The Mayor was the ugliest man in Sea Snake City. His small black eyes were far apart, planted on the side of his black uneven bumpy head. A luminous filament sprouted from the middle of his forehead spreading a cold blue light all over the humid skin on his face. He was always smiling, constantly showing an enormous crescent-shaped mouth filled with sharp translucent teeth. Mayor Jack Angler was half Freshok and half Biolux; the first of his kind. As you might remember, Biolux people cannot survive out of water and they can only leave the Black Pit with the use of machines and exosuits. Their delicate and translucid bodies cannot withstand the pressure of the outer world. But Mayor Jack Angler never had this liability. He was big and tall. He had wide shoulders, in every sense. He lost his parents at a very young age and learned how to survive in a world that was disgusted by the sight of him. Do not mistake our good citizens intentions though, looking at the unpleasant Biolux people is perfectly fine if they are behind a suit made of acrylic and metal. Mayor Angler did not need a suit and was far more real. People did not like that. At least, not before the accident that made him an esteemed member of our society. But this is a tale for another time.
Jack Angler had secretly waited to give his speech for a very long time. It did not matter that the Tower of Parliament blew up the day before and that he did not sleep since. The speech was important. His telephone had rung constantly. It was irrelevant. Sea Snake city was on Lockdown that night. Mayor Angler appreciated the privacy and exclusivity of the occasion even more. He had one of the most attractive venues of Bioluxury prepared for a very selected audience. He gave a special permit to his guests to attend the event.
A shiny red carpet was welcoming the illustrious guests in front of the Coral Reef restaurant. Celebrities were parading in their expensive gowns and gala attires. Flashes and bright lights were the only signs of life in the utter desolation and darkness of the underwater dome. A couple of nights ago the entire district was thriving with life and colours and parties.
The Great Hall had been elegantly prepared for the gala. A variety of deep blue drapes and cloths were decorating the tables and marble columns of the dining room. Balloons in the shape of sea creatures were floating in mid-air. A stunning oval aquarium had been placed in the middle of the dining chamber. Colourful tropical fish and sharks and manta rays were swimming peacefully in circles, looking at the people with sly indifference. A feeble and peaceful cerulean reflection was gently glimmering on the polished walls and marbles of the luxurious venue. It seemed like everything in the room was submerged under the sea.
The Mayor was secretly watching his guests passing one by one safely hidden by the obscure window of a private room next to the entrance. Three figures were standing right behind him, concealed by darkness. Jack Angler did not trust many people, but he managed to assemble a killer team. And they never disappointed him.
The door of the private room opened softy. A small figure timidly walked towards the Mayor. His voice was tiny and barely perceptible.
“The g-g-guests are here, Mayor Angler” The little man was shaking and timidly walking towards the Mayor with his hands joined in a very tight grip. He had a big head shaped like a puffer fish. With every breath his face was consistently inflating. The Mayor did not seem to notice him.
One of the hidden figures slowly came out of the dark corner. She was a very tall and muscular Freshok woman with big blue eyes, long fins and dreadlocks gathered into a ponytail behind her back. A black suit and a waistcoat with silver swirls were perfectly tailored around her vigorous shape. The plated clip bar on her velvet black tie was gleaming under the weak red light of the private room. Her facial expression was frozen in a perfect and charming smile –
“Mr Bubble! How kind of you to inform us. The Mayor will start his speech very soon. He just wanted to see the goods, before welcoming his guests…”
Mr Bubble’s head suddenly swell like a balloon. It looked like it might have popped. His eyes were now full of terror. He took a few seconds to recompose himself. The big lady remained patiently composed but did not lose eye contact.
“Ms Lawyer…I came to tell you…the chef just told me that the delivery was not completed…the boy did not show up”.
The Mayor did not stop looking at the parade out of the blackened glass “I thought you had total control of your Staff, Mr Bubble… I am disappointed. I will personally meet your chef in the kitchen…”
The little man almost fainted “I am so…so-sorry, Mayor Angler”.
The Mayor tightened his tie with a composed gesture. Mr Bubble never left the private room.
William woke up suddenly. It took him a while to realise where he was. Loud voices and the clanging noises of cutlery were muddled by the thick wooden panel of the secret door. He tiredly looked at his right hand. The blue creature was still tightly twisted around his arm, dried and lifeless. William gently grabbed the blue mass with two fingers. He pulled slowly. The tangle istantly tightened its grip around his arm. Will growled in pain.
“Ok! I got it! I got it!” he whispered quickly “I won’t do it again! Do you mind loosening up a bit? I can’t feel my arm anymore.”
The blue lumpy thing instantly relaxed its tentacles.
Will got up slowly and pushed his ear against the wooden panel that separated him from the kitchen.
“Ok little guy, you brought me here. But now we are stuck! There are too many people in there. I can’t just come out of a wall like that. They’ll have questions!”
William’s heart was bumping very hard inside his chest. His head suddenly felt heavy and his legs started to shake. He leaned against the door to keep his balance.
“I.. I can’t breathe…I am having a panic attack! I need to keep it together, man!” He brought his right hand closer to his face and looked at the creature “I know you can hear me, so… what!?”
