Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Mayor

When the door signal rang, Merlin Terrence was taking a film book from the shelf.His round face, which had been thoughtful, was replaced by an expression of proper and normal caution.He ran his hands through his thinning light hair and called out, "Wait a minute." He put the film book back and flipped a switch, causing the camouflage shell to snap back into place, so that the bookshelf was indistinguishable from the rest of the wall.For the simple factory workers and agricultural workers under his command, it is something to be proud of that their compatriots (at least in terms of birth) own film books.This seems to illuminate the dark corners of their own impoverished hearts through the faint reflection.However, he will not display the film publicly.

Film book exposure would mess things up and tie their tongues, which are anything but eloquent.While they might talk about the mayor's library after dinner, having those books in front of their eyes would make Terrence look like a tycoon. Plus, of course, the tycoons have to worry about it.It is extremely unlikely that any of them will come to visit.But in case any one broke in, it was obviously unwise to let him see a series of film books.He is a mayor, and he has certain privileges according to the usual practice, but he must not show off to the outside world. He yelled again: "Come on!"

This time he was pressing down the seam of the front of his knee-length tunic as he walked towards the door.Even his clothes have the air of a tycoon, and sometimes he almost forgets that he was born in Florencia. Varona March stood on the steps in front of the door, curtseying respectfully and bowing her head in greeting. Terrence pushed the door open: "Come in, Varona, sit down. The curfew must have started, I hope the patrolman didn't see you." "I don't think so, Mayor." "I hope so. You have a poor record, and you know that." "Yes, mayor. I am grateful for all you have done for me in the past."

"Don't take it to heart. Come on, sit down. Would you like something to eat or drink?" She sat down on the edge of a chair, her back straight.Then she shook her head and replied, "No, thank you, mayor, I have eaten." It is polite for townspeople to entertain guests with refreshments, but it is impolite to accept hospitality from the host.Terrence knew this, so he didn't force her. He said, "All right. What's the trouble, Varona? Fool again?" Varona nodded, as if she didn't know where to start. Terrence asked again: "Is he in trouble at the processing plant?"

"No, Mayor." "Having another headache?" "No, Mayor." Terrence waited for a while, his pale eyes gradually narrowed and became sharper: "Okay, Varona, you won't ask me to guess, will you? It's okay, tell me, otherwise I can't help you. I know you need help." First she said, "Yes, mayor," and then blurted out, "What am I going to tell you, mayor? That sounds almost crazy." Terrence felt the urge to pat her on the shoulder, but he knew she would pull back immediately.She sat as usual, burying her large hands in her clothes as best she could.He noticed that her stubby, strong fingers were intertwined and twisted slowly.

"No matter what it is, I will listen," he said. "Do you remember, Mayor, what I told you about the town doctor and what he said?" "I haven't forgotten, Varona. And I remember telling you not to do anything like that behind my back again. Do you remember?" Her eyes widened.She remembered his anger without any reminder. "I will never do such a thing again, mayor; I just don't know if you still remember that you once said that you would do everything in your power to help me keep Yu Ke?" "I'll do what I say. Well, did any of the patrolmen ask him?"

"No. Oh, mayor, do you think they will?" "I'm sure not." He gradually lost his patience, "Okay, Varona, tell me what happened?" She showed melancholy eyes: "Mayor, he said he was going to leave me, please stop him." "Why did he leave you?" "He said he was starting to remember things." Terrence immediately seemed interested.He leaned forward, almost reaching for her hand. "Remember something? What?" Terrence still remembered how Yu Ke was first discovered.That day, many children gathered near an irrigation canal outside the town and called out to him with high-pitched voices.

"Mayor! Mayor!" He ran over immediately. "What's the matter, Lassi?" When he came to town, he made it a business to memorize children's names, which would please the mothers and make his first month or two easier. Lacy showed a disgusted look: "Look, the mayor." He pointed to a slowly wriggling mass of white stuff, which was Yu Ke.The other boys immediately clamored to explain to Terrence.Terrence barely understood, they were playing a game of hide and chase.They eagerly told him the name of the game, what happened, and at what stage they were interrupted.There were also a few spats over which person or side was "leading".Of course, none of this matters.

