somehow globular if Enright was to be believed. They wobbled into a dumb-bell shape like the acupressure treatment aids from which they might occasionally split into distinct smaller nuclei of slightly unequal size.
“Genesis GPR works well with denim-I don’t believe there will be any difficulty. Hempel/ Oppenheim made the important observation that phenomenon cannot be deduced from general laws alone-we need GPR badly.”
Suddenly something on the lock seems to give-a metal plate swings on a hinge.
“Stand aside if you would Ronnie. This is the Master-Sentry BK-whose air-bag will inflate then explode, hurling shrapnel in all directions if activated by someone who does not use the appropriate code or key.”
“An air-bag inside a safe that’s amazing!”
They move to another side of the workshop away from the line of fire-but since this is small it is somewhat precarious. The aforementioned bag which has been covered with tiny shards of sharp metal expands from its location then explodes showering everywhere in deadly needles. Both give silent thanks they have moved out of the range of fire.The metal canister in cars with such content can break into fragments that spray the driver or passengers this must have been an unwitting offshoot..
Bogomil was named after Bollywood superstar Bogomil Rukh Khan although this was never known until older when Khan had died after a terrible crash in his Chevrolet Malibu. Now sabotage is accepted as the cause-probably the brake lining. Some blamed Senescence on the accident which is a fancy way to describe the process of aging. If you don’t want to admit straight out that old age made you lose that scrabble contest, blame it on senescence — it sounds noble-but it was just a polite form of senility or alzheimer's
His grandfather was a projectionist in an era when there were dwindling adherents-attempts were made to establish movie theater franchises that would use automated systems so they could dispense with projectionists but some symbiosis seemed to exist which rendered them a necessity. The impressionable infant Bogomil brought up on a highly eclectic pile of canned lawyer flics was ruined for good.
As a private attorney, Bogomil Ćosić worked without charge to help intelligence agents obtain lawful permission to declassify then publish hidden secrets.The Interior Ministry which commanded a domestic intelligence network made up largely of intelligence agents from ousted governments considered Bogomil their chief operative.
Fernandez never liked this district of town- where drug dealers get rich/ lazy, by selling tiny doses of drugs to hooked customers queuing to buy. They could be seen now even though it wasn’t late. They took away their tiny packet happy until it was time for the next fix. Residents of the parish would once walk the route, carrying plastic sticks to beat special stones at set points around the parish boundary-the stones/sticks were now gone but something of the ritual remained.
There were many guest rooms Ron noted as a uniformed aboriginal maid led him upstairs, each with a linen cover on the bed, a table, a chair, frilly curtains, plus a plain oval hooked rug next to the bed-it made him angry since this would have been once their homeland now these people were little more than domestic-slaves. There was something else that was odd too which seemed unusual-today hooked rugs survive in some quantity, but folk art collectors were more likely to hang early examples on their walls then put them on the floor. Who or what this effort was for was never known for nobody else was met whilst Fernandez was here apart from in one box-room. In this private residence gnarled/twisted like an old crone was an old-woman playing with a distaff/ spindle, this geriatric paused for the moment from spinning wool to take something from the raffia basket nearby-another distaff. Prepared wool was put on this to make it easier to spin but it didn’t seem to be very successful. Nearby a train halted along the dark industrial landscape, from time to time indulging in short, deceitful movements emitting harsh paeans into the high atmosphere so that eventually a window was rudely closed lest this disturbed the activity.Although this was fascinating they had to move on.
Bogomil was a quietly dressed man invariably wearing a shalwar kameez (The shalwar are loose pajama-like trousers. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic with seams (known as the chaak), left open to give the wearer greater freedom of movement. Tall, rather frail in build, certainly not a criminal in appearance, Ćosić never liked being called an agent. When asked why this was explained-because when one person is described as having assassinated another, we imply that the first person - the agent of the action - caused the demise of the other. There was an affidavit too, authorities described Ćosić as wearing an external bullet-resistant vest with the word ‘Agent’ written on although why this was an influence was never known.
Another of his talents in this well equipped pantheon was Exodus GPR or GPR Exodus whichever way you chose to view it. Bogomil knew this better than most-without being arrogant better probably than anyone alive. Those mastered for the moment by his remarkable skill, under the aegis of his passion, always found him interesting.
The inspiration came when gouaches that were produced on card that Ćosić had inherited were accidentally left out in inclement weather. An attempt had been made to retrieve them but original stone lithographs (limited-edition of Nelson Mandela) silk screens plus some small gicleés of children being abused by Catholic priests were permanently damaged. It was one of these with the inscription: ‘The Reverend Father Dom Seraphitus, Mysticus Goriot, of the Regular Order of Clichy Friars, taken in by all those he has himself taken in, receives amidst his forced solitude the consolations of Sancta Seraphita’ that was of especial significance. Silhouettes began appearing in this unclearness, then soon forming to real shapes /people.
