War/Peace. Matthew Vandenberg

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СКАЧАТЬ you so gently, as though their arms are lashes. It's like they're virgins when they come to see me; they've never before felt like they do when they're with me. That's why they return.' - I smile and exhale - 'And I feel just as good. And that's really important.' - I sit down next to Shelly - 'I feel really good. I feel worth millions. That's why I've got such high self-esteem. I don't wanna be a role model. I ain't saying it works for everyone, but it sure as hell works for me.'

      'The body is a work of art,' Shaun says. 'And maybe God designed it, whatever. Fact is: it's a work of art.'

      'Yeah,' Shelly says. 'Some bodies are real nice.'

      'Like yours,' Chloe says, stretching. 'Shell, ever had a stomach ache at night, while sleeping?'

      'What's that got to do with anything?' Adrian says.

      'Yeah,' Shelly says. 'Well, I've woken up before with a tummy ache. Usually when I need to go to the toilet.'

      'Chloe, what the . . . ?' Shaun says. 'I can see toilets now, twenty of them. You're messin' with my mind.'

      'Look: it's dawn, you're in bed, you were deep underdream, a deep sea diver, and now you're ready to come up for air. But you rise then fall, rise then fall, taking short, stiff breaths of consciousness: still not fully awake and fully aware. And this pain you feel, you have no idea it's a tummy-ache, you think the pain is mental, you're thinking about a problem to which you already have a solution but the pain is causing you to believe this is the most challenging problem you have ever had to solve. And you toss and turn as you think and think, just as you might about the question of God, how the universe began, the size of the universe, and you think and think but your mind does not go numb. Instead, it's a raging river of thoughts: the sea is turbulent and waves like the sheets you're lying on. You ponder, you wonder, you strain your brain, and you're in pain. You wake and you realize that you just need to go to the toilet . . .'

      'What the hell are you talking about Chloe?' Jerri asks.

      'The time I lost my virginity,' Chloe says, shrugging. She smiles.

      'I'm looking forward to meeting Lorelei,' Shelly says. 'She sounds nice.'

      'Lorelei,' Shaun says. 'Rolls off the tongue.'

      'Chloe,' Chloe says. 'Shoots off the tongue.'

      'Jackson: you have – just – the biggest bloody scar on your face,' Shaun says. 'As big as a mushroom . . .'

      'Makes me look like Seal don't it?' I say, sitting down.

      'How'd you get it?' Chloe asks.

      'A razor blade,' I say, shrugging.

      'A fight?' Adrian asks. 'Who with?'

      'Not a fight,' I say. 'I took a blade to my cheek.' - I shrug – 'It's for the clientele, of course. I know some chicks from Africa who dig this shit, and I ain't never got complaints from other girls.'

      'Does it heel?' Shelly asks.

      'Yeah, that's what I don't know,' I say. 'I learnt the hard way that puttin' out cigarettes on your body ain't wise coz the scars are permanent. But girls don't gotta do this, that's why you lot are so lucky, the female is not required to look tough. In fact, make-up is not even essential, if you've got the looks of Lorelei, or you, Shelly.'

      'Thanks,' Shelly says. 'But what are you talking about, dating?'

      'Yeah,' I say, shrugging. I shake my head. 'Dating, why not?'

      'He's talking about taking pride in your body,' Chloe says. 'Ever been to MardiGras?'

      'Of course she ain't,' Adrian says. 'She's a Catholic!'

      'No . . . I haven't,' Shelly says.

      'Life should be a MardiGras,' Shaun says.

      Kssssssssssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

      'Shit!' I say. 'Did you hear that?' I race to one of the windows.

      'What is it?' Chloe asks.

      'That was an explosion,' Adrian says.

      'They're dropping bombs,' I say. 'And it looks like a fuckin' American plane.'

      'We're on their side,' Adrian says.

      'We're in the south-side, idiot,' I say.

      'We're on national fuckin' TV in the States!' Chloe yells. 'Don't they realize there's a safe-house here?'

      'They're bound to now,' Shaun mutters. He points at one of the cameras. 'You guys is all watchin' us, right. You tell your fuckin' government that we don't want no bombs being dropped on us.'

      'Or on the south-side,' Shelly says. 'My family's out there.'

      'Or on the south-side,' Shaun repeats.

      'Everyone remain calm,' Big Brother says.

      I look a the phone, lying on the floor.

      'We're in a fuckin' war zone, aren't we?' Chloe asks.

      'This is a bunker,' Big Brother continues. 'You know this. Inside you are safe.'

      'What about our families?' Jerri asks. 'I had no idea bombs were gonna be dropped. This is fuckin' crazy.'

      'The American public is watching you,' Big Brother says. 'They're watching the people inside this house and the people inside the safe-houses all throughout the south. They saw the bomb fall just now. They saw it through your eyes. They will understand. It is now your job to invite more people into the house. In the master bedroom you will find a loudspeaker. In the center of this room, as I am sure you have noticed, is a spiral staircase leading to a sunroof. Open this, climb out, and you are on the roof of the bunker. This is your stage. You can now perform. Choose your speaker and break a leg.'

      'That's our next challenge?' Shaun asks. 'Aren't we cookin' dinner?'

      'There are bombs falling all around us!' Shelly says. 'You're thinking about dinner?!'

      'One bomb fell,' Jackson says. 'It'll be ok, Shell. Look, everyone: this is Mecca, right? We can promote this place. We're inside the Kaaba. It's the Batu caves, or the Gombak River, or the Ganges in Haridwar, India if you're a Hindu; it's Ol Doinyo Lengai if you're from Tanzania; we're inside the cliff below Myanmar's Golden Rock if you're a Buddhist . . .'

      'But . . .' Shelly says.

      'This is St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican if you're a Catholic,' Adrian says. 'Or the Jordan River. Or the Sea of Galilee, known as Yam Kinneret if you're a Jew.'

      'The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem if you're a Muslim,' Jerri says.

      'The wall that surrounds us, the Western Wall if you're a Jew,' I say. 'Mount Kailash in western Tibet if you're a Hindu or Buddhist or Jain.'

      'It's the city of Allahabad in 2013, and we're holding the festival of Kumbh Mela,' Chloe says. '100 million Hindu pilgrims are expected.'

      'It's a grotto in Lourdes, France where someone thought they saw the Virgin Mary,' Shaun says. 'Who's that?'

      'It's СКАЧАТЬ