“Led you. Who is behind this?”
“God.”
Ultimate Justice A look of real suspicion spread across Perch’s features.
“But now I suppose you think I am delusional. Look, I don’t care if you do think I’m mad, what I want you to know is that what is happening in this place is true, and too many people are letting it happen.”
Perch’s phone rang.
“Yes. Right. The footage is that great…? Wonderful. Give us five.”
“OK, Miss Smith. Your portals and God are not good breaking news. This department doesn’t go in for UFOs. However, you don’t appear mad to me, and I like you. You’ve got spunk, and feisty females are irresistible on television. And the footage you have is certainly genuine. So, however you got in there is beside the point. I might not be interested in your god, but I am interested in broadcasting evidence of violence against defenceless women and kids – especially if the footage is as compelling as yours seems to be.”
“Thanks.”
Perch reached for his phone.
“I want this stuff on air. I’m sending Miss Kakko Smith down right now… yes, a bit – not much. Don’t spoil the wild look,” he looked up and smiled at Kakko mouthing, “make up”, “…and you’ve already got the prime minister lined up for PM! Fantastic… just a sec. Miss Smith would you speak to the Prime Minister for us – live on Radio Four?” Kakko nodded vigorously. “It’s a yes Charlie. I’ll bring her right down.”
35
Kakko was whisked across the building to a studio. A woman appeared and asked if she would allow her to do ‘a bit of something’ with her hair. Then they applied make up. An interviewer arrived. She did not know her, but it seemed that she was one of the well known ones the way everyone treated her a bit special, and they were both miked-up. The interviewer asked about the video and Kakko just told her story, then the interrogation got more difficult – it seemed that she was being cross-examined. After a few more minutes the producer called a break.
“Miss Smith please forgive the way we have to manage this. Do remember we believe you; we have seen the footage. Speak with confidence.”
The piece of shrapnel was placed on the table and a camera zoomed in on it and Kakko said a silent prayer. She explained how she felt – even about the broken water-pots. The producer seemed pleased.
“So that is in the can. We can run it on the news channels in the next half hour.” His ear-piece drew his attention. “We have the Prime Minster for you Miss Smith.”
Kakko heard the PM in some other studio talking about some policy launch his party were engaged on. Then suddenly the interviewer changed the subject.
“Mr Prime Minister, we have just got news of a bomb attack on children in Africa. An Antonov plane deliberately targeting unarmed women and children. Would you like to comment?”
“I am not aware of this,” he replied, “but we have often heard of such things. Our problem is that we don’t have enough solid evidence.”
“But if we did have solid evidence, Prime Minister, what would your government do about it?”
“That would depend on the evidence.”
“I have in our London studio a young woman who has recently returned from Africa with evidence of such an attack a few days ago. She sustained a shrapnel wound and has video footage of the whole thing. The attack appears totally unprovoked, according to the people its purpose was to drive them out. Ethnic cleansing. We are running the footage on our television news channels… Kakko Smith, will you tell the Prime Minister what happened.”
Kakko went over the story of the attack again. The PM was apparently listening.
“Kakko what would you like the Prime Minister and the British government to do about – ”
The PM broke in, “Jeremy, you know these situations are never straight forward. I do believe you… er Miss Smith, but what you say is just a small incident. This could have been an ill-disciplined pilot, and we have to remember there are two sides to this. War is not a simple business.”
“But this is not a war like that,” interrupted Kakko, “the whole thing is repeated. I saw where they bombed the last place – and the graves. Do you want me to be present every time there is an attack on unarmed children? Why don’t you listen to the people in the refugee camps? Why don’t those people allow international agencies in to help with the situation? It’s because they don’t want you to see what is happening. These children were starving. They knew what was going to happen the moment they spotted the plane – they ran straight for cover. I know what I saw; I know what I heard. Mr Prime Minister they are deceiving you if you think this is an isolated incident.”
“As I was saying there are always two sides…”
“Yes, one side has planes and bombs and one side is women and children with nothing to defend themselves with. Yes, Mr Prime Minister there are two sides, one of them evil.” Kakko was becoming impatient and heard her inner self tell her to slow down, but then she looked up at the interviewer in the television studio and remembered what she had told her, ‘Speak with confidence’. She seemed pleased with the way Kakko was going for the prime minister. Kakko became emboldened and said firmly, “Mr Prime Minister, this is not about politics, this is about attacks on defenceless children!”
