Гость » 14 сен 2007, 20:38:49
Isn’t that foolish to propose to your beloved at the place where your first date was? But it is truly romantic, isn’t it?
It was these words that George was saying over and over again while driving the car home. Today was that very day. He loved those changes that had taken place in his life. There now were tow tooth-brushes in his bedroom, all the inhabitants of his aquarium were regularly fed and all the women in the world had turned into bright T-shirts floating along the streets. All the women. Except Pat.
The summer was very hot and people were advised to wear hats. George was driving home from Detective Sergeant Bob Moor who had been working at the case of the murder of George’s brother.
His name was Ron, he was a 19-year-old student, handsome and bright. This was a very complicated case which lasted for 10 months already. The boy was found dead near the porch of their house with 12 woundings. And the following day George received an SMS sent from the internet: «This is the principle of equilibrium, George: the more you get that you want – the more you lose you love.»
There were no other prompts, or messages, or anything. The detective was sure that the murderer was a George’s acquaintance. Among Ron’s friends there was nobody to be suspected, everyone had had an alibi as the enquiries proved.
The matter was that George had got a very prestige and highly-paid job in the Research Centre of Atomic Physics some 11 months ago, then Ron was killed, and those strange message had been got…Bob Moor at first believed that one of two George’s colleagues might have been guilty or both. George had been working with them at some important research project and everyone knew that only one of them would be offered a job. They all worked with great zest but it was George who chanced to get the place and now there was no love lost between them. The first, Charley by name, was a hot-tempered man, who even threatened George after the offer, but also he was known to calm quickly, now he was working for a big and successful company and seemed to be completely absorbed in his work, moreover he had had an alibi.
It might well be that Tom, meek and constantly keeping silence, should be blamed, but that night Tom, dead drunk, fell asleep on the landing next to his flat and his neighbors called the police where he finally found himself in the morning. The detective was baffled.
Everything was covered with dust in this city; it hasn’t rained for a long time. The summer wasn’t giving much pleasure, people had to bear it. George’s thoughts of Pat and Ron and what exactly he would tell Pat that evening were interrupted by a phone call. It was Bob Moor:
-Good afternoon, George!
-Good afternoon, Bob! What’s the news?
-No news, no-thing! Plague on the murderer! George, try to remember somebody else!
-I don’t know! Whom should I remember? Those children who were with me in the kindergarten? Or my first dentist? Whom?
-Just try to. Unfortunately, I am not a Sherlock Holmes or a conjurer. I am doing what I can. So long, George!
Traffic jams seemed to be everywhere. The city resembled a tremendous jelly-fish which just had been marking the time.
George was nervous. There was something on the tip of his tongue, but how could he guess what? He wished Bob Moor had been a Sherlock Holmes or a conjurer or how did he say? A conjurer… a conjurer… George frowned and the recollection inundated him. It happened a couple of years ago. Jack. Jack Rollington, he was defending his work «Equilibrium around us» to become a post-graduate student. George criticized Jack’s work in front of the other members of the commission and said he was no conjurer. The boy failed. He remembered the boy’s distorted face. Fairly speaking, George didn’t want to do any harm to anybody. He had a bad mood that day. On leaving the house he had thrown his diplomat instead of the plastic bag with rubbish into the rubbish chute.
Could that have been the price for his brother’s life? George called Bob and told him everything. Three hours later George, Bob and 4 policemen were standing in the middle of the room which had been rented by Jack. He was insane. The walls of the room were covered with photos of George, Ron, their parents and Pat. George called her immediately and asked to be very careful:
-Pat, wait for me in «The fat Crucian»I’ll be there in an hour. I’m so sorry about the delays but it’s really important!
-That’s really good news! I’m already here, I’ll have a snack while we are waiting for you. So long!
Meanwhile at the restaurant a waiter who happened to hear Pat’s last phrase asked her if there would be a third person, but Pat just smiled and answered in the negative.
George was driving to the restaurant. «They are surely to catch him»,-he thought. He heard a message having come. «This is the principle of equilibrium, as I promised, George. Switch on the radio.»
Hurriedly he pressed the button. «It must be a joke, a very bad joke!..»
«..and don’t forget to shelter in the shadow, today is very hot.
Aaaand our program stops for a block of urgent news. As our correspondent reports, 20 minutes ago an explosion happened in the centre of the city, at the main trading centre. The building has collapsed having buried a great number of people. The drugstore, the restaurants «Delicious resort» and «The fat Crucian», numerous offices turned into the pile of wreckage. As experts say, there is hardly a single survivor among those who were in the drugstore or in the restaurants. The rescuing works have started. We’ll inform you about it in details later.
…and our program is going on. Enjoy the song, the summer and the warmth of those whom you love. Listen to Queen..
Empty spaces, what are we living for?
Abandoned places, I guess we know the score.
On and on. Does anybody know what we are looking for?
Another hero, another mindless crime
Behind the curtain in the pantomime
Hold the line; does anybody want to take it anymore?
The show must go on!
Inside my heart is breaking
My make-up may be flaking
But my smile still stays on..»