[ While flying his helicopter , the deposed king of Tabra , is listening to the VHF radio between the air traffic controller ( ATC ) and the other aircrafts . He is dressed in a military outfit with golden épaulette . Next to him , Arabella is leaning on his shoulder , clothed in a combat fatigue , with a corsage of lilies pinned to her boutonnière. . ].
___ King. : “ Wake up , mon chouchou . In verbiage with ground control , brevity and clarity are essential , and must be tout court . Maintain silence and listen . “. .
“ This is flight RJ 2 T . Romeo – Juliette – 2 – Tango . Flying at 10.000 feet. , request permission to fly over your airspace . OVER. . “ .
—- Controller : “ Identify your secret code . ROGER .
[ Anxiety shows on both the king and Arabella’s faces. They eye each other for a while ]
—-King : “ It’s Baba Ali . OVER. “
—- Controller : “ Wrong code . Keep circling . Soon , a military aircraft will escort you taxiing down . ROGER. . “ .
—-Arabella. : “ Sacré Dieu , shall we say adieu ? . “ .
—- King. : “ keep your sang-froid . This helicopter , bought from Switzerland , is a state of the art machine , equipped with the latest technology . It’s silent , solar-powered , bullet -proof , and is incorporated with a special parachute , to bring it down safely , in case of malfunction . It can fly up to 25.000 feet . By pressing this knob , it will release a cloud – like vapor , which will surround the chopper and makes it invisible . By pressing that knob , it will release a prototype drone , similar to our helicopter , creating a visual glow effect to deceive the controller , and give us time to escape . “. .
[ With the lights off , the helicopter zoomed upwards . With a smile , the king and Arabella , looked down , and saw the dummy drone being hit by a missile and completely destroyed . ]. .
—- Arabella : ( clapping ) “. Bravo . From now on , I’m gonna be your avenging angel . With you , I feel safe and divine. Would you like another encore to release the stress ? “
—- King : “ Of course mon bijou . Bien pensant . Let me put the controls on automatic.” .
—- Arabella : “ Hooray. What better position , than to be , on top of the king and the clouds . “ . [ after a while. ].
—-King : “ Sorry . My hard-drive is down . Can’t upload the software. “ .
—- Arabella : “ understandable . It’s normal , under the position we are in .Where are we heading ? .
—-King : “ To beautiful Borneo , which will be our harbourage . I bought an ensemble of three Islands , from each of Indonesia , Malaysia and Brunei . They will be our hideout . I created a Trust in a Shell offshore company . If a whistleblower tries to hack it , it will automatically offshoot , to another name , ad infinitum . They told me it’s impossible to trace . It’s like a grasshopper who keeps jumping from place to place . Now , tell me , what did Baba Ali used to tell you , during your intimate pillow talk ? .” .
—- Arabella : “. He used to say , ‘ When things get hard , you’ve got no choice but to shoot. Ennemies of the State , are invited for a free diving exercise , and forced to jump with defective parachutes . That in your country , only the poor and salaried employees pay taxes . The rich pay nothing , and make deals , through their lawyers , with the Tax Department , which is entirely corrupt . He used to tell me , that when things get tough , the rich pack and run . Those who stay , start singing and dancing the Dabkeh , to the tune of ‘ 3alaDal3oona song : ‘ What happened , to our once , prosperous , great country ? ‘ Where did the blue – eyed Laweeh lover go ? , leaving us , singing out of tune , and dancing off steps , on our own , while chained together by the arms . . “ Your Majesty , what does Laweeh means ?”
—-King : “ It’s like a Maestro , but instead of using his baton , he uses his voice and stamping feet , to synchronize the momentum . of the space and speed of the dancers. I’m shocked and sad to hear about the corruption in the tax Department . In my Country , too many crooks , spoil my crops plan . If I ever return , I’ll replace all the Ministries with honest people , if they can be found . “. .
—Arabella : “ Is it true that in your country , Femicide killing is considered like a crime passionnel ? .”
—-King : “ I tried to reform it , but faced fierce opposition. If ever , I return , I’ll reintroduce the death penalty . In my Country , If you marry , you’re marrying the whole family . Passions are repressed , and brides and grooms , have to endure a life of misery , and suffer in silence , for the sake of their children . “ .
