Scene 5

«Have you already heard from ORM?» asked Mercier, showing him a blue dossier on whose cover the title: «ORM-Dossier Secret» was written.
«Organisation de Restauration Metropolitaine, Option Rumeur Majeure, O-Pair Restant Muet, Oncore du Rum pour Maman» retorted Maille, knowing full well that it was not funny. In presence of Mercier the quality of his humour plunged swiftly into the ground.
«Operation de Rectification Météorologique», explained Mercier coolly: «It is, in a nutshell, about a group of scientists who are deeply concerned about improving the climatic conditions on our island.»
«Rain makers?»
«Yes, if you like.»
«And why should they change the weather? I mean, who dislikes our weather for what it is?»
«It is about the cyclones.»
«Ah, I did not know that one can change the weather in such a far-reaching way, how does such a thing happen?»
«That need not interest you. Or are you also something of a physicist?» Mercier was uncharacteristically brusque. And Maille noticed how his anal muscle tightened, a sort of escape movement in total stillness.
«One of these scientists, the leader of the whole operation, to be precise, was kidnapped from his home in Bitasyon Francelle the day before yesterday. The same night somebody broke into his laboratory and illegally copied a computer program which played a central role in the framework of the ORM research program.»
«What actually is ORM? A state organisation? Does it belong to the university?»
«That plays no role at the moment. The important thing is to proceed discreetly. The President has been informed but the Parliament needs to know nothing about it at present. Otherwise, the whole issue will become very complicated.»
«Do we already know who…?»
«Yes. Behind the kidnapping is apparently a man called Dr Hing.»
Hing. Maille felt a wave of nausea. Naturally. Hing! It made sense. How was it that he had not thought of his name himself?

Maille opened the dossier. Right on top lay a sort of personal file with a photograph: it showed the face of a man about 40 or 50 years old, with dark hair, distinctive eyebrows, slightly crooked nose and the inclination towards a double-chin. He was looking sideways so that one could not see his eyes. His cheeks were badly shaved, he looked as though he was sweating and he wore a jacket which looked 70s-ish. In such colours once Detective Shaft was running through Harlem. Next to it, he read: «Koslow», «Jenadi G.», «Professor Dr», «masculine», «Director of the Laboratory». In all other fields, which referred to birth date, nationality, identity or address, was simply written «Code 3». What could «Code 3» possibly mean?

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