“Miss Smith, Kakko – if I may call you that,” said the PM in a measured tone, “if the British government intervened militarily every time there was an injustice in the world we would be in great trouble. We have done it in the past, and we will do it again when necessary as a last resort, but I do not believe this is the appropriate action to take over this situation –”
“Mr Prime Minster you didn’t let me finish telling you what I want the British Government to do. I do not want you to send troops or planes to get more people killed. What I want is for you to come out and expose these people for the evil things they are doing – to get all your politician friends from around the world to stop looking at their own interests and begin to act justly. We need to acknowledge that this is wrong, that it is totally unacceptable. You and all the nations in the world. That is the first thing. And the second is to stop making weapons. I say that to everybody on Earth. Cease production of weapons – especially those that are made to sell to others. I am told that the bit of bomb in my leg was probably made in China and the plane that dropped it, I understand, came from Eastern Europe. But there are bullets and land mines there in large numbers. Mr Prime Minister, can you be sure that no British weapons are being used in these attacks? How much ethnic cleansing is done under your nose because you have an economic interest in selling stuff to kill? If you really cared about peace you would act to stop people sending arms to people who use them against unarmed children that – ”
“Miss Smith – ”
“I haven’t finished yet!” continued Kakko. But the interviewer in the TV studio held up her hand. She was listening to her producer. Kakko stopped.
The radio interviewer said, “Thank you Kakko. Mr Prime Minister…”
“Thank you. We have sponsored full peace negotiations in this area and stand alongside the UN and African Union in full support of all their initiatives.”
“But,” continued the interviewer, “the United Nations appears to have been largely ineffective in this area. The negotiations have not brought a cessation in hostilities. Each time a solution is agreed upon the killing still goes on. What have you say about Kakko’s point about the flow of arms?”
“This is not a straightforward question. It is not easy to control arms.”
“Are British-made arms being used against children, Mr Prime Minister?”
“Miss Smith mentioned China and Eastern Europe…”
“Yes. But what about Britain? What about the EU?”
“Jeremy I have not come prepared to answer questions on this subject.”
“No. But you must have some idea about something as important as this.”
“We have strict rules about who can sell weapons to whom
. But we cannot be responsible for everything once it has left this country.”
“So you cannot say categorically that nothing that is made here is being used against children.”
Kakko burst in, “Why don’t you just stop making them in this country? Just stop anyone making anything that can be used to hurt children – anyone: bombs, planes, guns, bullets, mines. This is what is wrong with your world. My father told me about a man called Dietrich Bonhoeffer from your planet. He wrote that you can judge the worth of a society by the way it treats its children. When will this planet learn – ”
“Miss Smith, I don’t know where you come from. Are you British?” intervened the PM. The interviewer tensed.
“My father is British, Mr Prime Minister, but we live a long way from here in a world where we know how to look after our children, a world where love and justice are normal and that evil like this has been driven out generations ago. It is now your turn and it can and should begin with you…”
“Jeremy, I came on the programme to talk about our policies on economic development, not to be berated by a delusional young woman who thinks she’s some kind of alien! Miss Smith, I think our conversation has come to an end. ”
“Mr Prime Minister,” said the interviewer, “we acknowledge that Miss Smith may appear unusual in some ways but there is nothing delusional in the evidence she has put before us. I suggest you watch the footage we have running. Kakko Smith, we are grateful to you for coming in.”
“I am not delusional,” stated Kakko defiantly, but she had been disconnected and was no longer ‘on air’.
“You are a challenging young woman,” smiled the woman presenter, “I admire your spunk.”
“I’m sorry, but I can only speak the truth.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt you do. It’s hard to believe though, isn’t it? The bit about coming from another planet.”
“I know. But it’s true. I must be going back now. Just promise me one thing: You won’t loose my video disc. But I will take my bit of shrapnel as my souvenir. Now my leg is really hurting so I am going home to do what the doctor tells me.”
“Can we get a taxi for you? It will be our pleasure …”
“No thanks, my gate is outside by the church. Thank you for listening to me. And I’m sorry if I got cross with your Prime Minister but it just needed to be said.”
“You have definitely asked a lot of pertinent questions, Kakko. Are you sure you’re alright? We can see you get a ride.”
“No, that’s OK. The important thing is that people have the courage to stop supplying the weapons right away. And then get more reporters in. Thank you for having me… and thanks for the coke.” And with that Kakko swung herself to her feet.
“I’ll see you back down to the reception,” said the presenter. She saw Kakko to the door and shook her hand. Then watched as she rounded All Souls. She hesitated only for a moment and went off in pursuit – but Kakko had already gone. Just vanished into thin air. She hadn’t had time to mount the steps of the church. Perhaps she was telling the truth – after all, all the rest of it was.
After she got back to her studio the presenter asked, “Wow, did you get that Pete?”
“Powerful stuff! Jeremy says the PM isn’t chuffed. Where’d she go? Have you got her number?”
“No. She says she’s from somewhere out of reach of any phone signal. Wouldn’t tell us any more. Reckons she lives on another planet. I thought at first she was batty, but the more I listen, the less I think so. She just disappeared somewhere in the middle of Portland Place.”
***
Kakko almost collapsed in the lane outside her gate. Matilda was there to help her in and she lay down on the garden bench and began to cry. Matilda put her arms around her.
“My leg’s hurting,” she sobbed.
“Well, that’s a surprise!” announced her nan.
“Where’s Mum and Dad?”
“Gone through a white gate,” exhaled Matilda. “It’s like Clapham Junction here with all this coming and going.”
“Clapham Junction?”
“Busy railway station in London.”
