Jáchym Topol - City, Sister, Silver

The pavement was broken in spots, but I like to jump … by the time I got to Liberation Avenue I was feeling pretty weary … but not enough to drown out the anxiety … my temples throbbed, today was too much, as usual … the run-in with the hitlers had been short but tough, the talks at Černá’s had culminated quite unpleasantly, plus if they knew about her … it might also be bad for She-Dog … an me! The day should’ve been at an end by now, I just wanted to be with my tribe … an fast … a person or two walked the avenue … APOTHEKE, a big pharmacy on the corner blinked in green neon, the light was strange and sharp, and I sensed somethin still in the air … Don’t take it easy! I howled to myself, following the example of my Hungarian great-grandmother, mother to a smuggler, an skidded to a halt … A car had been followin me for two blocks, here the streetlamps were on, so I used the old shop window trick an caught its reflection in the glass. Just before the pharmacy I noticed a bookstore, an I’d love to have She-Dog here now! maybe she could shrink me down an slip me into the pages of some, if possible, noble-minded book, cause old actor Potok is more or less all danced out for the day.

I came to a stop beneath one of the lamps, and to make damn sure they could see it was me, I lit up a smoke right in front of my face.

Engine cut, the car quietly glided toward me through the night air, big an black, the way they like em … I leaned in the window to find Side Pocket staring right back at me. Hadraba’d named him that after the spook kicked him in the balls. Those eyes hadn’t changed. Once upon a time I’d had the chance to see them cloud over with rage, the black dots of his pupils rising out of the mist of his psychopathic gaze like two pinheads, the shafts buried in his brain. Once upon a time I’d been afraid of him, once upon a time I’d dreamed of killing him, but that’s a whole different story. He laughed.

Surprised?

Yep. Government fall or what?

Not yet, citizen, said the other one, Jícha had shown me his photo too, Viška was his handle, and seeing him now in the flesh I had a hunch I knew him too …

What’re you doin here? Why’re you followin me?

An what’s it to you, sir? He didn’t mean the sir seriously.

I’m callin the cops, you got no right to hassle me … just be glad you’re not in the slammer. I stepped away.

Side Pocket practically moaned with pleasure: Just a second, just a sec, hey, look here. I turned around to find a badge in my face: Enigma Private Detective Agency. He smiled blithely. We’re still cops! An good ones!

I can’t believe it. You guys even got pistols?

Peashooters too, he squawked with glee, we’re clean not mean, ha-hah. Pay attention now, though. You an your buddies might’ve gotten yourselves in a bad situation, an we can help. Get in back, let’s go for a ride.

No thanks, I’ve got a physical aversion.

You’ll be sorry, said Viška, you’ve got no idea what kind of mess you’re in. We’re just … regular employees now.

Just doin our job, added Side Pocket, cockily honking the horn.

Climb in, said Viška.

Just a little ride, said Side Pocket.

No, I said.

Don’t think we donno who you were talkin with just now, said Side Pocket.

An maybe the guy you were talkin with wants you to know that we know, said Viška.

An maybe not, said Side Pocket, giving another honk.

I couldn’t care less, I said, stepping back from the car in case they got any dumb ideas, and also to get a better look at Viška … those shoulders …

Mr. Viška, I said.

Ah, Mr. Potok has seen the snapshots. Yep, those were the days, those were the days, so many names, you know.

There was a moment of silence. Me standing, them sitting. I knew that one.

So, see you again, Mr. Potok, yes?

I don’t think you’ll be going to heaven.

Hah-hah, good one, said Viška, waving goodbye. Side Pocket put the car in gear and finally they took off.

I realized I was sweating. Will we ever get rid of those spooks? No. Or just one way. If by a sheer twist of fate, instead of a velvet takeover there were a lesser civil war, and if good triumphed over evil, at least for a while, those two’d probly hang. Enigma Agency, laughable. Damnable.

I walked on, considering and speculating, till I came to the pharmacy on the corner and there stood Černá, under the neon, leaning against the grille with one hand, looking at me through green eyes, and my heart stopped.

It’s closed, fuckin slaves, she said.

What do you need?

Nothin you got.

She seemed a little … wobbly, clearly she wasn’t doin too hot. She looked … ready to travel … she never looks the same way twice. Dark jacket, dark pants, tall boots. Hood. Around her neck a thin thing, gold maybe. No silver stuff, no jewelry either. Small scar on her chin, never noticed that, I realized. I’d never seen her up close like this before. She came across as the fairly guarded type, momentarily in distress. Hair raven-black. Shorter than I remembered. She was looking at me. Bathed in the neon’s glow, my palms, when I glanced down, were tinted green … we stood there in that tent of light, the streets and their darkness all around, my mouth was dry. Černá cocked her head sideways, studying me, must’ve known me by sight … she’s drunk, it struck me. Somewhere overhead a lightbulb burst and a gentle rain of shattered glass floated down to our feet.

I guess it’s her, I said to myself.

Yes, said She-Dog.

Before I could notice whether Černá had moved her lips, she slumped sideways, still holding onto the grille but leaning on me now, I felt her cheekbones against my face, her hot breath on my neck, wrapped my arms around her, she would’ve fallen.

I need a man … now … a guy I can lean on, she said drunkenly, but … she hiccuped … I shoved him, he fell. You … flag me a cab. I wanna go home.

Very cautiously and very gently I pushed her back, peeled her hand off the bars, gripped her by the shoulders, and propped her up against the grille.

I took off her hood. She drifted off into relieved microslumber, but there was a dream, her eyelids were quivering. Her hair color swept off the wings of a black bird. Couple silver ones … face pale an fragile, a sharp wrinkle or two at the corners of her mouth, hair curled around her ears. She-Dog never told me when I met her she might need to lean on me, it took me by surprise, maybe what was left of my power was there to protect someone …

What’re you doin? Quit screwin around, I told you you can come over. She stood there, legs spread, eyes open, looking off over my shoulder … I gave her a shake.

I’m tellin you, it won’t work. It hurts! Flag a cab. Please, she whimpered.

So I did. Holding her up with one arm and waving with the other.

Take off my jacket, she said after a while. I think I’m wasted.

What for … it’s not warm.

But she insisted.

One guy stopped, but then got a look at us in that tent of green light and drove off again. Not the next one. I took her cold hand in mine and led her to the cab, spread-legged and teetering, it probably looked hilarious, but there was a strong emotion in my heart. Tilting drunkenly, she tossed her jacket on the back seat, sat down on it, and slammed the door. Just then I noticed drops of blood on the sidewalk, leading from the spot where she’d been standing, it had soaked right through her pants.

If you don’t mind, boss, I’ll take the cash in advance, said the cabbie.

Wait. The address, Černá, the address!

She said it. The man rolled down his window. I gave him something.

Then I walked through the city to the home of the tribe, through the labyrinth of my world, where I live, and in my heart was peace. Because now I knew I’d found her, I gave She-Dog thanks and my power grew, I think. Just a few matters to settle an I can forget the spooks … tell my tribe see ya, the byznys path has been great an all, friends, but my motion diverts me … an on my frequent visits I’ll watch as Micka glows an Sharky gnashes his teeth an Bohler meditates an David … we were five … hope David’s thumbs’re healin up … it didn’t even cross my mind that Černá might not want me.