His hand was not there anymore. William could not keep his balance for the shock and fell on the floor. He looked at his legs but could not see them. His left arm and upper body were not there either. He placed a hand on his stomach as he started to feel terribly sick and he felt his abdomen. His body had not disappeared, he could just see through it.
“Ok… you made me…invisible? You really need to stop doing crazy stuff to my body! … I guess that’s your way to tell me what to do next?”
Will felt the blob moving wearily around his wrist. Was that a yes? He slowly pushed the wooden panel to open a narrow slit in the secret door. He looked through it and could hear and see a lot of movement coming from the kitchen. It was a busy night at the restaurant. He carefully pushed a bit more to open a passage big enough for him to slip through.
Will came out of the secret door completely unseen. No one would have noticed him, even if he wasn’t invisible. All the staff was incredibly busy. Dozens of cooks were frenetically working in front of their cooking stations; fires were continuously flaring up all over the kitchen. Waiters in tuxedo were nervously queuing at the counter, waiting for the orders to come out. An enormous cook with a white tall toque on his head, was shouting instructions and insults to his crew. His eyes were as red as the flames coming out of the stoves. A thin dishwasher boy was carrying a pile of pots taller than himself. It was pure madness. The noise and clattering of the kitchen were so loud that Will had to cover his ears for a few moments. He made sure to close the door and he remained as closed to the wall as possible.
Will had questions for the chef. Maybe he knew how to remove that thing from his arm. The kitchen was so busy that it was impossible for him to move without bumping into someone. He had to wait for the right moment. He carefully studied the movements of the staff in order to find an opening. The fan door of the kitchen suddenly opened, and two very elegant individuals entered the kitchen. One of them was a woman dressed in a black elegant suit, with long fin-dreadlocks. The other was a very distinct man. He was carrying a big silver tray covered with a white cloth… a waiter…? No. William had seen that man before, but not at the restaurant. He saw him… on TV?! He was...Mayor Jack Angler?! Any noise suddenly stopped. Everyone in the kitchen was now looking at them. The woman walked to the chef. She was, taller and larger than him. The lady whispered something into his ear. The chef nodded and spoke to team
“Everybody… out!” His voice was now very gentle and falsely humble and…scared? Everyone got out of the kitchen in matter of seconds. Only the chef, the lawyer and the Mayor remained in the kitchen (and William of course).
It was the opening William was waiting for. He moved very slowly toward the exit, trying to be as silent as possible. Mayor Angler slowly walked towards the chef with his usual toothy smile. He gently placed the tray on the kitchen island next to them and kindly started to speak:
“I have always admired the way you run your kitchen, Chef Yellowtail. You have the full respect and trust of your staff. Your restaurant is a perfect, flawless machine. Your food is art. The services you have provided to me have been impeccable, until know… ” The mayor’s deep voice was very well trained and calm. But he was not smiling anymore. William was now very close to them. Without noticing, he had stopped walking to listen to the conversation. He was completely mesmerised by the charismatic opening and the elegant manners of Mayor Angler. He had never met anyone quite like him. He also noticed how his expression was extremely threatening now that his smile was gone. It was difficult to look into his eyes. They were dark and full of resentment. Will had seen that deep and primal look before, in sharks and other sea predators. Never in people.
The chef’s red eyes were now full of fear. He was visibly shaking “Mayor…I…”
The Mayor slowly lifted a finger as a warning. The chef moaned in fear and stopped speaking. The lawyer was looking at them in religious silence.
“You know, before becoming a politician I was a cook too. Not as good as you are, of course! I worked in a little sashimi bar to make a living”
The mayor gently removed the white cloth from the silver tray. Mr Bubble’s lifeless head had been chopped and gently placed on a bed of green salad and sliced lemon. The chef could not control a loud scream of fear. Mayor Angler took a chopping board from a nearby cooking station and placed Mr Bubble’s head on it. He continued to speak with the utmost composure
“Sashimi is thinly sliced raw fish that is served without rice. Uneducated people call it sushi, but they are mistaken. Sushi is not raw fish, but rather vinegared rice that is mixed with other ingredients, which may or may not include raw fish… But forgive me, I am boring you”
Mayor Angler took a very sharp knife on the table and started to prepare Mr Bubble’s head “My favourite sashimi is the fugu, made from the puffer fish. Fugu can be lethally poisonous, meaning it must be carefully prepared to remove toxic parts and to avoid contaminating the meat.”
Mayor Angler removed one eye from Mr Bubble’s head with a swift cut. He put it in his mouth and started to chew it noisily “Mhhh…chomp…chomp…Nothing is better than raw fish”
The chef screamed in tears “I don’t know where it is! The delivery should have been here hours ago! I swear! The boy is not here!”
With a quick slash, the sharp knife made a clean cut on the chef’s throat.
William did not realise what happened in front of him. He could only feel a hot stream of squirting blood covering his face and arms. The creature around his arm became suddenly heavier and made a sudden uncontrolled movement. But William barely noticed. He had two very big problems at hand. One: he was no longer invisible. Two: those black predator eyes were now looking straight at him.
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