Echo, Chapter VI Lilith

LILITH

         Throughout history, the role of the woman has been one of much debate.  A major part of the debate, of course, is if women, in fact, have a predefined role.  Men, as a stereotypical whole, say that the place of women is in the home; cooking, and cleaning, and caring for the dozen of children the man chooses to have.  The women, even more forcefully in recent years, say that they are equal to men, and that they can do pretty much whatever they want.  (Including apparently, each other.)  I say, since we have already established just how important my opinion is to the development of this plot, that everyone everywhere, regardless of sex and sexual preferences, should do what is right.  Because, if you’re head is not in a place dark and damp, doing what is right is the only thing that makes you truly happy.  Turn back to page three or so, and read Jakra’s speech on love and happiness. Believe me, I’d be happy to trade places with my wife.  I’d be perfectly content to grill meat and change diapers while she and the rest of the liberation committee go and shoot perfect strangers over a barrel of recycled dinosaur bones.  And when she goes to bars to watch half-naked men flaunt themselves shamelessly (a double-negative), I can stay at home and watch Steel Magnolias while fantasizing about the gardener...but I digress.
         Perhaps you’re wondering why there has been quite a profound lack of actual female characters in the story thus far.  (The two strange biddies in the bar don’t count.)  That is simply because I haven’t introduced any.  There have been none to introduce. Hate to sound at all rude, but all the women of this story haven’t played an important part yet. Maybe I should get to the point, yes?


         In an attempt to undo any damage done by that previous rambling, I’ll shall break into another delightful little story...


         Ada Wong loved all video games but one. Resident Evil Two.  She has a damn good excuse for this however: she shares a name with one of the principal characters.  She was constantly teased at school for this, until a teacher gave her a bit of advice. She tried to turn the teasing around, tried wearing it as a badge of honor.  That only made the teasing worse.
         At twenty-two, Ada was a beautiful woman.  She had a pure ivory tone, jade green eyes, and jet black hair that she let fall in front of her face.  Her tall frame was graced by a black and white pinstriped business suit, and her flat-heeled dress loafers clicked the ground furiously as she searched her expensive-looking purse for the keys to her Aston Martin.  That was not the only reason she was furious, however.  She had, all in all, a bloody nightmare of a day.  She worked for a small detective firm in a posh section of Northern California.  Her boss, Mr. Epiolnis, was quite elusive.  She had never met him. But her boss under him was a strange German fellow named Lance Waldmeister. Strange but attractive.  Physically, anyways.  Lance was the cause of her frustrations.
         “I can’t go to England, Lance.  I have to much on my plate here. Mr. Epiolnis wants me in Seattle in two weeks.” She mixed creamer into her coffee and tried not to collapse into the chair on the other side of Lance’s desk. Lance looked past the steeple he made with his fingers.
         “Two week plenty of time, Frau Wong.” He used German words on occasion. Ada hated it.  It made him seem fake.  “Take care of English business, take care of Washington business. Simple. You leave two days.”
         “Lance, I know nothing about English politics.  I don’t know how their police work.  I don’t know-“
         ”You know how to find people. They have way of falling on your lap.”
         “It’s a little harder than that, Lance-“
         ”You have large price for house, yes?” Lance pushed his small-framed glasses closer to his face with one hand, and used his other hand to make a questioning gesture.  Ada knew he meant her new apartment.  It had three bedrooms and two baths.  She lived alone.  There once was a story behind this, but Ada didn’t care anymore.  She makes enough to cover the bills, and still buy expensive things like her new pinstriped suit.  But she didn’t want to go to England.  She also didn’t want to admit that Lance was right.  People had a divine way of finding her whenever she was meant to find them.  She wasn’t giving in without a fight.
         “If Mr. Epiolnis wants me to go to England, he can call me, like usual.  But I have papers to fill out Lance.  I don’t have time for this.”  He said nothing when she pushed her chair away and stood up.  She turned and took a few steps towards the door.  ‘Don’t do it,’ she thought to herself. ‘Don’t drag yourself back into this. You can walk away clean...Dammit.’
         “You know Lance...I’ve worked here for four months and I haven’t seen this guy once. What’s the deal?  Where is he?  I appreciate the pay and all-“
         ”Herr Epiolnis is currently attending to matters in East Europe.  Any other I am not at right to say, Fraulein.  Herr Epiolnis give direction.  We follow.  I don’t answer if I don’t know answer, ja?  Besides, Frau Wong, you need this...vacation, hmmm?”  She tried leaving the room as calmly as she could.  He was right though.  She needed to get the hell away from Halifax, California.  Too many bad memories.  The plane tickets that were now in her purse were left on her desk by a silent (and smug) Lance Waldmeister.
         These thoughts were all pushed out of her head when the man fell on top of her car.
         Click.