Chapter 9
The Mute Girl
Veron Komer, the dictator in Cassandra was frustrated because he was infatuated with a pretty girl in the town, but she didn’t pay attention to him. He made her one of his concubines to pour a drink and making her to feed him. Her name is Melady Thompson; she is a mute girl with big blue eyes. She had a long hair, covering her entire back. She is much taller than Veron, looked like as if she works at the model agency. Veron forbid her to wear high heels because he thought it was offensive.
It was by accident that Veron found her. At the time, Melady’s father ran the small restaurant, he cooked with his wife. Melady helped her parents by greeting customers and sometimes made jams out of wild berries she got from the forest. Mr. Thompson was overprotective of Melady because she was mute, often made Melady angry because her father treated her like a baby. In her childhood, her mother taught her the gestures for her to communicate. As Melady grew up to be a pretty young lady, the restaurant soon packed with young male population, creating the rough and loud atmosphere. Time to time, the soldiers came and harassed the Melady. Mr. Thompson always put out the shotgun and stood at the counter with a bottle of whiskey on the other hand. Mrs. Thompson served the soldiers while Melady cooked inside.
One day Veron’s wife, Valentine, asked him to take a break and visit the restaurant that was popular among the people, which Veron refused for months but he eventually gave up. And then, Veron saw the restaurant packed with the young males, and in there, he saw Melady. Valentine regretted bitterly of suggesting going there, because Veron ordered the soldiers to take Melady into his chamber. Melady refused violently so the soldiers start beating her up, Mr. Thompson, filled with rage, blew one of the soldier’s head during the conflict. So, the soldiers took the whole Thomson family for a trial, and Veron offered the deal to give up Melady and if Mr. Thomson does so, he won’t prosecute anyone in his family. Melady accepted the offer and urged her father to accept it too. So, Melady ended up in Veron’s chamber.
When Veron and Melady walked together, it looked like Helen of Troy and the retarded troll from a dungeon. No wonder, Melady hated him. She viewed him as some annoying thing who points gun at her to move her here and there. It always seemed like she is suppressing her anger to punch him right in his face, but he had her family, so Melady didn’t have any choice but to do whatever Veron said. Veron, who was crazy about Melady, gave the Thompson family a nice treatment, by giving them money and nice mansion to live to earn some favor from her, but it didn’t go well. It only made Melady miss her parents, the restaurant and the customers who always cheered her up. Veron’s wife, Valentine, was worried about Veron, was angry but too afraid even to tell anyone, so she just cried alone.
Slade Titto, the consultant and the advisor concerning political and military operations under Veron, was frustrated about Veron not paying attention to the ruling of Cassandra, because he was worried about Nina Polchinski. Titto was a talented schemer, the main backdoor figure which enabled Veron to sit on his throne. He successfully made Cassandra free from foreign invasion by fulfilling the role of the ‘necessary evil,’ maintained peace with continued diplomatic solution amongst other strong foreign nation.
Veron did whatever he wanted, and it was none of foreigners' concern what was going on inside the border. Before Veron became a dictator, there was a chaotic conflict and wars in the country. Titto suggested using drugs, such as methamphetamine and cocaine, to break the conflicts because it enables Veron to control people easily. With a right amount and timing, it was useful tool to bribe and enslave people. If there are some who resist against him, he used a brutal military force and quite efficiently sanitized anyone who opposed.
Titto once told Veron about the ‘The Tale of Puppeteer,’ because he seemed to be not listening and mad about Melady that she doesn’t appreciates how generous and noble he is. So, when Titto just talked about data and figures, Veron didn’t listen and got out in the middle of the conference and next moment his wife came and cried about her husband is a bad husband. Titto got irritated and angry. He always went to clinic once a month for a high blood pressure and warned about the possible danger of having a stroke, possible prostate cancer and a kidney failure. ‘I’m too young to die on this…” he murmured to the nurse working there. Titto attempted make it like a fun story but ended up just crumpling the paper and throwing on the wall. He taught Veron as if he is dealing with a spoiled kid. Titto was afraid of Nina because her action was based on the liberty of the individual, which could destroy their whole regime. Titto stood up, glanced at Veron who was sitting on a chair, looking up to him dully.
“It is like a dog and a trainer. A puppeteer uses basic needs of puppets such as food, water, or its offspring as a reward, and longer labor hours, group punishment of the peers and lack or deficit of these basic needs as a punishment. So a puppeteer can play with puppets,” said Titto, slowly and gently as possible.
“Can I make Melady a puppet, Titto?” said Veron, with his small eyes, blinking.
“Well, yes, first you have to listen and understand this,” said Titto, hard pressing his teeth. Veron’s eyes reflected a slight interest, Titto was little relieved, and he sighed and continued.
“A puppeteer’s job is to make up some irrationally long memorization on names of the officers and unnecessary protocols, and precise timing of work and report to check the loyalty, and of course a puppeteer checks loyalty by make them sing the songs of you and the grand writings of the ideology they need to master on recitation. The point is do not question the authority and obey,” said Titto.
“Do you think Melady likes me?” said Veron.
