Aerospace Engineer v. Agent

The Aerospace Engineer walks the field and takes notes. He examines the decomposing bodies and takes notes. He walks beneath the canopy of the oak, examines the pile of pears and trash and takes more notes. Notes, notes, notes. He takes notes with the Actuary’s silver pen that he found in the Actor’s English hunting jacket worn by the Advocate. (A fact that's noted.) Everything that can be noted the Aerospace Engineer notes, then takes notes on those notes. Using the notes of the notes he takes he makes tiny precise Reliability Block Diagrams.

The Agent repels from a private helicopter. She unhooks the carbiner, steps from the harness, and waves the helicopter off. She rights her hair with a graceful sweep.

Where is he? asks the Agent. The Aerospace Engineer smiles nervously. He tilts his head slightly, looking off, thinking how best to answer. The Agent takes off her black leather gloves, exasperated, finger by finger. She is dressed in black designer clothing. Black blouse, black scarf, black knee-length skirt, high black boots, black purse. The Actor, the Actor, you idiot, she says, the Actor.

The Aerospace Engineer exclaims softly, then leads her to the pile of decomposing bodies off in the distance. When the Agent sees the open-eyed corpse of the Actor she slaps his dead face with her glove. Idiot, she says, loser, idiot. She turns and walks back to the oak, to the rosewood table. The Aerospace Engineer follows.

Who are you, says the Agent, turning suddenly to face the Aerospace Engineer. He introduces himself. Just great, she says sardonically, big headline in Variety: Agent Killed in Duel by Austrian with Asberger’s.

In point of fact, says the Aerospace Engineer, raising his notebook, I haven’t found correlation –

Listen sweetie, says the Agent, I’m here to kill or be killed. Not to function as an interlocutor, says the Aerospace Engineer. Choose your weapon, she sighs, throwing weight on her back foot. They choose pistols and take their place on the field, fifteen paces apart.

They raise their guns. Their guns go off.