Jáchym Topol - City, Sister, Silver

Yep, that’s it, said Vohřecký … an ya know we got a lady says she saw the killer … gave us a pretty exact description what he had around his neck, one a those old ladies sells candles in church, she don’t live there no more, so don’t go gettin any ideas … an she gave us an exact description of this thing here, this saint a yours, you piece a shit. Is it even silver, yeah, guess so. That granny went down for coal, saw the two a you, you an the victim, she was scared a you. But we got it in writing. She saw you rape the girl too.

That’s not true! An this is the Madonna!

An then you choked her. They’ll tell us that in the lab too.

But they didn’t tear her off me. The medallion was still on my skin. It was cool.

You killed Závorová. Let’s go, you freak. Get up, we’re goin down to the station. They’ll give you a nice warm welcome! Wait’ll they get a load a the artist …

I sat there.

Or maybe we oughta take a ride … step out a while instead? Whadda ya say?

I couldn’t’ve cared less that Rudolf was in the car, but there … in the seat next to the driver … shades on, she sat stiffly, didn’t even move her head … I was still hopin they’d forced her, that they had her to get at me … even now that they’d found what they found, knew what they knew … but as soon as we got on the highway, Viška, who was driving, began clowning around, honked the horn, and then one more time … we honk at the pharmacy, at the signal we come out, and … he turned around and laughed at me … I was broken, crushed … I wasn’t gonna talk, but when Viška … grabbed her thigh and said: Easy Evie, she can take it … man, can she ever, slut with an overbite, whadda ya say to those sweet little teeth … sharp as the Reaper’s scythe … I slugged Rudolf and then shouted at her.

Viška, looking like he’d expected it, slammed on the brakes, jumped out the door, but Vohřecký stopped him … they held me down … and Rudolf said into my ear, soothingly … softly: It’s the only way, sorry, don’t be surprised, you blew it, and then jabbed a needle into my forearm … the vein absorbed it gratefully, sucking it in, I didn’t care what it was, all I could see was my girl’s black leather jacket and her hair … from behind. I was powerless.

When I came to, it was daylight. I was in the backseat and the first thing I saw … Hello there, said Vohřecký. We were stopped in front of some … little wooden church, I could see cobwebs all over the corners, the belfry, Vohřecký touched my shoulder, pretty gently … wake up now, c’mon … the only other one there was her, in front, back to me … take off those shades, baby, look at me, just once … I begged her … Shut the fuck up! Vohřecký commanded, she didn’t move … easy Evie, I was glad Viška wasn’t there … they’re out eatin, the other spook informed me, want somethin? Černá, no way, I don’t believe it … she flung herself at the door, opened it, slammed it shut, walked off.

Doesn’t work, man, you can’t do that sorta thing an then have everything go okay, said Vohřecký … now show us where they are an you’re free as a bird … we’ll go in a while, you don’t want anything?

No.

Little Evie had to go and get mixed up with a hooligan, Viška joked, winkin at me as he drove, just to get to me … out of sheer love, isn’t that right, kitten? What’s the matter now? Easy Evie loves her old daddy. Don’t cha? Isn’t that right? He groped her thigh again.

Rudolf sat next to me, not saying a word, I could see him sweating. I’ll take you guys there, I told Vohřecký, but make him be quiet … Yeah, Michal, said Vohřecký, that’s enough now … Fuck you, I’m drivin here! … I was embarrassed to talk to her in front of them, and then suddenly I realized I wanted to die, the thought came in a flash and stayed … I’ll go first, I said to myself, an I’ll never come outta those woods again, I don’t wanna live, this is the end … I was a little scared of She-Dog too, I had a hunch she was around somewhere … we pulled over at the spot where Smoothy had stopped … it hadn’t been that long ago and now my life was shattered … Vohřecký tied my hands with his belt … I sat down on the ground … Viška kicked me, Sister … Černá saw it … they held him back … not like that, said Rudolf, he looked comical, like some good little student, next to these louts, Vohřecký with his gut stickin out, Viška like some kina wrestler …

After a few steps Rudolf untied me, made me lead the way … I only stopped once, where the tank driver’d gotten stuck in the mud, and I realized Černá had stayed in the car, she’d let me go … sacrificed me, who knew what for … I could’ve explained what happened with She-Dog, but no, I would’ve kept quiet … so that whole time she … I must’ve been dopey still from the injection, cause I wasn’t eatin dirt, I was walkin on top of it … they won’t let me talk to her, I won’t ever see her again, if I could slip off through the woods somehow … I stopped, wait a minute, please, wait, I wanna say somethin … they stopped, maybe because I spoke softly … What is it? said Rudolf. There’s … eight or nine of em an they’re soldiers, you’ll never take em.

The gentleman’s shit his pants! said Viška, if only the girls were here now, huh? Don’t worry, said Rudolf, shoving me ahead.

And then we were standing above the valley, me gripping a stone to throw on the roof, and for the last time I whispered to Vohřecký … don’t be stupid, I mean … we’re gonna get … I mean they’re gonna put up a fight … our only chance is if they’re already gone … but then a shadow peeled itself off from the trees and started toward us, Hunter, and Rudolf spread his arms and said: Sakya, sir … Sakya … it’s us … and he said the word one more time and then his eyes bugged and his knees folded and he had a cane stickin out his throat … Vohřecký, two steps ahead of me, reached under his arm, but then sputtered, clutching his belly … I was already off and running … and the forest began to move … I felt it more than heard it: that hop, hop of theirs again, somebody crashed through the bushes, I made a circle and then one more, caught a glance of Vohřecký, white windbreaker billowing in the wind … they were on him, probly to finish him off … and then all around me again: hop, hop … a branch lashed me in the face … thanks to Rudolf my hands were free … I came to some mud, the color of moss … somehow I guessed right and jumped across … whatever it was he’d shot into my vein … my side didn’t hurt, I was breathin all right … the whole way, actually, while I was knocked out, I’d been resting … an now I’ll find out, if Černá’s there an by herself, if they got em … I was gonna find out and that gave me wings … I ducked down between the rocks, cautiously weavin in and out … took a breather in a trench or whatever … an joy again flowed through my veins … but hatred too … cause if she’d betrayed me like I thought, I had a hunch what I would do … there’s the car … I saw him but couldn’t run fast enough … Viška pounced, he’d been waiting, I sidestepped … got to the car, she gripped the wheel, hurry up, go, he rattled the handle, I slammed the door on his fingers, he howled in pain … go, you cow, what’re you waitin for … slowly he walked around the car and settled in next to her … go on, girly, give it some gas, now the clutch, just like I taught cha … let’s get ridda this dumbfuck, huh?

Aiming at me. Both of us panting. Černá shot off.

Here I am, Černá, I hissed. No answer. Won’t be long now, Viška said. Pull over by that haystack, Evie. Yeah, here. An you, out. Into the field, hurry up. Move! Černá climbed out too, I moved toward her, but he was faster.