Martoons

Cast of characters

Fred

Mr Go

Mr Kang

Miss No

*

Speaking from the phone in the booth at the beach taxi stand, Comrade No cleared her throat.

To her satisfaction, Go had picked up at exactly two and half rings and was now putty in her hands.

“Comrade Go, do as I say.”

“Yes Comrade No.”

* What is she going to tell him to do?! *

“Is Fred in your office?”

“Yes Comrade No.”

“Is the sushi knife in your top left drawer?”

Go discretely and out of Fred’s view slid the drawer slowly open, without looking down to tip-off Fred, and felt for the cutting utensil.

“Yes Comrade No. It is there.”

*

Fred sat there aghast and then whispered into the landline: “Mr Kang, someone’s talking to Mr Go. It’s like he’s getting a call from the twilight zone or something. Here, listen…”

Fred turned the phone receiver back toward Go so Kang could hear what was going on. He couldn’t make out much but did pick up the words ‘Comrade No’.

A deathly pall seemed to hang over the desk area as Fred put the landline back up to his ear. “Mr Kang?”

“Aigo!” Kang said. “Fred, monitor the situation but don’t say anything to Mr Go and definitely don’t do anything. I have an idea what’s happening.

“I will give you directions in a minute.”

“This is a very delicate situation. Whatever you do, don’t try to snap Mr Go out of that hypnotized state. That could be very damaging.”

* What could happen if Fred tried?… *

*

Comrade No was hearing voices in the background. “Comrade Go, who is Fred talking to – do you know? Who? Who?”

“Comrade No, Fred is talking to Mr Kang in Ulsan.”

Comrade No was alarmed as her control of the situation was in jeopardy. However, she wasn’t ready for Comrade Go to reach into the drawer just yet.

“Comrade Go, grab the landline phone off Fred and hang it up. Is that clear?”

“Yes Comrade No.”

With lighting quick reflexes, Go’s hand shot over the desk and snapped the phone from an unexpected Fred’s relaxed grasp. Go briskly and firmly hung it up. Clunk!

“Task completed, Comrade No.”

Fred sat there, dumbfounded and speechless.

Comrade No knew full well that her manipulative spell over Go wouldn’t last too long without all the other mind-washing accoutrements – the portraits, candles, and particularly the North Korean wine – from the séances.

But Go’s low blood sugar (which she was unaware of) was luckily working in her favour for now, making him at least minimally malleable and compliant.

“Comrade Go,” she said, “It would be best if you relax and have a drink. I’m sure you have some soju stashed in the institute somewhere.”

“Please get it immediately. This is an order. Come back to the desk, and wait for your next instruction. Is that clear?”

“Right away Comrade No.”

Go robotically raised himself from the chair and mechanically marched out of the office at a steady pace.

Fred waited momentarily as if nothing was happening, and then quickly and quietly followed.

Go continued down to the hall’s end washroom and entered one of the stalls.

He removed a wing nut from the toilet’s holding tank lid and removed a bottle of chilled soju.

It was his emergency stash and he always kept at least one bottle in there cooling. Fred stood about five feet back, remaining inconspicuous, but watching closely.

*

Tomorrow: Kang enters the mind-wash game…