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SCENE 7 fate: "I am not clear on how these souls relate to the war chimes. There have been a lot of missing souls lately, I can't concern myself with one more or less." Ishmael: "All the soles... go to the sea... it doesn't matter what side you're on." fate: "I am much more concerned about the lack of harmony between the prisoner's views and the views of those trying to make a good, sound, winnable war here." Ishmael: "What is my chime here?" fate: "A solid war, a war to be proud of. [to Ishmael]: You seem uninterested in this war. You know nothing about it. You dream." Ishmael: "A war is a war, sir/ma'am. Merely a photo opportunity." fate: "But what an opportunity! And do we see you with a camera? No sir." Ishmael: "And this one was bigger than most... opportunitywise." fate: "You could have traded your gun for a telephoto lens, but you occupy yourself with... shoes." Ishmael: "It was recorded plenty... I can always shoot it later... That is the fault of the monkey! It's the monkey that steals soles! Not I!" fate [to Ishmael]: "Later could be too late. Look at him [pointing at the head]: he's already dead, you missed your chance to shoot at him." Monkey-General [to Ishmael]: "You were the one that wanted shoes." fate [to Ishmael]: "Wars only come once a generation, you have to go for all the gutso you can... But I'm just the judge, not the prosecutor... perhaps you have a reasonable explanation of your sloth?" Monkey-General . o O (fate must know that shoes are what separate man from beast) Ishmael: "They can go on very well without me. deserter and I agreed on that point." Monkey-General . o O (that all wars begin with shoes) fate [to Monkey-General]: "Yes, but the war only gets good when they start to lose their shoes." Monkey-General [to fate]: "Well, at least their soles" fate [to Monkey-General]: "And we know what happens when they get down to just laces... start hanging themselves... where does it end... hopefully never." Ishmael [to fate]: "Your honor, I ask you to ask the monkey here if these shoes were found to be in my possession." fate: "Let's make that your last question before we take a break... I don't want to find you guilty with no pause. [to Monkey-General]: Answer his question, it is a good one." Monkey-General: "Your honor, I would like to introduce this photograph..." Ishmael nods. Monkey-General: "...taken by the reputable bystander..." fate: "And its name is?" Monkey-General: "...recently of this world, and of this court... who has gone to relieve himself... and has not returned..." FONT color=FFFEBB>Ishmael strains to see it. fate: "Probably boozing, all reporters are booze hounds... So please introduce this photograph with its full name, for the record." Monkey-General: "Now, your honorness..." Ishmael . o O (damn him... he is missing the good stuff) Monkey-General: "...may I introduce..." FONT size=3 color=FFFEBB>There is an expectant hush in the audience. Monkey-General: "...the death of illusionism..." fate shudders. Ishmael sits up. Monkey-General: "...also known as the simulacral aura." A baby cries. New York City snores. Ishmael is stunned into silence. fate asks Monkey-General for the photo and examines it closely. fate: "Well, it does resemble him somewhat [nodding to the corpse head on the floor] but there is a fine point of law here that we will have to clarify. It is open to interpretation whether we are talking about the death of illusion or the death of illusionism. One is a serious crime and the other is not. It all hangs on the 'ism'. The death of illusion-- now, that could just clear Ishmael here..." Ishmael: "What about post-illusionism?" fate [to Ishmael]: "Out of our provenance, the time shift does not cover that far ahead." Monkey-General [to fate]: "But your honor... must I remind you..." fate raises an eyebrow inquiringly. Monkey-General: "...that in this court of law, under the special circumstances of war..." fate: "Go on..." Monkey-General: "Illusions are... allusions." fate: "Hmmmm... The nature of these illusions may be the next matter we have to take up, I agree. However, the point I am concerned about is the death of illusion itself." Ishmael: "And may I remind the court that if illusion is dead I cannot have committed war chimes." fate: "Clearly we need illusions, and Ishmael has none; but what shall any of us do if they are completely gone? Is it just his illusions that are dead, or illusion itself?" Ishmael: "Mine are all that matter to me, your honor... that seems to be the issue." fate [to Ishmael]: "That is correct." Monkey-General . o O (we baboons call your illusions... delusions) fate [to Ishmael]: "We must discover if your illusions have merely transmogrified, perhaps into allusions as the prosecutor suggests... or delusions... Do you have a feeling of being persecuted here?" Ishmael: "That perspective is driven by YOUR allusions!" fate . o O (that would suggest delusions of persecutions... perhaps a whole complex) fate has no illusions either. fate does not need illusion. fate: "Illusion works for me, not the other way round." Monkey-General: "But illusion always leads to exclusion." Ishmael: "SO WHAT? That is no chime." fate: "I must take a break here to consider the law of occlusion... when court returns to session, we must consider the evidence further." bystander returns. Ishmael comes down from the stand and grabs bystander desperately. Ishmael: "Where have YOU been?" fate stands solemnly: "Court in recess."
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