The twelve-year-old dark-haired boy, Lacy, heard the whimpering first, and walked cautiously in that direction.He originally thought it was an animal, maybe a field mouse, so he could catch it and play with it.In the end he found Yu Ke. Each of the boys was stunned at the strange thing, which was both disgusting and very funny.It was an adult, almost naked, weeping weakly with a drool dripping from his jaw, his hands and feet flailing aimlessly.He had a bearded face and faded blue eyes darting wildly from side to side.For a moment those eyes caught Terrence's and seemed to focus on him.Then, the man slowly raised his thumb and stuffed it into his mouth.

One of the children laughed. "Look at him, mayor, he's sucking his finger." The sudden cry frightened the man lying on the ground.His face turned red and he writhed into a ball.Then there was a faint whine, but it was not accompanied by tears, and the thumb was still in the mouth.His palms were covered with mud, and the thumb in his mouth was red and wet. Terrence broke free from his stunned state and said, "Well, listen, children, you shouldn't be running around in the thistle field, it will damage the crops. If the farm workers catch you, you know there will be What the consequences, go back and don't tell the story. Listen, Lacy, you go to Mr. Jancas and tell him to come here quickly."

Ul Jancas was the only person in town closest to the doctor.He had been apprenticed for a time to a doctor's practice in the city, and this experience relieved him of duty to work in the fields or in the mills.The arrangement was not bad, he would take temperatures, write prescriptions, give shots; most importantly, he could tell what was bad enough to warrant a trip to the city hospital.Without such a semi-professional backing, those unfortunate enough to suffer from meningitis or acute appendicitis may suffer, but usually not for long; He was not formally accused of being an accomplice in sabotage. Jancus helped Terrence lift the man onto a skateboard cart, and the two of them carried him back to town as carefully as possible. They worked together to wash off the hard and dried dirt that stuck to the man's body.His hair was difficult to get rid of, so during the physical examination, Jankas shaved the man's body and did everything he could. "I don't see any infection, mayor," said Jancas. "He's not out of food, he's not starving. I can't figure out what's going on here. How do you think he's in there, mayor?" " His tone was pessimistic, as if he didn't expect Terrence to answer anything.Terrence accepts this fact with an optimistic attitude. The townspeople have just lost their old mayor who has been with him for nearly fifty years. A young newcomer must go through a period of transition.Of course they doubted him and lacked confidence in him, but it was by no means directed at him personally. Terrence said, "I'm afraid I don't know either." "Can't walk, you know. Can't walk a step. Someone must have put him there. To my best judgment, he's almost like a baby. All other abilities are gone." "What disease can cause this phenomenon?" "Not so far as I know. It might be mentally handicapped, but I don't know anything about it. If it's mentally handicapped, I'd have to send him to town. Have you seen this man, Mayor?" Terrence smiled slightly, and replied gently, "I've only been here for a month." Jiankas sighed, and reached for the handkerchief: "Yeah. The old mayor is a good man, he let us live a good life. I have been here for nearly sixty years, and I have never seen this guy. It must be from someone else. from our village." Jancas was a fat man, as if he had been born fat.With this natural body shape and a lifetime of indoor work, it is not difficult to understand why he has to breathe out a few words, and frequently wipes his smooth forehead with a red bandana, but it is useless. "I don't know what to say to the police," he said. Soon the patrolmen did come, which was impossible to avoid.Kids will tell their parents, and parents will tell other people.Life in the small town is so peaceful, and this kind of thing is so unusual that it deserves to be told.And when it was spread all over the streets and alleys, it was difficult for the policemen not to hear it. The so-called patrolmen were members of the Florentine Patrol.They were not natives of Florenia, nor were they compatriots of those Sark tycoons.They are nothing more than a bunch of mercenaries who will obey orders as long as they are paid.These foreign mercenaries have no blood relationship with the Florentines, so they can never be misled into sympathy for them. There were two patrolmen who came to investigate, accompanied by a foreman from the processing factory, who made the most of his little authority. The two patrolmen appeared impatient and unconcerned.A frustrated idiot might be part of the day's work, but it's never the fun part.One of the patrolmen said to the foreman, "Okay, how long will it take you to make an identification? Who is this man?" The foreman shook his head vigorously. "I've never