“Anywhere near the BBC?”
“No. What do you know about the BBC?”
“I’ve just been there. Broadcasting House… I totally mucked it up,” sighed Kakko. “I got cross and made a fool of myself. That Prime Minister man really got to me. He didn’t care that children were being bombed and I got angry. I flunked it!”
“Prime Minister? Where. In London?”
“In London. I didn’t see him, he was in a radio studio but they were asking him questions and brought me into the interview. He wouldn’t listen about the bombing. He didn’t want to listen. He kept interrupting and I got cross and just went on and on and let on I wasn’t from Planet Earth One and he told me I was delusional…”
***
Jack and Jalli returned two days later. Kakko told her story.
“Flunked it! That’s not what we heard,” said her dad. Her mum sat beside her and cuddled her.
“What did you hear? Where?” asked a tearful Kakko.
“On the BBC radio. We’ve been to Earth too. You really said it exactly right. We heard the whole interview on the radio. The BBC is stating categorically that you just turned up. The video clips are going viral. They are conclusive and politicians around the world are all being held to account. Most of the people they are interviewing on the street, most of the vox pops, are in favour of stopping all trading in arms. It is a major issue that has been ignored for so long. The church leaders are saying this is something many people have been campaigning about for years but people did not want to take them seriously. Now they are, at least for the moment, taking it very seriously. The American administration is talking about cancelling the arms fair due to take place in Atlanta next month. The Georgia State Governor is furious, but someone asked him if he wanted the blood of children on his hands. He said something about needing arms to defend themselves, but he couldn’t deny the fair was about selling arms to foreign nations. The Eastern Europeans are feeling the heat because you videoed one of the planes made there.
“You have stirred them up, Kakko. Bishops in Africa are applauding you for telling the truth. One said that every time someone like you speaks out, people rejoice. It is so good to know people care, even if it doesn’t make any difference on the ground.”
“Kakko. We are so proud of you,” said her mother. “You’ve done exactly what was asked of you. If nothing else comes of this, you have saved one child’s life, and God loves every single one.”
“But where have you been on Earth?”
“Persham. We saw Dave and his family. Abby is telling her father to write to the Prime Minister to tell them Kakko is not delusional, and that they, too, have had experience of such visitations. I expect the news of our visits will be all over the world news soon.”
“But if they tell them about our white gates that will distract them from the killing of children.”
“Quite the opposite, I would say,” said Jack. “It’s highlighting the whole thing. It’s given impetus to your story. It could run and run. The arms manufacturers are getting extremely jittery. A lot more of what they do is coming out. The social media is apparently very active and world-wide petitions are being issued on their Internet.”
“You’ve been to Persham?” said Bandi rushing into the room. “You didn’t tell me you were going!”
“We didn’t know, did we?” said Jalli. “You were at school and the white gate was there, so we went.”
“How’s Abby?”
“She’s very pretty,” said his mother.
“She was rather delighted to see us,” smiled Jack, “and was full of questions about you. Wanted to know what chapter of Sophie’s World you were on.”
“What did you tell her about me?”
“Oh. Just how you were moping about the house mentioning her every five minutes…”
“Dad. Don’t tease!”
&
nbsp; “We just said you were well and working hard at school. What else should we have said?”
“Nothing. But what else did you do?”
“We were only there for a few days. We spent most of that time listening to Kakko’s interview on the radio and watching the news coverage with her videotape.”
“Kakko, you didn’t say you’d been to Persham too?”
“No,” put in Kakko, “London. I didn’t go to Persham. I was only there for three hours, remember!” Kakko’s leg was hurting and she was jiggered.
“Now, it is time to go to bed and let that leg heal,” said her mother.
“I’m always ‘healing’!”
“You’re always having adventures! Just remember it has been worth it. We’re proud of you. Now, sleep.”
“I don’t think I’ll sleep.”
But she did, soundly.
36
Ooh,” groaned Jalli. She was in the kitchen getting her breakfast and suddenly felt woozy. Kakko was still fast asleep but even though Jalli, too, had been on an ‘adventure’ to Earth, she just had to get into work that day.
“Too much excitement,” Matilda declared. “Come on, I’ll do that.”
But no sooner had Jalli’s bottom touched the chair than she bounced up again and retched into the sink. Matilda was alarmed.
“Jack! Jack! Can you come?”
Jack, who was in the bathroom, registered the anxiety in her tone and rushed in.
“It’s Jalli, she’s just been sick.”
“I’m alright,” said Jalli. “I feel better now.”
“I’m going to call the doctor!”
“No. I’ll be alright. I’ve only been a bit sick. That’s all. It’s OK. But I will make an appointment at the surgery. I’ve been ignoring it, but I think I know what’s the matter… I’ve missed – I’m well overdue.”
“You mean, you think you’re pregnant!” exclaimed her mother-in-law. “But how? You’re forty-four!”
“Forty-four maybe, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen! Everyone tells me how young I look and how lively I am… can’t say I feel that lively today, though.”
Ultimate Justice Page 36