The cat
A Cat’s decision
“Mrs. Babu, it’s your turn to speak.”
“Thank you, Woman- Chief of the Parliament of the People. I have a question for Mr Svanzoni, a rhetorical one. Why we should help those people? Do we have to do it because they’re human beings? But they’re not, they’re aliens. We should probably help them ’cause they’re escaping from hunger? Sure, my family fled from hunger a long time ago, and they came to this beautiful Country. However, those were different times.”
The dark figure of Princess Babu seems to be a whole with the mahogany wood used to cover the Parliament of the People.
“There were times when it wasn’t necessary to build a wall in the sea and we could speak about human beings and not alien scum falling from the sky. I heard some of you saying they are like us, they share our DNA, so I will ask you another rhetorical question: whom amongst you did fall into this beautiful Country from the sky?”
“Driiiiin- driiiiin-driiiinnn!”
“Please, please silence! Let Mrs Babu end her speech.”
“Thanks, Mrs Chief of the Parliament. I have something to say to whoever thinks of treating them as sisters or brothers: go back to your Country! Some people escape from hunger, poverty or even the heat. And we have to give something to eat and drink to those beasts, those aliens? No, thank you! I’m done.”
The cat licks his paw while the Master of Ceremonies of the Parliament pets him with a velvet glove.
The vote
“Well, thanks, Mrs Babu. Let’s vote. We have the first motion to be voted, tabled by Mr Svanzoni, about changing the alien’s landing point. The second motion to be voted, tabled by our Head, is about the alien’s recreational hunting, starting today.”
“Driiiiin- driiiiiin- driiiinnn.”
“Please, start voting for motion number one.”
Several lights appear on the black display at the back of the room, almost all the same colour.
“Well, the results for Mr Svanzoni is 29 votes against 1. Motion rejected. Mr Svanzoni, I kindly ask you to ask for forgiveness to the room and then leave the Parliament.”
“Dear members of the Parliament, I ask for your forgiveness. I ask you to forgive me for my irreverence, and I hope you’ll let me come back here to this sacred place. Goodbye.”
“Driiiiin- driiiiiiin- driiiiinnnn.”
“All right, then. Now please let’s vote on the second motion.”
The black display this time doesn’t look like before. There are lights of two different colours.
“The vote shows a draw, 15 against 15. Let’s proceed with a second vote.”
“Driiiiin- driiiiin- driiiiin.”
And this time again, the outcome is a draw.
“Ladies and gentlemen, deputy of the People, the vote is a deadlock, with a second draw. Following the New Regulation, the final decision is up to the People’s Champion or his substitute. Mr Master of the Ceremonies, please bring the cat on stage for the vote.”
The Master of Ceremonies takes the cat in his velvet gloves, descends the stairs and places the cat in the centre of the room.
“Well, Master. Proceed now, blindfolding the cat.”
The cat, chosen for his absolute docility, seems to love the red hood the Master places over the ears and face. Then, the Master takes two small bells from the pocket, a red and a green one. He sits a few meters from the cat, knees down and…
“Driiiiinnn—Driiinnn.”
Tries the first bell.
“Driiiiiinnn—Driiinnn.”
Pushes the second bell.
To be fair, the sound has to be precisely the same. So to avoid an impartial decision from the cat.
The cat is seated, blindfolded, and it appears to ignore the two bells. Nothing is written about the time or the possibility that the cat would choose to ignore the bells entirely.
“Driiiiinnn—Driiinnn.”
“Driiiiinnn—Driiinnn.”
Finally, the cat raises the small blindfolded Head and walks towards the bells.
A step, then two.
“Driiiiinnn—Driiinnn.”
“Driiiiinnn—Driiinnn.”
Then three, then four steps.
The cat’s decision
The destiny of men and women from the future is all in the walking of this bored cat. This feline will decide if it will be legal to shoot the surviving aliens in the streets as a recreational practice. This cat’s choice would give them a chance to escape, to run outside these cursed walls, away from slaughtering.
Then five, six steps and we’re almost there.
“Driiiiinnn—Driiinnn.”
“Driiiiinnn—Driiinnn.”
There is still hope?
Then seven, eight.
And the dance is over.
“Driiiiinnn—Driiinnn.”
“Driiiiinnn—Driiinnn.”
This is the end of A cat’s decision, continue to read The Independence day, Go back to the future, written by Daniele Frau and illustrated by Gabriele Manca, Dmq Productions. All the rights for the story and the illustrations are kept by the respective owners.
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