Conversation · Kim Kitsuragi

"That's it then. Case closed." (Look around.) "We're going home, Kim."

"Huh?" The lieutenant raises his brow.

He'll get it. Go on.

"Write it down, Kim -- in Martinaise they just kill you because they don't like you."

"Got it." He takes out his notebook. "Kill you -- because they don't like you. All because..."

"...because of some chick."

A wince. It's involuntary. "Bring that up one more time and you won't get to write that report."

The man's fists under the table are balled -- you can tell from his neck and shoulders. He means it.

"Yes, I understand, Alain -- that's your name, right? Alain. You'll kill us." He scratches in his notebook. "That's what they do in the Wild North."

"They drag you out back, light your corpse on fire and piss on you. They don't care."

"We didn't light him on fire!" You hear the fat man wheeze. He's trying to get up. "No one pissed on him either!"

That's it, that's the weak one -- you flushed him out. Now go in for the...

"Officer, you will be next if you don't shut up." The old man reaches for his belt, but his voice is strangely calm.

Firearm! A Glace 08, or a .38 calibre pistol -- either is small enough for you to have missed.

He's on to you. He knows what you're trying to do...

Steel yourself, push on. Just ignore Theo.

(Turn to Theo.) "What happens if I keep talking? You gonna kill me too -- in this bar?! FOR NOTHING?!"

"You just killed yourself. Like I said you would -- suicide..." He shakes his silvery head; his calm voice is almost kind now.

"What do you mean, old man? What suicide?"

Suddenly there is an awful ringing in your ears -- your body temperature spikes. You're burning all over -- with fear.

The most terrible fear. Bigger than any before.

To your right, you sense the air move. The lieutenant draws his firearm.

You only manage to perform one more movement. An instinctive jerk to your left. Then -- no sound. No one screams. It's impossible to say where it comes from...

You only manage to perform one more movement. An instinctive jerk to your left. Then -- no sound. No one screams. It's impossible to say where it comes from...

"You hear that, Angus! They're gonna kill me too!"

"Wait. Stop. Let's go back. I want to say something else..."

Too late. There is an awful ringing in your ears -- your body temperature spikes. You're burning all over -- with fear.

"No." You see him shake his silvery head. His calm voice is almost kind now. "I'm not gonna do it. I'm too old for a shot like that now..."

"Wait. Let's go back. I want to say something else..."

"You hear that, Angus! They're gonna kill me too!"

(Turn to Angus.) "Or what? You're gonna kill me like you killed him? FOR NO FUCKING REASON?"

"We didn't kill him! We didn't even hang him, he was dead when..." He takes a breath, wheezing.

"SHUT UP, ANGUS!"

"He was dead before you hanged him?"

"Fatty!" The little guy hits Angus on the back of the head. A loud slap. "Say one more thing to the cops and I'll..."

"DENNIS!" Titus roars. "Stand down or I'll beat your head in. Theo --" He points to the old man. "Take your hand off the belt -- this isn't '31. I've got this under control."

Does he? His closed fist is shaking... it's you who's in control. Let them have their moment.

The room falls quiet. So quiet you can hear Angus wheeze.

"Angie, where's your goddamn inhaler? You sound like you're dying."

"I left it home. I can't get it, I'm too fucked..." He grabs his chest. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you so fucking FAT, Angus?!" Lizzie snaps at him. "Now it's all pointless, because of you. You wasted my time. I told you, Titus --" she turns to him. "I told you to just give her up."

"Lizzie." He turns to the fixer. "Your help is no longer needed here. Go tell Evrart."

"Fine. I'll tell him. After a long walk along the coast." She walks off without looking back.

What just happened between these two?

You're in. He's all yours. Questions!

Look at Kim first.

The lieutenant has put down his notebook -- his hand is resting on his holster. He gives you an imperceptible nod.

What? What does that mean?

Go for it -- the lieutenant has his eyes set on the fat guy. Push Angus. We're almost there.

"They just hang you -- shoot you -- light you on fire. They don't care!"

"We didn't light him on fire!" You hear the fat man wheeze. He's trying to get up.

"They club you -- from behind -- string you up and go back to drinking."

"It wasn't that. It wasn't..." the fat man says with a wheeze. "We didn't hit him, okay?"

"They just hang you, like in the dark ages -- make a display of your corpse."

"It wasn't that. It wasn't..." the fat man says with a wheeze. "We just couldn't get him down, okay?"

"They just hang you -- shoot you -- whatever! They can't even remember."

"It wasn't that, it wasn't..." the fat man says with a wheeze. "We didn't shoot him."

"...because you're a foreigner."

"Goddamn right! Don't come around if you're not from around!"

"Fuck you! I'm not from around. That's not why we..."