The Rendezvous

They meet in a taxi cab. It wasn’t jacob’s idea – jacob didn’t like spy films. All jacob knew was he supposed to call down a cab at 7:52 am from the corner of wills and halsted. That was it. Where they were taking him, who he would meet, what they were doing, why they wanted to see jacob, those were left out. The when was all he got. So the when was what he went with.

So we’re picking up jacob at 7:52 am as he got picked up by an obnoxiously orange cab.

“Where to?”

“I was hoping you would know.”

“Good answer.”

With that, and only that, the driver turned around and stared straight into jacob’s eyes. The driver’s static grey eyes, only moving to twitch as if reading, focused intensely on jacob’s. The stare down lasted not nearly long enough for jacob to figure out what was going on. When jacob settled from the shock, the cab driver had already turned around and pulled down the brim of his grey driving cap to shadow his eyes. At least, he had held landers’ gaze.

landers of course was the cab driver – jacob knew this instantly (how could he not?). landers was behind everything or at least far enough behind everything that he would at least knew who was really behind everything. Or at least that’s what jacob hoped. landers was a newcomer on the nilbmahian political scene. He had been able to rise, quite quickly, through the hierarchy, as an advisor of sorts to anyone who was anyone. Apparently landers had given enough people such profitable advice that rumor had it that he was even whispering council to the prime minister. jacob had spent the last month researching, or trying to research, jimithy landers and he spent the latter half of the month trying to arrange a meeting with landers. Today was jacob’s lucky day. Maybe.

“I don’t believe we have ever meet formally and I’d shake your hand but I’m driving. I’m mr. landers.”

“My pleasure, mr. landers. I’m jacob martin.”

“Oh no, mr. martin, believe me, the pleasure’s all mine.”

The entirely dry exchange occurred through the mediation of the rear-view mirror. jacob could hardly see lander’s eyes lurking below his cap, but he stared at them all the same.

Without dropping his eyes from the mirror, even during a right hand turn, landers explained, “I’ll cut to the chase, mr. martin. I was very impressed with your work with the resistance. With all their underground magazines, non-violent protests and public sway they were … annoying. And without your, information, it would have taken much more effort to uproot it. Quite frankly, I’m still amazed at how well they blurred the lines of their chain of command. We got the people you turned in to confess but even so things are still sketchy. But thing was made clear: that winster winfry was the mastermind behind all of it. Clever bastard. Anyways, we wouldn’t even know that for sure without you, mr. martin. So I’d like to repay the favor. I’ve been looking for someone in the press who can assist me.”

“So you’re repaying a favor by asking one?”

“Yes.” landers didn’t even chuckle, but neither did jacob.

“So why is this good for me?” jacob knew perfectly well why this would be good – that was the whole point of their meeting – but landers needed not to know that.

landers only lowered his eyes to check his blind spot and stop for old ladies. “That’s what everyone wants to know mr. martin.”

The next five minutes went by in silence. jacob was quiet to maintain the sense of submissivity and landers only knows why landers was quiet. jacob let his eyes wander around the shop signs they passed but landers, when he wasn’t checking for stop signs, continued his sentinel gaze from beneath the brim of his hat.

“It’s going to be a brave new world mr. martin and you’d best be sure you’re on the cutting edge. If you linger behind with the status quo you will find yourself nearing extinction. As I’m sure you’re well aware, nilbmah is changing, all of coralende is changing and you, mr. martin, have the chance to ride the rising tide to the top of the modern world. All you need to do is choose your friends wisely.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t exactly follow. How is anything from nilbmah going to change the rest of coralende? That sounds pretty ambitious.”

“Yes. It is ambitious. But it will make more sense once you see the whole picture. Unfortunately I cannot show you the whole picture until you’ve proved yourself to the magistrate. All neophytes must be cleared through him first. Unfortunately the magistrate is part of the whole picture so you will have to wait till you meet him to figure out what he does but don’t worry, that meeting will be soon if you continue to show such good faith. I can, however, explain the role I have planned for you mr. martin. As you and the rest of nilbmah have noticed the government has effectively taken a firm hold on society, but we aren’t satisfied with that. The government’s hand is much too obvious. That’s where you come in. The government can censor, issue propaganda and decree ludicrous laws all it wants, but there will always be resistance to external pressure. A truly successful nation guides with an invisible hand. You, mr. martin, with your newspaper, hold the keys to the invisible hand. With the mask of the freedom of speech and multiply perspectives, your company, mr. martin, can determine public opinion and sway social action. All you need to do mr. martin is agree to comply with a few requests that you will learn about in the upcoming weeks and your assistance will not be forgotten when the new era reigns in coralende… Any questions?”

“So I just wait for a message and we go from there?”

“Exactly. And mr. martin, don’t forget you briefcase in the trunk.”

landers had conveniently ended up the conversation outside jacob’s apartment. So jacob got out, thanked mr. landers for his time and collected the briefcase that certainly wasn’t his. When he opened it inside his apartment he found the rights and lease to the publishing plant that he had spent the last four years trying to buy from a spurned lover and rival editor from his youth – but that’s another story…

Not even giving himself time to smile, jacob martin picked up the phone and made a call. “ms. jennings? … Yes, it’s back on. Yes. Call mr. fieldswell; we’re rebuilding.”