Chapter 92: 92 And Afterwards You Wake Up, Part Five

Jin noticed the new rule before he went to get the food but there wasn't anything he could do about it from there. Letting people know would have to wait until he got back, laid up with more plates than ever.

Not that anyone was there and ready when he got back to the nook where they normally ate. He put the plates down and looked around. 1090 stood sentinel outside Dr Yeoh's room, where the doctor talked in barely audible whispers with Rod Spark. Jin overheard Spark saying something about nearly fixing two of the crafts, before he got distracted by Angharad shuffling around the corner.

"Where is everyone?" he asked.

"Freya's helping Tabitha get dressed," Angharad said. She rubbed at the corners of her eyes and groaned.

"There's a new rule up on the board saying 'no outside food'," he said.

She sat in a chair and looked up at him, sleepy-eyed. "No more crickets for me?"

"It's just jam on toast and rubbery eggs today. I think you can eat it."

He'd worked hard to fatten her up and make her strong. He wasn't going to let that go to waste, no matter what the rules said.

*

Tsuyoshi was with Ibrahim, deep in a discussion about who were the worst Impressionists, when Dr Yeoh knocked on the door.

"If you're not going to be useful to me, at least help someone else," she said, without so much as a hello.

"What?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"Spark needs strong bodies for boring drudge work. I volunteered you," she said.

*

A week earlier, Tsuyoshi had been cold down to his bones, but outside, the day was surprisingly hot. He knew it wasn't just in his head. Even Spark was red and sweating, stripped down to his ugly polo shirt and baggy jeans.

Tsuyoshi took off his jacket and gave it to Ibrahim, who seemed to think his supervisory skills were deeply necessary. Tsuyoshi was tempted to flex a little. He knew what Ibrahim really wanted to watch.

Ibrahim wasn't the only person that watched. Spark had already recruited Zelko to do whatever it was he needed people to do, and Zelko went about it without speaking, though the pitiful look in his eyes spoke volumes.

Tsuyoshi put his hands in the pockets of his jeans and kicked at a rock. "Wouldn't the fighter pilot kids be more useful than we are?"

"I don't need you to fly the plane. I need you to press buttons," Spark said.

Tsuyoshi groaned and rolled his eyes. He'd make sure everyone knew his help was under protest. He glanced at Ibrahim just to make sure his protest was noted but Dr Yeoh was already dragging Ibrahim away. Ibrahim shrugged and waved as he followed her to the hospital, still holding Tsuyoshi's jacket.

Tsuyoshi sighed and got on with the button pressing.

*

Angharad got distracted by trying to make sense of everyone's notes about the physical make up of Zapville by Ibrahim arriving with various damp cloths.

Ibrahim was very tidy. He cleaned every part of the room, his hands quick and efficient. He didn't seem confused at where to start or worried about the dirt, and when he was done he didn't have much on himself, either.

"You seem transfixed," Ibrahim said.

"Oh, this is like... You're really good at that. I don't know how to do these things," Angharad said.

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"Ah, well, you see, I really did work as a cleaner in the six months before I got caught. When I introduce myself that way it's not a metaphor."

"I mean, that does make sense."

Ibrahim chuckled. "Indeed." He finished wiping down the room, put the cleaning cloths in a laundry basket, then washed his hands. "I should make tea."

"Tea is your answer for everything."

He fussed around with a kettle then sat down with tea at the doctor's desk, so Angharad sat opposite.

"How did you...?" Her voice trailed off into nothing. It was too hard to find the words to put together.

"I worked on the staff of a hotel for six months before the authorities caught up with me, if that's what you're asking."

"No, uh... The other thing."

"Oh, I see. You want to know how I got into my other line of work. I'm not sure I should say. I don't want to upset you."

"Oh, no, it's not like... I mean, I know it's not my business or whatever but I am totally fine. I'm a strong person! I'm not upset over small things."

"I'm not sure it's such a small thing." He sighed and put his cup down. "Well, I suppose it can't do much harm now."

He looked off into the window for a moment, unfocused, when he looked back at Angharad his gaze was sharp.

"I used to live in one of those countries the American empire and its allies habitually invades under the veneer of liberating us. Even after their most recent civil war, they continue to carve up the rest of the world. I lived with my brother in a small village. He was tall, clever and playful. You have to understand, we had no other family. I was as his brother and father. I'm not sure whether the soldiers really thought of us as people, but even if we were animals to them, I could better treat wayward sheep. They couldn't tell the difference between us and the other side.

"I searched for days when my brother went missing. He was still alive when I found him. It took days for his injuries to bring things to a natural conclusion. They'd only been playing with him. All he could say is that they'd laughed.

"When I found the people responsible I did not laugh. All I did was kill them, one by one, over a period of months, until there was no person left to kill. That's how I discovered that I don't feel that thing other people feel that stops them from killing another. I don't hesitate or regret. I'm good at it. And when you find something you're good at, why not make it your work? Identifying a skill and getting paid for it is the true capitalist way.

"Ah, you look upset. I knew I shouldn't tell you."

"No, it.. it's fine!" It really wasn't fine.

He pressed a handkerchief on her. "Come on, now, dry your tears."

She rubbed the handkerchief over her face, rubbing against the sore skin over and around her eyes. "I guess I shouldn't ask the other question."

"And what would that be?" he asked.

"Why did you call yourself Ibrahim?"

He looked off in the distance a smiled, a gentle, warm thing. "I suppose you could say religion found me before the law did. And, anyway, it's a nice name."

"It is. I really like it on you."

His smile grew wider and brighter as he looked straight at her. "Your name looks good on you, too."

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