Conversation · Klaasje (Miss Oranje Disco Dancer)

"Titus Hardie gave me a recording. On it, the deceased says he intends to rape someone."

She puts her coffee cup down.

With a soft ring, as the porcelain meets the metal table.

This does not surprise her.

"Did he?" A smile flits across her face. "I never said he was a good man. Or that he had good intentions -- only that he was never bad to me."

She doesn't care. If anything, she sounds amused.

"On this tape he specifically identifies you as the target."

"Mmm. Where did they get this recording, exactly?"

"It's intercepted radio chatter of the deceased -- recorded via a de-encryption station. It's authentic enough."

"Does he says he's gonna do it Soldier of the Apocalypse-style?" She arches her brow.

"Something to that effect, yes."

"The phrase was used." The lieutenant checks his notes and nods.

"Yeah... That was practically his pick-up line." She picks the cup back up.

A memory surfaces in her tired neocortex -- it's not entirely unpleasant.

"Did he say whores a lot?... Was he pretty much on the verge of doing it Co Hoi-style?"

"He did refer to the atrocities in South Safre, yes."

"He wasn't actually there -- he didn't do a tour, or at least didn't tell me he did. Would've been overkill anyway. He lived his own little Co Hoi. It was in his... everything."

"Do you think he was trying to scare people?"

"No, I'm pretty sure he did all those things -- and then had to internalize them to keep on living. Until they just... sort of turned into his..." She thinks. "What's the word I'm looking for?"

She's quite observant about the human character -- trained to observe, even...

"Persona?"

"Running joke. I was gonna say running joke -- and it sounds like you didn't even get the good bits. Lely's punchlines got way, way funkier than that."

"He was like the Semenese conflict, the Co Hoi massacre, and the '36 famine in Yeesut all rolled into one person, then cast in Oranjese ceramic armour. Which he wore in bed and in the shower..."

When he said he was done and done mentally it didn't sound like a joke. Sounded like a deeply troubled man.

"Hold on, he said he was mentally done. That's sounds like a broken man to me."

"Well..." She smiles. "Maybe I pieced him back together -- with my magical personality?"

"You like this kind of stuff?"

"We're all scraping up any happiness we can find, officer. Going around with our little scouring sticks -- you, your first love, Mr. Co Hoi here..."

"Did he tell you he had actually done any of those things -- here in Martinaise, I mean?"

"No. We were too busy laying waste our own nervous systems to direct any of the fury outward. He seemed..." She thinks. "He seemed happy, I guess. At ease. As much as a man like him could be."

There is a small measure of pride in her. That she could quell the rage in such a being.

What kind of man was he? Before you go, ask for details. She seems okay to talk about it.

"Thank you for clearing that up, miss." He turns to you. "Whenever you're ready -- I'm interested to hear what Titus Hardie has to say now."

She takes a very small sip of her coffee and smiles.

She takes a very small sip of her coffee and smiles.

"Did he tell you he had actually done any of those things? Here in Martinaise, I mean."

"And you spent time with this person? Romantically?"

"Weren't you afraid?"

"Afraid of what? That tape the Hardie boys recorded? Your mother probably never told you this, but girls are evil."

"Had I the physical robustness and social support I'd be in Co Hoi, I would be tearing it up Soldier of the Apocalypse-style..."

She wouldn't, she doesn't have the Full Hoi in her.

"Catch phrase?"

"Did you learn this from studying Oranjese lit? Sounds psychological."

"People who go to university know how to use words like internalize and integrate, officer... Now, what was that expression?" She's still looking for it.

There's more to this. She has an index in her head of pathologies and how to exploit them. I can almost see her turn the pages.

You can trust Pillar-Bookhead, by the way. As far as I can tell, he's not singing to her tune... the only one besides me.

"Coping mechanism?"

"Why say things like that? Was he bragging?"

"Yes -- was he bragging?"

"Oh no, I'm pretty sure he did all those things -- then integrated them into his idea of normalcy. To keep on living. Until they just... sort of turned into his..." She thinks. "What's the word I'm looking for?"

"Yes. The word whore was used."

"He liked the way it sounded when he said it. As to Co Hoi..." The young woman lights a new cigarette with the butt of her old one.

"Co Hoi was mentioned."

"Yeah, he said whore. So do I. Does it matter?"

"I don't see how your problems are relevant right now, officer," the lieutenant says in a quick, clipped tone.

"It's not a problem." She touches his shoulder. "As for Co Hoi, officers..."

She clearly enjoys siding with you.

"It suits you, officer. You should say it more. As to Co Hoi..."

She clearly enjoys telling you this.

"Those are the exact words he used."