seen him, sir. He's not from here!" The patrolman turned to Jankas. "Does he have any papers on him?" "No, sir: he was only wearing a rag, which was burned as a precaution against infection." "What's wrong with him?" "Mental loss, best judgment I can make." At this time, Terrence took the two patrolmen aside.Since they are already impatient, it is not difficult to dismiss.The patrolman who asked the question put away his notebook. "Well, it's not even worth recording. It's none of our business, you figure it out yourself." Then they left. The foreman did not follow.This person has freckles on his face, fiery red hair, and a thick and stiff mustache.Under the strict regulations, he has worked as a foreman for five years, which means that he has a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, and he must be responsible for the production of the processing plant to meet the quota every season. "Listen," he said gruffly, "what's the deal with this? Those bastard workers are too busy talking about it, and they're all out of work." "I think the best way is to send him to the hospital in the city." Jiankas said, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief desperately, "I can't help." "Send it into town!" the foreman was startled. "Who's going to pay? Who's going to pay? He's not one of us, is he?" "Not as far as I know," Jankas admitted. "Then why should we pay? Find out who he is, let his town pay." "How to find it? Tell me." While the foreman was thinking, he stuck out his tongue and licked his thick red lips: "We just need to get rid of him, as the patrolman said." "What do you mean by that?" Terrence asked. The foreman replied: "This kind of person is better than dead. This is our great mercy." "You can't kill a living person," Terrence said. "Then please tell me what to do?" "Can't a townsman take care of him?" "Who will do it? Do you want it?" Terrence dismissed the blatant disrespect: "I have other jobs." "The same goes for everyone else. I can't ask anyone to leave their job at the processing plant to take care of this lunatic." Terrence sighed and said calmly, "Okay, foreman, let's be reasonable. If you don't meet your quota this season, I might assume it's because one of your workers is taking care of the poor guy." , and I'll help you explain it to those tycoons. Otherwise, in case you really don't make it, I'll say I don't know you have any reason." The foreman blew his beard and stared angrily.The new mayor has only been here for a month, and he has already started to interfere with the people who have lived in the town all their lives.But then again, this man has the trump card of a tycoon, and it would be unwise to be too openly against him. So he said, "But who's going to take care of this guy?" A sudden panic came over him, "I can't. I have three kids myself, and my wife isn't very well." "I didn't say you were responsible." Terrence looked out the window.No sooner had the patrolmen left than the crowd began to gather outside his house and whisper.Most of them are children who have not yet reached the working age, and there are also agricultural workers from nearby farmland, and some factory workers who take turns. Terrence spotted the big girl standing at the edge of the crowd.He'd noticed her a lot over the past month—tough, capable, hardworking, with a natural intelligence hidden beneath an unflattering exterior.Had she been a man, she might have been selected for training as mayor.It's a pity that she is a woman, her parents are dead, and her mediocre appearance prevents her from enjoying romance.In other words, she was a lonely woman, and likely to be that way all her life. "How is she?" he said. The foreman took one look, then growled, "Damn it, she should be at work now!" "It doesn't matter." Terrence persuaded, "What's her name?" "Varona Mach." "Yes, I remember. Tell her to come in." From that moment on, Terrence became the unofficial guardian of Varona and Yuke.He provided her with excess food rations, cloth tickets, everything she needed for two adults (one of whom was not registered) on one income.He also tried his best to help her send Yu to accept the training of thistle processing factory; when Varona clashed with the foreman because of Yuke, he also helped her avoid a greater punishment.Due to the unexpected death of the city doctor, he did not have to take further action, but he was ready at the time. No matter what trouble Varona was in, it was only natural to come to him for help.Now, he was waiting for her to answer his own question. Varona is still hesitating.Finally she said, "He said everyone in this world is going to die." Terrence seemed taken aback: "Did he say why?" "He said he didn't know why, only that he remembered it from before he became - you know - what he was. He also said he remembered having a big job, but I don't understand what is that." "How would he describe that job?" "He said he divided...analyzed 'nothing'." Varona waited for the mayor to give an opinion, and then explained: "Analysis means taking something apart, like—" "I