While waiting for Jack Jacques, Aminat watches the broadcast of his speech from the foyer of his office.
It takes a minute to notice what’s different. He is standing in the speech, not using a cane. Got a prosthesis then? There is an edge in his voice that Aminat hasn’t heard for a while. Since the war, Jack has seemed somewhat attenuated to her, but he projects the old confidence in this speech.
“I have heard you. You say you are concerned about your loved ones becoming hosts for the invading aliens; I am telling you now that I have heard you.”
Invading? That’s somewhat inflammatory.
“I am setting up an inquiry to look into this. If it is as we suspect, then I guarantee to you today that they will be expelled! But if that is the case, then I want each and every one of you fine citizens of Rosewater to prepare yourselves. Gird up your loins, as the good book says. If we begin to look into this, the aliens may withdraw the advantages we have grown used to. Integrity has a price.
“Thank you!”
The hair on the back of Aminat’s neck rises. This is like the speech he used to declare war on Nigeria, launching the insurrection. Which cost Aminat a dear friend, and her innocence. She killed people, soldiers from Nigeria, on the first day of the insurrection, something she was not prepared for.
The door to Jack’s office opens and Lora beckons. “He is ready for you now.”
A camera crew passes her and she sees Jack, restored to his pre-war height, stride around to sit at his desk.
“Mr Mayor,” she says.
“Aminat, we got cut off before. I’m sorry about Kaaro. He was… a good man.”
“He hated you,” says Aminat.
“Can’t be helped. The price of leadership, I’m afraid.”
“Jack, what’s going on? What was that announcement about?” She places both hands on his desk, her face in his space. He leans back, but Lora takes two steps forward, like a bodyguard.
“What?” says Aminat to Lora.
“Nothing,” says Lora.
“Jack?”
“The aliens are pissed off because the xenosphere isn’t working, so they can’t immigrate. After some… discussion with Hannah, I’m convinced that we shouldn’t be using the reanimates.”
“Which means we’re not allies with the aliens any more?” says Aminat.
Jack squeezes up his face. “Kind of. Yes. Maybe. They think we fucked up the xenosphere. That’s buying me time to formulate a plan.”
“What do you want me to do?” asks Aminat.
“What you’ve always wanted. Enforce the law in whatever way you see fit. Free rein. I’ve already sent Dahun after the synners.”
“You asshole. You’re doing this because Taiwo is neutralised. You lose nothing by… ugh. This is why Kaaro hated you.”
“Watch your tone. He’s a head of state,” says Lora.
“Watch your tone, or you’ll be in a state of headlessness in a minute,” says Aminat.
“Aminat, just maintain order; not for my sake, but for the sake of the people you claim to care about. How about that?”
Persuasive motherfucker knows how to push buttons.
“All right.”
“Superb.”
“You know that Nigeria is going to—”
“Try to take advantage, yes, I know. I’ve thought of that.”
“Should we perhaps contact them? Maybe we can join forces against the Homians?”
Jack opens his mouth to answer, but the whole room goes dark. A number of clicks speak to the deactivation of certain circuits and locks.
“Is that a power failure?” says Aminat.
“Yes,” says Lora. Aminat finds her disembodied voice unsettling.
“I expected this.” The room lights up from Jack’s phone holo. “Rasaki, bawo ni? Tan plant, aburo mi. Thank you.”
Within a minute, the power comes back on.
“I’ll check on impact,” says Lora.
“I should be out there if there’s a blackout,” says Aminat.
“It’s daytime,” says Jack. “If civil problems are to arise from this, it’ll be at night. I want to ask you about Kaaro and this xenosphere business. Did he have anything to do with it?”
“Jack, he’s dead. He has nothing to do with anything any more.”
“Hmm. What about your old boss? Femi.” Jack stares intently.
Aminat meets his gaze. Kaaro was wrong about her ability to lie. “What about her?”
“Could she have done this?”
“How the hell would I know? She was in prison, then you let her go to Nigeria. If you hadn’t, or if you had consulted me before swapping her with Dahun, maybe we’d have interrogated her. Maybe I’d have the information you need on file.”
“Was a plan like this ever discussed as one of her contingencies?”
“No.”
Jack stares at her for a moment longer than necessary, face unreadable. He knows. He knows there is something she is not saying, but not what it is. As a great liar, he must be able to detect lies told to him. But he has no leverage and he must still need her.
“Will you let me know if anything turns up in Kaaro’s papers?”
“Of course,” Aminat says.
The door bursts open.
“I know what they took from my head,” Lora says. “Turn on the news.”