Scene 11

Port Williams was the last town in this world, where one could get a cup of coffee – a place founded in 1954, built with the help of four oxen and one cart that can still be seen standing near the police post of the community. The air was autumn-fresh and the whole village smelled of wood fires. Horses grazed in the central square, nearby little girls gambolled in the grass, giggling, dogs barked out their imaginary territories in high decibel and, now and then, a pick-up rattled by, its six cylinders, attached to a coach-body held together by wires, trembling so much that the vehicle's passage through the landscape was largely blurred – visible, and yet not really visible, like a mirage or a non-contingent hologram.

As instructed, Maille went into the only shop in the village square, bought a packet of chewing gum and then: as he received his change he saw, on one of the banknotes handed to him, a sketch made by an inexpert hand of the coast of island Novarina, with a point marked a few km east of Port Williams. Further GPS coordinates were provided along with the rather cryptic phrase: «Get dressed». Without doubt V-man had a great sense for stage production. Nevertheless, Maille asked himself whether all these leads had any connection to the abduction of the professor. Was he still chasing Dr Hing – or was he by now just chasing a phantom?

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