His eyes showed an utter lack of interest in continuing his conversation with Faceman.
All he was thinking about was how to smash the thick PGF field—one far beyond that of the sharks—that surrounded Faceman’s cage.
“So you choose conflict right to the bitter end, do you? Whether it’s quarrels with OctoberCorp or Trustees on Mardock Scramble 09 cases trying to prove their usefulness, it seems that all everyone on the outside does is fight. It’s as if you want to give the lawmakers yet another excuse to ban our technology, serve it up on a plate for them,” Faceman said.
Faceman pointed to Boiled’s gun with his chin. “That’s the gun that Oeufcoque used to turn into, isn’t it? An object whose only usefulness is as a tool of destruction. It’s also the empty shell of Oeufcoque—the carapace that he molted, if you will. And that’s all you have now as a substitute for a soul—a substitute for Oeufcoque.”
Boiled was about to open his mouth but said nothing. His words were swallowed up by the annihilation that he exuded, turning into so much nothingness.
“You’re nothing more than a shark who has smelled blood. A shark brimming full of curiosity, searching for the perfect weapon.”
Seeing that Boiled had nothing to say, Faceman spoke his final words quietly. “And now art thou cursed from the earth, and a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be… Go then, on to the East of Eden…”
Boiled did just that.
04
–So, for a wine cellar storing eighteen years’ worth of brain tissue, it’s quite a fancy little thing…
Tweedledum was muttering to himself. He looked up at Balot, who was now standing beside the edge of the pool, and asked,
–Are you going, then, babe?
He tilted his silver-sunglass-covered face as if to say he’d be lonely without her.
–Yeah…
Balot put her white robe on and knelt down beside Tweedledum to touch his face.
–I think I’d like to come back and swim here again one day.
–Well, if the outside world becomes one with this pool then you’ll be able to swim here freely.
Balot gave a small nod.
–If the world ever really does become a kinder place then I will come here.
–Well, that’s why you’re heading back out into the world, right? To try and make your little piece of it good, at least. But you do know that the moment you step foot out of Paradise you’ll officially become a suspect of crimes against the Commonwealth. Don’t you regret it?
–No regrets. I’m glad I did what I did.
–Well, break a leg, babe.
Balot kissed Tweedledum’s forehead gently.
–Thank you for swimming with me.
Tweedledum cried out, a hollow, beautiful cry.
–Hurry up, now. We’ve got a rough customer in the building who’s kicking up quite a fuss looking for you.
–Thank you.
Balot stood up quickly.
–And all the best with Oeufcoque, Tweedledum said, and she smiled at him one last time before running off, still barefoot.
Balot left the forest, leaving Tweedledum there in silence.
Before long a mass of icy death emerged from another corner of the forest.
–The angel has already flown the nest, big guy, Tweedledum informed him. He had snarced the PA system around the pool.
“Tweedledum, is it…” Boiled muttered, pointing his gun at the dolphin.
–You know that as a Living Unit I’m considered a vital component of this information terminal, right? You kill me, big guy, and it’ll be seen as a serious act of sabotage against this here system. The Commonwealth Government has thrown bucketloads of cash at this thing. You want to end up an outlaw?
“What was she investigating here?” He pulled the trigger back, noisily. Tweedledum just gave a short peep, as if he were laughing.
–Why don’t you ask your own employer? Or is he the sort of boss who doesn’t tell you anything?
The gunpoint erupted in flame, and one of the poolside speakers was blown into small pieces.
–Hey, big guy, why are you trying to stop me from speaking?
Tweedledum’s voice emerged from a different speaker, sounding very unimpressed.
–You know that the person you’re here to see will have left the facility shortly? Once your suspect has left, your jurisdiction’ll be revoked and you’ll only have the same privileges as an ordinary Joe. You’ll be violating the law just by being here, big guy.
“You’ve learned to talk the talk, Tweedledum.” Boiled lowered his gun. “In any case, we’ll now be able to put in an official request for full disclosure based on the fact that Rune-Balot was here.”
–Yeah, but the girl will have solved the case by then. With her Oeufcoque.
“My Oeufcoque. I’ll hold him in my hand again before long.”
–Hmm… A love triangle, eh? Tweedledum responded, somewhat taken aback.
Boiled now had no eyes for Tweedledum. He scanned the area quickly before correctly sniffing out the path that Balot had taken. He started heading down that way himself.
–Truth be told, big guy, I was surprised when I heard what you did to them sharks. “The Rusty Gun is pretty keen to prove his usefulness,” I thought.
Boiled stopped for a second and looked back at Tweedledum. But he said nothing and soon disappeared into the forest.
–Oops. That didn’t end up buying them much time, did it…
Tweedledum sighed as he watched the figure disappear.
≡
The silver egg was floating above the rooftop of the facility.
Activated by the Doctor’s voiceprint and key card, the shell cracked open to form a gangway. The Doctor was loading a giant capsule into the egg with a pushcart when he saw Balot running toward him, out of breath. “Barefoot, eh?” he asked, eyes wide open in surprise.
Balot snarced the stereo system of the Humpty-Dumpty.
–I was in a hurry.
“Sure, but are you all right? What if you stepped on something rusty and got tetanus?”
–I’m all right. And even if I did get something, I’d have you fix me up in no time, Doctor.
“Right…” The Doctor nodded meekly, before asking somewhat hesitantly, “So, uh, how did it all go…”
–I found it. The hiding place for that man’s past.
“Have you, now?” The Doctor nodded, visibly relieved, but he still looked apprehensive. “But I’ve thought about it, and I can’t have you become a Commonwealth outlaw. Oeufcoque would be furious with me.”
–All that’s happened is that I’m now on equal footing with you guys. With Oeufcoque, Balot answered back, primly. There was an unusually wide grin on her face.
Something called out to her.
–You’re going, are you?
The stereo broadcast in a different voice.
Balot turned around to see the solitary figure of Tweedledee. Both she and the Doctor looked on in horror at his puffed-up face and the dressings that covered the space where his hands once were.