The Grasshopper

Chapter 152

Seneca stopped when he went out onto the roof.

“What is this, Noah?” he asked angrily.

Noah stood next to him and saw what the Mayor meant. In the dark night, next to the aircraft planned to take Seneca’s family and Pascal out of Megapolis, was a silhouette of another helicopter, with a large television screen and powerful speakers attached to its side.

“I thought that they had already taken off, Mr. Mayor,” said Noah. “I’ll tell them to take off immediately.” Noah stepped out onto the roof.

“Not you!” Seneca shouted and held him back. “You stay here with them. You’re armed. I’ll tell them.”

The door to the aircraft was open. The pilot was surprised and frightened when he saw Mayor Seneca running towards him from out of the darkness.

“Mr. Mayor,” he stuttered, nervously unbuckling his belt to get up and salute his commander.

“Sit!” Seneca shouted. “You are to take off from here immediately!”

“Yes, yes, Mr. Mayor, just as soon as the technician finishes…” the pilot calmed down when he saw that this was the only problem.

“What technician?!” Seneca asked. “As soon as he finishes what?”

“The screen is loose, Mr. Mayor. He’s tightening it.”

Seneca ran around the aircraft and reached the technician who was standing between the screen and the aircraft fuselage.

“Leave that now!” Seneca shouted. “The helicopter has to take off immediately!”

The technician stood in attention.

“The screen isn’t firmly attached, Mr. Mayor!”

“That’s not important! You don’t have to go on the mission now. Just get out of here. Land at the airport… down in the square, wherever – just get out of here!”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor. The arm will hold until the airport. And even if it’s a little loose … the viewing angle isn’t important now…”

“Come on, come on, less talk!” Seneca was angry. “Get in the chopper!”

The technician got in and closed the door. The pilot immediately switched on the engine and the helicopter started lifting vertically.

Seneca ran to the other aircraft, waving to Noah.

“Bring them! Quickly!” he shouted.

Manami ran first, because she felt so bad. She felt bad because of the way that she had treated Julius, because of his dignified and painful reaction, because of his parting with the children. “You’re not saying goodbye to your children, Julius,” her thoughts raced while she ran across the roof. “They are your children. You are their father. They love you. You will always be with them, Julius! Whenever you want. Just let us leave now! To hide again! To calm down!”

The second helicopter was still hovering above them. It couldn’t keep its balance and could not fly away, because the arm of the heavy screen was coming off of the fuselage. The next moment the arm detached and the screen fell onto the roof between Seneca, who was already standing next to their helicopter, and Manami, who was still running towards him.

The impact with the concrete shattered the screen. One shard from its glass surface, in the shape of a very sharp triangle, flew through the air towards Seneca and jammed itself deep into his body, across his stomach. Seneca dropped to his knees, grabbed the glass, cutting his hands, and dropped to his side without a sound.

Manami was injured by smaller shards of glass. One had cut her forehead, another was stuck in her shoulder, a third in the palm of her hand.

Noah, Peter, Pascal and Eir were still far enough that none of them were injured.

Manami ran to Seneca and knelt next to him.

“Julius!” she grabbed his shoulder and turned him on his back.

Only then, through the darkness, did she see what had happened. The blood from his gut was gushing all over her.

“Pascal!” she looked up and shouted. “Get the children out of here!”

Pascal realized that something horrible had happened. He had to get Peter and Eir away. They had only seen the silhouette of their father go down, but even that was enough. They both screamed, calling out for their father.

Pascal grabbed Peter around the waist, lifted him and carried him on his hip. He ran towards Seneca’s office, carrying both children.

Noah rushed over and knelt next to his Mayor, but he didn’t say anything.

Manami lifted Seneca’s head from the concrete.

“Julius, Julius…” she wept quietly.

Seneca opened his eyes for a moment. He saw Manami, covered in his blood.

“No, Manami, no…” were the last words of the Mayor of Megapolis.