“Of course she loves you, you just don’t know it yet,” said Titto, tried very hard to not sound like sarcasm. Veron laughed like a fool and Titto continued.
“A puppeteer has to come up with more details and the harder demand in order for puppets not to think about the ‘other’ stuff. And gives the food in precise manner and throws out the bonus occasionally and educate puppets,” parroted Titto.
“Yes yes, I know this! They are like bunch of uneducated dogs!” Veron exclaimed.
“Yes, yes your highness, you’ve got it right, as you have realized, this is the most basic form of carnal desire. They are using repression and release to make them fit in to a certain box to either earn a reward or be punished. If the repression is long enough, they can manage the cycle to go on without getting bigger,” said Titto.
“Excellent, Titto!” Veron shouted, complementing Titto just to make him flattered so he could end his lecture quickly.
“Thank you your highness,” said Titto, awkwardly.
“Yes yes! I’m now getting stronger, good to have a hard working person like you!” said Veron, like a stubborn bully, he punched Titto’s arm and started laughing. Titto frowned, rubbing his arm, made a fake smile as if he received a candy. He cleared his throat so Veron wouldn’t sense the anger in his voice.
“So, the result is, puppets become highly efficient in remembering the detail, execute the protocols and obey orders, and learn to tremble like a shitless little kid,” Titto glanced at Veron as if he was referring to him and continued. “…to even fear the slight threat of the puppeteer. If this is complete, they are institutionalized, so they can be used like a machine part and used to surveillance others. So, as the ranking goes up, they think they deserve that position so they torment whoever is under him. This is the basic framework of how the security system of puppeteer works. Puppets are designed to wake up, eat, work, rest and sleep, in a precise manner like a ticking hand of the clock. They obey the functions that are given by you.”
Veron yawned; he didn’t seem to be listening, tapping pen against his thigh, shaking his leg intensely. Titto’s anger is building up; he gripped his fist tight to suppress the anger. Titto sighed and said. “This is it for today, your Excellency.”
Veron hurrahed and jumped out of the room, slam the door. And a moment later, like some
routine, his wife, Valentine, came in.
“My lady,” Titto bowed.
“How is he, consultant?” questioned Valentine, with a worrisome voice.
“He’s doing fine ma’am, no need to worry,” said Titto, feeling like a baby sitter. She sighed, and put her hand on her forehead. She was suffering from a severe headache.
“How is the situation regarding Nina Polchinski?” asked Valentine.
“The situation, ma’am, is under control, although Nina Polchinski, I fear that she knows our system too well” said Titto in a bitter tone.
“How well, consultant?” said Valentine, demanding.
“I can’t say for sure but she retrieves many data from us and exactly knows how to use it to negotiate with us,” Titto replied. “She justifies the use of the information to take out many rebels in rural regions. Although useful, it is dangerous if we let her growing.”
“Can’t we stop her? By removing or deporting her?” Valentine groaned in agony.
“No ma’am, she is on the top of our head. I’m afraid she knows also every aspects of this country as if she striped down our system; this means that she knows the central commanding bodies, treaties with foreign nations, imports and exports goods, energy supply, manufacturing facilities, logistics, reserves, escape routes, secondary protocols, distribution network, removal procedures, mobility, security, military forces and other miscellaneous details,” said Titto.
The Valentine looked as if she received a jail sentence.
“But there has to be something we can do, Titto, I mean Nina’s army isn’t that strong, I’ve heard from our intelligence officers,” said she, with an irksome voice.
“With a fire power and figures, no, although the cloaking technology she use is going to be cumbersome to deal with. But we still can remove Nina Polchinski if we want to. But if we take her out now, the country will be back to the chaotic age as before. Because not only she controls the significant portion of economy in Cassandra, she knows too well about the personnel who are aiming for the Emperor’s throne. It’s not the time to declare a full scale war to extract Nina out. We still need Nina in our game. It is too risky,” said Titto.
Valentine had a dark shadows on her face, as if she is remembering a terrible turmoil in the time of unsettling conflicts in the past. Titto looked at her, little relieved that he was not the only one who is concerned about this matter.
“The only thing that she does not aware of is the political structure and the headquarters of main figures under Emperor’s regime, which lurks inside the country. The lists have to be hidden; we’re doing everything we can to prepare for the alternate successor of the command, so we can swift the power fast enough that Nina couldn’t get to it. Then, we can command firmly in any situation. At the same time, we’ll send the agents to eliminate Nina Polchinski,” said Titto, little embarrassed about the limit to his ability that he could only make a defensive move.
“Should we contact the Assassins’ Chamber instead?” suggested Valentine.
“I don’t think it is quite efficient as our agents, are you afraid about the information leaks which might give advantage to Nina?” asked Titto.
“I’m confident about our agents keeping secret, and I do suspect Nina anticipated our move to contact the Assassins’ Chamber. But I do think we should move cautiously, bolstering defense and maintain public relation, using an assassin is better than getting our hand dirty,” said Valentine with a firm voice. Titto thought about this for a moment, there was a little excitement reflected in his eyes.
“Wise decision my lady. I’ll contact the Assassins’ Chamber,” said Titto.