About a certain return

Part 10

There were tenths of people, I was left next to a chair. It was a big bustle inside, a continuous up and down motion with a purpose beyond my understanding, one of them were shouting, others were praying, I could hear some swearing or see others hitting themselves violently, and all that was going on in there was in the name of the law, a law I didn't know: Sir, I asked a policeman sitting by a table, smoking (wasn't it forbidden?) and rocking his chair, which is the law in question?

– What are you saying?

– I have been brought here in the name of the law. What law?

– The law against the BAD.

– What BAD?

– I mean: You!

– Me? Why me? What are the BADs?

– Godjilla, is it you that brought this miserable here? Show him what's that a tramp.

– His turn will come soon.

– It's the Disturbed Antisocial Behavior set of symptoms, enlighten me a chap with a green mantel covered in some yellow inscriptions: Re... Reshape... Mm!

– Why are they calling it BAD? They should call it DAB.

– What can you expect from them? They are only policemen, dear, said a woman who was accompanying the chap. You must find out what's wrong with you.

– Undoubtedly, you are behaving in a peculiar way. You are absolutely improperly dressed.

– Yes. And he has an unnatural skin color. It's glowing.

– I've noticed that myself. From the very moment I saw him. It's the... Calabreu syndrome.

– Calabreu? The wayfarer or... the so called...?

– I think it must be the alleged Calabreu. It must be analysed. I have never believed in the wayfarer's existence. I focused on the phenomenon from a pure scientific position. His myth is of no relevance as long as it has been proved that those lands... didn't... really exist...

– However, dear Mr Professor, we must accept the entire story because otherwise we will be felt with a blind theory, without any references...

– Of course, my dear, obviously... If this is the matter...

I kept quiet. It was better not to show them that I exist. I waited but soon get bored, I stood up as I became stiff sitting down and moved around the room. A large room, full of chairs and tables, where you could easily get lost. And as nobody stopped me I got out of the building and got down the stairs. And from there I packed off. What can they do to me? They didn't even know me. And I run as much as my physical resources allowed me. Where did I get to? I can remember a construction site, large blocks of flats and pavements, a barricade... I was in front of a large gate guarded by two big guys and saw how some strangely dressed chaps got in, I was looking at them and they were looking at me... until one of them noticed me: "It washn't my fault. I got a letter. It wash written whether you have the mark or not. If you were marked! What do you want from me? Why are you following me?"

And a fat lady with a long light brown dress said:

– Let him be! Why do you need to report to him? He's only a tramp. Don't you see how he looks?

They already got inside a long corridor and I was following them... to the other side. Suddenly the fat one (I thought she was the woman I felt home, sleeping) lost her temper: Go away, go away from us, you tramp! Are there no body guards here? Throw him out! He's a criminal!