know, miss." Varona looked at him anxiously: "Do you know what he means, mayor?" "Maybe, Varona." "But, mayor, how can there be such a job as analyzing 'nothing'?" Terrence stood up, showing a short smile: "Ah, Varona, don't you know that everything in the entire galaxy is mainly 'a void'?" It seemed that Varona didn't understand, but she accepted because the mayor was a very learned man.She suddenly felt that her fool must be more learned, which made her feel an unexpected burst of pride. "Let's go." Terrence held out his hand to her. "where are we going?" "Well, where is Yu Ke?" "Home," she said, "is sleeping." "Very well, I'll take you home. You don't want the patrolman to find you alone in the street?" The town at night seemed lifeless.The only street divides the Gongliao district in two, and the street lights along the way only emit a faint light.There were a few drops of rain in the air, but it was just the warm drizzle that fell almost every night, and no special precautions were necessary. On a workday night, Varona had never come out so late before, and the atmosphere was scary.She tried to walk as lightly as possible, listening for the possible sound of patrolling footsteps in the distance. "Don't tiptoe, I'm with you," Terrence said. His voice rumbled through the silence, and Varona jumped.At his urging, she picked up the pace. Varona's hut was as dark as the other houses, and they had to go in very carefully.In fact, Terrence was born and raised in this kind of hut. Although he later lived in Sack, and his current house has three rooms and bathroom facilities, he still has a nostalgic feeling for this kind of hut with four walls.There was everything in one room: a bed, a chest of drawers, two chairs; a smooth concrete floor underfoot, and a wardrobe in the corner. There is no need to install cooking equipment in the house, because all three meals are settled in the processing factory; and there is no need to build bathrooms, because there is a row of public toilets and showers behind these houses.The climate here is mild and there are no seasonal changes. The purpose of the windows is not to block the cold and wind and rain.There are screened holes in the walls on all four sides, and the eaves above are sufficient to shield the drizzle from the windless night. Terrence held a small flashlight in one hand, and under its light, he saw a broken screen enclosing a corner of the room.He remembered that it was not long ago, when Yuke became no longer like a child, or more like an adult, he specially made it for Varona.At this time, a uniform snoring sound came from behind the screen. He nodded in that direction: "Wake him up, Varona." Varona tapped the screen lightly: "Yuke! Yuke, baby!" There was a slight exclamation from behind the screen. "It's me, Varona." After Varona finished speaking, the two walked around the screen.Terrence shone a small flashlight on their own faces, and then on Yu Ke. Yu Ke raised an arm to block the strong light: "What's going on?" Terrence sat on the edge of the bed, and he noticed that Yu Ke was sleeping on the original bed in the dormitory.At the beginning, he helped Yu Ke get a dilapidated and shaky bed, but Varona kept that bed for herself. "Fool," said Terrence, "Varona said you're starting to remember things from the past." "Yes, the mayor." Yu Ke is always very humble in front of the mayor, this person is the most important person he has ever met, even the supervisor of the processing factory is polite to the mayor.So, Yu Ke repeated the sporadic memories that came to mind that day. Terrence said, "After you told Varona this, do you remember anything else?" "No more, Mayor." Terrence rubbed his hands: "Okay, Yuke, go on to sleep." Varona followed him outside the house.She tried not to distort her face as much as possible, and wiped her eyes with the back of her rough hand: "Must he leave me, mayor?" Terrence grabbed her hands and said seriously, "You must be strong, Varona. He must leave me for a while, but I will bring him back." "and then?" "I don't know. You have to understand, Varona, the most important thing now is to find out more memories of Yuke." Varona said suddenly, "You mean everyone on Florenna could die, as he said?" Terrence clenched his hands even tighter: "Don't tell anyone, Varona, otherwise the police may really arrest Yuke and you will never see him again. I mean it." Then he turned and walked back to the dormitory slowly and thoughtfully, not really noticing that his hands were shaking.He tossed and turned unable to sleep, and an hour later, he began to adjust the "sleep mask".It was one of the few items he carried with him when he returned to Florence from Sark to take up the post of mayor.It was just big enough to cover his head like a thin black felt hat.He turned the control knob to five hours and flipped the switch. He still had a few seconds to adjust his sleeping position on the bed before the activated response occurred.Then, the sleep mask short-circuits the consciousness center of the brain, and instantly enters a dreamless sleep.