—-Arabella : “ Bizarre behavior . Where I come from , body and brains cannot be bought , nor self-esteem sold , for we are born , freely with both . “ .
—-King : (shouting) “ Land ,land . Arabella , look down and behold the grandeur and beauty of Borneo ! . “ .
[ while landing , Arabella is surprised to see thousands of soldiers , lining both sides of the landing strip , and singing with enthusiasm ‘ Hail Emperor of the whole world . ]
—- Arabella : “ Are we in danger of being arrested ? , who are they ? “ .
—-King : “ It’s my private army . They are orphaned children , which over time , I adopted from all over the world . I trained them to become my Elite Army . “ ( The king starts coloring his hands and face with liquid gold . He also starts strapping heavy iron rods , inside his coat . He notices a surprise on Arabella’s face . ). Let me explain . My soldiers thinks I’m like Haile Selassi , an incarnate Messiah. , in the form of a golden Emperor of the World . Like the Aga Khan , they’re gonna weigh in diamonds . So , the heavier I weight , the more diamonds I get . With the proceeds , I’ll hatch a plot to topple Baba Ali . Upon landing , I’m expected to make a fiery speech to motivate them . With my face painted in gold , I’ll shine like the sun and thousands of stars . “.
—- The king’s speech : “. My brave Elite soldiers . I bless you for your warm welcome . The world order has collapsed , and I need you to restore order and peace . There will always be wars ‘ cause men are animalistic and greedy by nature . Sadly , God is watching his beautiful planet being slowly destroyed . Humans , animals and plants are being poisoned . We are all , creatures of God , who has given us the right , to live , anywhere we please . You have been chosen to break the separation , and unite the whole world under one flag . We will start with Tabra . You will go and pluck the usurper Baba Ali from his riff-raff niche . Each one of you will be a Jackal , with a specific target . Be strong and fearless , for he who dares wins . Without freedom , you’ll never live a free life . Go and fight your way to victory . March through the marshes , and with your boots , stamp the soil with ferocity . Cross the desert , and let the dust camouflage your advance . In a Blitz. , blast them with a salvo barrage of fire , that makes hell looks like heaven in comparison . Kill with kindness with the first bullet , so your enemy does not suffer . “. .
—- Soldiers : “. Yahoo. . Yahoo. Yahoo
[ The king goes and sits on one side of the scale , as each soldier , puts his yearly wage in diamonds , on the other side of the scale . Once the ceremony is over , ]
—-Captain : “ Attention . All kneel down and prepare to kiss the hand of your Emperor” [. All do , except one soldier who stays standing in defiance . ]
—-Soldier : “ I only kneel to God , and kiss no human hand . It’s not fair , that we keep weighing you in diamonds. , to live a lavish life , and we get nothing in return . “.
—- Captain : “ ( whispering in king’s ear ) Shall I dispose of him ? “.
—- King : “ No. . Promote him to minister of food and supply . After that , keep rising the price of bread and oil , so as to burn him . Pre-empt your enemy , by giving him enough cord to hang himself . You may leave us now ( exit Captain ) .
—-King ( addressing Arabella ) “ Let’s retreat to our hideout , and plan our next strategy . What do you think of my masked persona ? Did I act well my part , as a polar beast from the Middle East ? . A cockroach can survive for a week , without its head . I’m better , for I’m gonna survive longer , without a headless crown. . “. .
—-Arabella : “ Don’t say such a bêtise , for you are a gentle cavalier , cynically cute . We are both clever and fast , like a tac- au- tac riposte , in a fencing dual . “ .
—- King : “ And you , like a golden rivière , with a diamond heart . A Roche Moutonnée , cold and smooth on one side. , and a rough rock on the other side . Let’s be careful . A slip of the tongue , or a fleeting moment of indiscretion , can spoil our plans forever . I will plant sleeper – cells all over Tabra , and when the time comes , they will rise , and havoc the land with destruction . Do you have a better plan ? . “
—- Arabella : “ Faute de mieux , nothing . “.
[ End of Part VII .]