Conversation · Acele

"You know: the psych thing they've got going on there. Rich people like it. People in Königstein are mostly rich."

"You know, I'm not sure this made things any better."

"Yeah, I'm sorry." She nods. "Might be for the best to keep that shit forgotten, actually. Just my opinion. If it itches, don't scratch."

Yes, but it itches really, really bad...

"Thanks for the bullshit psych thing then."

"You're welcome." She thinks for a second, stretching her jaw. "Might be for the best to keep that shit forgotten though. Just my opinion. If it itches, don't scratch."

"Wait, what do you mean by selective memory?"

"Man, when I get hurt I just wanna forget that shit, you know? That kind of selective memory."

"I think it's more about me getting so unbelievably drunk I completely erased all memory of this world."

"Yeah. Or it might be that. This one time I did so much... booze that I forgot, too..."

It's obvious she's "done" more than "booze."

"Or it might just be psych bullshit, you know? Königstein wank."

"You're right. It doesn't help."

"How come you don't remember though? Is it, like, some selective memory thing?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Why would I have reacted so strongly otherwise?"

"Yup. Next to nothing."

"I don't remember."

"Really?" She appears to believe you. "You seem pretty upset about this chica... are you sure you don't remember anything about her?"

"First, they had just the faintest scent of chewing gum on them. I could still smell it under the... shit."

"Wow, man." She raises her eyebrow. "That's pretty symbolic, don't you think?"

"Yes, I found that to be very symbolic too."

"Okay, what else?"

"To hell with this. Questions -- I had them. And you have answers."

"Okay, of course... What did you want to know?"

"No. Why?"

"Used to be sweet, now it's shit -- seems pretty symbolic to me. Anyway, what else?

"I haven't seen much of this world, but from what I've seen social justice is an adolescent term. Sounds almost liberal... what's got me shaken up is the people's struggle and it's got me shaken up bad."

"Yeah, man, they're pretty bad," she says, without much conviction.

"It makes me sick, thinking about the thousands... millions... billions? How many people are there, actually?"

"Um..."

"How many people are there in the world?"

"Three-point-six billion, not counting those on Seol."

"Really? That many?! Reduces me to tears thinking of the 3.6 billion and god knows how many more in that Seol place, crushed under the tyranny of the market."

"Yeah, that's pretty bad," she nods. "Are you sure you're not just hung up on some chick though?"

Hmmm... perhaps?

"I'm positive. Now, I had some questions for you before all this started."

"Go ahead."

"A city has millions in it, so the world would have a lot more. I think I knew the number once..."

"Too many millions to even know, all squashed under the tyranny of the market. It's terrible!"

"Yeah, pretty sure. Now, I had some questions about something else entirely."

"Everyone's just mooching off the entrepreneurial class. Shackling the doers."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, people just can't get off their asses -- zero hireable talent in this city. Zero. No wonder everyone's poor as potatoes."

"So, the thing that's been eating you... is rich people not having enough money?"

"You can roll your eyes all you want, but will it bring us any closer to a knowledge-based economy? I haven't seen much of this strange world, but: Not with these taxes it won't!"

"Then you really haven't seen much of this strange world, because we literally haven't got any income taxes. Just a 20% value-added tax and that's, like... it."

"No way! You have no idea how many taxes there really are -- you've never paid any! There are all these disguised, invisible taxes. Look, there's one right now!" (Point at the sea.)

Startled, she turns her head and looks at the sea. No modes of indirect taxation catch her eye. She looks back at you.

"You have an issue with... the sea monster tax?"

"No. Not just the sea monster tax. It's all of it taken together that's strangling economic growth."

"Uh huh." She collects herself. "And none of this has anything to do with -- oh I don't know -- some chick?"

"I think it's... all these foreign people taking our jobs."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, I can tell this was once a proud nation. Now all this internationalist bullshit has brought Revachol to its knees."

"Yeah, man," she nods. "That's why you were crying over a hat, yelling about regaining your authority. National pride."

"That's those foreign ideas messing with your head. You don't even realize you're literally on your knees right now! Our women -- literally on their knees!"

"Man, that's because my equipment's on the ground."

"I'm pretty sure I've got issues with our young women kneeling in the snow with this cosmopolitan racket going on in the background." (Nod towards the tent.)

"Or, or... I'm just gonna put this out there -- are you sure you're not having chick issues, with some chick?"

"People just keep putting their selfish interests ahead of the greater good."