Not only did it seeming form into globules but seemed to say ‘Exodus GPR’ too. A mirror (a diamond-like hexagon) that survived in a shiny, Vitralite frame from the original building confirmed this when the gicleé was held up.
“Im pleased you like the hotel Mr.Fernandez-there are no restrictions here -the Christian God/ biblical Christianity are ruled out of bounds-that is you will find no Bible in these environs or in each bedside cabinet-but conversely there is no barbed-wire either, everyone is free to wander where they will without dread of stumbling on anything unpleasant. I prefer a biography of Abe Lincoln-to anything religious you will find one in each drawer. I am the same age as the man when assassinated. ”
“The president was truly a great-it must have been a sad loss.”
“You might say that it's a true history of the subject, making allowance for its brevity plus its focus on Lincoln's contemporaries rather than on Lincoln himself-I find it very inspiring. I take his lead in disliking restraint of any kind too. If my guests don't act dishonestly or deceitfully, if they don't violate some specific law, people living here are still free to conduct their affairs any which way they please.”
“There doesn’t seem to be many here at the moment Ćosić.”
“There was a conference recently in Exodus as it happens-they left sadly-they will be greatly missed. They did much in rectifying or even undoing some of the damage that resulted from the last international conference.”
“Wherever there are those gathered in my name I will be there.”
“That is so true with this particular GPR. It is the most messianic if one might be so fanciful
to suggest such.”
A patch is visible under a rolled up sleeve of Bogomi’s shirt a stark warning that although a furious effort is under way to develop pills, pumps, plus gels: patches remain the most popular means of delivering the enormously profitable Viagra or more likely-in this instance-nicotine.
“The old lady seemed very intent on her knitting give or take some technical hitches.” “Mrs. Suzanne Evans-I’m pleased you li
ke her-the OAP seemed to come with the house. At the beginning of each new moon (unlike her usual iron-straight posture), Suzanne looks paler than a corpse in a coffin-is probably cold to touch too-then some knitting pattern seems to grip her. A flurry of woolen activity occurs.”
Ron who even in solitude dare not consider how lost they might have become, lest it induce an ‘attack of the doldrums’ tried to bring matters somewhere more salient.
“I need your help Bogomil-that is with the globular recognition skills.”
“Exodus-I have heard that so often. I saw the news how the student went on the journey of self-discovery. They seem to come a cropper there a lot.”
“Slightly-the casualties would shock you. They all seem to be the same age too-young girls in their late teens just setting out on their life-road-what a terrible thing to have to happen to them.”
“It’s the boyfriends in my opinion-though many would disagree I’m sure.”
If Fernandez was expecting some big meeting with executives around a conference table, a gang of stuffed shirts-then a big disappointment was in store-this was strictly small-scale.
“Sometimes-it isn’t always easy to pinpoint a pattern Bogomil. They are not always Native American like your staff either, but Europeans, Americans from anywhere.”
“It’s not like that-they don’t live below stairs or anything-we don’t have a butler or chambermaids. Mindy-thats who let you in-comes from an agency-is a graduate in electronic-engineering is bilingual.”
“Whatever those hitchhikers who are removed so unkindly from this unique tarmacadam are growing in number. Now you are going to ask if it is one or several people who are responsible.”
“I wasn’t but continue-this is interesting in the extreme.”
“We don’t know in answer to your question-there is no quotient which has arisen. We tell them
to not accept lifts from truckers in articulated lorries or casual drivers even but they will not listen.”
Everything seemed wholly enigmatic as unlikely of being resolved as it was possible to be. Unlike some crafts-wrong-solution finders-as much as they would like to cannot order any sequestration them move on. If the one responsible is not found-it might be a single person or a group-then there is little that can be done. Matters are still considered pending or ‘open’. The humidity is still considered suitable to be sensed. Someone had once likened this to an electricity cable that is ready to be plugged in. God it would seem saw everything but left it to us to make the effort to bring the culprit to justice. We were his lieutenants on earth who might scurry the wicked or not as we chose.
Former patrolman Quintilio Mazzanti now a component of the ground-crew was another who seemed to believe that the answer that they sought was not at the mortuary but at the lock-up where the Volvo was waiting as if teasing those that gazed upon ‘her’ (it was a ‘her’ everyone decided).
Tranquillo Onio was there with his chain of keys when Mazzanti arrived. Him for whom the word sinecure was very unpopular, and indeed so was the word pension, of which several no very favourable definitions had been given had to reluctantly stir himself.
“What is it with you guys anyway-you seem to have it in for us at the moment.”
Quintilio who was a former journalist who sickened by the slackness with which the law was applied decided that the only thing to do was to do it himself-if a job was worth doing it was worth doing well. The ‘putter’ or ‘course’ was not for Mazzanti. Mrs. Mazzanti was not a golfing widow but a law-implementing one. His Eldorado was a disclosure tincture which unlike the more conventional which showed where tartar or plaque had built up showed where ill-intent had occurred but more importantly the remedy that could be applied.
