Conversation · Kim Kitsuragi

"I know things about it. I think it reproduces by parthenogenesis."

"Well, that's not exactly proof. It's a theory. But -- it is interesting."

"Fucking gimp... it's more than interesting. Cuno's pig's laying down science here. Shit's legit."

"Okay. One question -- how do you know that?"

"Intuition. Turns out I have a wide intellectual base in here." (Point to your head.)

"What you're giving us -- it's not news. It's not proof. Or an observation. It's a cryptozoological factoid. You can get it from Paradox B, Aquarius, any mystery station. Here's my theory."

"I approached it and had a conversation with it. We talked."

"Talked? Okay. What you're giving us -- it's not news. It's not proof. Or an observation. It's a cryptozoological factoid. You can get it from Paradox B, Aquarius, any mystery station. Here's my theory."

"I examined the insect. Up close."

You did not -- under any circumstances -- talk to it.

"And how do you know that?"

"It emits a chemical that makes it look more like the reeds."

"Its nervous system is stored in its limbs."

"And I also fixed the strike situation."

"How? It seems to be ongoing. I see red banners on the gates."

"He didn't quite solve it -- he cross-pollinated information between the company rep and Evrart. Until the rep came to see that the Union desires war. At which point Mrs. Messier decided to..." He shrugs.

"What? Hand Claire the terminal?"

"It was an accident."

"You bet it was. Sounds to me like you got played -- because you were off your tits on Al Gul."

"Maybe..."

"Maybe? Certainly. You're Evrart Claire's go-to-guy now. He's a mob boss, did you know?"

"Is that why you want us to investigate the assassination of the previous Union head thing? To get off Evrart's hook?"

"No. It's nothing like that. He was reckless with information -- but ethical. We don't owe anyone anything. This allowed us to stabilize things in Martinaise."

"God... Calm down, Jean."

Silence. Good. The man doesn't know what to say.

"You fucking twisting his words again! My pig's not dirty. This is fucking paladin shit. He don't bend like that. Tell em --" He gestures for you to speak.

"You fucking twisting his words again! My pig's wasn't duped. This pig's fucking mastermind shit. He doesn't do like that. He doesn't get fucked. Tell em --" He gestures for you to speak.

"Jean, stop brutalizing him... He's trying."

"It's not quite like that... The move allowed us to stabilize things here. It was not bad for Martinaise. And we don't owe anyone anything."

"Okay..." A slow nod.

"Hey -- how do you know about Al Gul?"

"It doesn't matter how I know about Al Gul. What matters is -- you're Evrart Claire's messenger now. A Union man, as he calls it. He's a mob boss, did you know?"

"I masterminded a solution to an unsolvable problem."

"Sounds like you got played, Harry. Because you were off your tits on Al Gul."

"I just told some people some things. No big deal. Things are calmer now."

"I did it for the World Revolution."

"..."

"Eat the pigs!"

"Fuck you. You just got played by Evrart Claire. Duped -- for the hundredth time."

"Vrrr... Viva la Revolución!"

"Cool. To me it sounds like you got played by Evrart Claire. Duped -- for the hundredth time."

"Yeah. But for, like, conservative Revolution."

"Yeah -- I actually just got manipulated into it."

"You think? Claire played you like a fiddle. You got duped -- for the hundredth time."

"I moved information between the company rep and Evrart. Until the rep came to see that the Union wants war. At which point Mrs. Messier decided to go."

"Go? And hand the terminal over to the Claire brothers?"

"Yeah... maybe I didn't."

"You think?"

"I confiscated drugs from Cuno's dad."

"Yeah -- he really fucked the Cuno on that," the kid says with a respectful glance. "But that's old shit. Cuno's now. Pig's just being a good pig. That's cool to Cuno."

"Great. Thanks." He turns to you. "You snorted the drugs. I know you did. Fuck it. It's all right. I mean -- honestly. Anything but the drink."

"Who's Cuno?"

"You don't want to know."

"You're right, lieutenant -- I don't." He turns to you. "You snorted the drugs, I know you did. It's all right, I mean, at this point -- anything is but the drink."

"Cuno's a street kid I helped."

"I don't care. You took some drugs from some kid. And then snorted them. It's all right -- honestly. Anything but the drink."

"Cuno's great. I should have taken him to the island. He'd tell you it's all true."

"To hell with it. You wouldn't understand anyway."

"Agreed."

"We could order a search. I could get people from EPIS on the island, entomologists, doctors. There must be signs of it in the reeds -- if we found the Insulindian phasmid, well -- that would be absolutely exceptional. The PR value alone..."