Scene 10

As he came down the steps Maille toyed with the idea of walking through the park. That way he would have come to know if the water dropping from Marie's skin actually smelled of Trigonel.

As he strode across the street, he found that the rain had subsided and the first rays of sunlight were caressing the little rivulets on the tar, making them shimmer and glint like wet reptiles.

It's a strange story, thought Maille, while he rode through the Rue de Budapest in the direction of the harbour. What on earth was this ominous professor with the Russian-sounding name researching? Was sort of threat was hanging over the island of Santa Lemusa? Was it truly about warding off a real danger to the island? Or was it about sparing someone an embarrassing confession? Mercier, the great ironist and otherwise a gentleman always on top of the situation, had seemed uncharacteristically tense. Was all this truly on account of a kidnapped scientist and a computer program? It did not quite come together. Somewhat like the layer of seaweed that Maille had been observing for the last several days in the harbour of the capital: a form of vegetation that he had never before seen in Santa Lemusa. Was it a result of water pollution – or had it to do with changes in the climate?

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