“My ultrasonic projector which I have here Tranquillo,” boasted Quintilio indicating the briefcase which contained aforementioned panacea for every situation. “Might bring forward something which the others have missed.”
“Well they were in there for a while-I’m sure they must have found something they seemed pleased enough when they came out.”
At one point a huge screen which had been unfolded was set up to shield some activity they were intent upon. Tranquillo had long given up being concerned about what went on-if the vehicle wasn’t damaged then who cared-sometimes they even came up with something interesting.
“Magnetic waves Mr. Mazzanti we haven’t had those for while.”
“They are not unknown to you then-I draw comfort from that.”
Magnetic waves was not like a shift in the continental shelf for Onio they did not cause a disturbance. They were unseen left little trace unlike some of the powdery mixtures which were applied that made everyone sneeze for months afterwards. That meant Tranquillo had to clean up afterwards which annoyed him intensely because no one gave him any extra for it.
“There was a trend of gamma for a while but that seemed to die out. They used a CRT over the surface-which seemed to solve everyones problems then they got bored-it wasn’t fast or accurate enough-it must have gone into the toy-box again.”
“I expect it will get dug out eventually-probably in some new form that at first no one will recognise. Then realization will dawn that they had been here somewhen before.”
“Then everything seemed to be Chilean for a while-don’t ask why because I don’t know.”
Tranquillo never liked anything from this S American haven although when asked couldn’t really pinpoint just what it was. There were the civil-liberties that we sometimes got to hear about but what really went on there nobody knew. Everything that came from there was tarnished with the same mystique too-the instructions were often in Spanish or Portuguese. As always the yeh ‘n ney built up until a general consensus was arrived at.
“They are wicked those Chilean apps-must have got some cool results.”
“Then it was an ex mineralogist that seemed to have insinuated himself into the ground-crew someone called Enzo Milanesi I believe who used semiprecious stones that were ground up again into the obligatory powder. Enzo was Georgian in origin-which seemed to substantiate the assumption those from that state were evermore solid wrong-unravellers to a man. The proverbial candle could not be held to them anyway.”
There was a slight hesitation-Quintilio sensed it immediately.
“There is something else I sense Tranquillo.”
“A certain slang went with this it was hard to subscribe to after a while. I’m not sure if it was Chilean or actually related to what they were doing but it seemed to obfuscate after a while rather than clarify.”
Quintilio seemed to have a neggie vibe of actually having tasted this powdered agate which produced a sensation of complete nausea which put him off for ever more. They had to disinfect everywhere after the users had gone.
“There have been similar pariahs I am certain.”
“Ample equability couldn’t save them-they were that terrible.”
Whatever premeditated intention-they had was about as subtle as a dumdum bullet. Sometimes to compound matters making them worse they had what was called disparagingly a lady-in-waiting that is some add-on that was supposed to make everything go faster better. For some reason these usually came in Styrofoam packaging-again mockingly called kapok or padding- which might seem impressive but was prearranged to give a favourable impression nothing more. Those that disapproved likened this to little more than paganism.
“One of the better ones was someone who recently brought in some fine aluminium powder which made previous print-taking like something from the dark-ages. I believe it was even this same vehicle we have here-what was unusual was the ceramic containers in which they were contained.”
“I suppose certain vehicles which ostensibly have sex-appeal end up here more often than most. It should be prohibitive to drive them without some kind of warning that they always have an unlucky ending either in the scrap-yard or somewhere like here.” “Limousines always seem to be high on that particular list. There ERA[1] is terrible anyway. I
have seen more standing where you are now than I care to mention-enough to never want to get inside one unless it is absolutely necessary. The chairperson that presided over the particular steering wheel design they gravitate to should be courts-martialed that goes without reiteration need.This ‘Guide-Wheel Impales’ should be written somewhere.”
Tranquillo’s enthusiasm was exhilarating. His descriptions which seemed to have a certain extravagance were all the more contagious for his avoidance of the first person wherever possible. They were both equidistant from the Volvo now as if it held them in its fray.
Was it conceivable that Mazzanti’s ultrasonic projector might be the newbie that would throw everything into perspicacity status-who knew. Any skulduggery could be overthrown it was just a matter of upscaling.
“I don’t want it to be said in memoriam that I was too sanctimonious Onio. Reckon if I listened to you that I wouldn’t do anything.”
“I do put people off it is true,” muttered Tranquillo as a fire extinguisher is checked to see if it needs to be changed or serviced-it made a sound like a propane heater being moved. “The way most go wrong is that they seem to go through something of a palaver to get anything up ‘n running. If they spent more effort actually on the vehicle itself rather than checking their dials or readouts then they’d get more done.”
A melancholy like status came over him the intricacy of which there was never any chance to unravel. The bunkum got him down no question.
“The more Spartan the better for you by the sounds of it Onio.”
