THE VOICES
By Interstitial
17. Transcript #3
- AUTHOR:
Further interview with Mister Karsten Talv, December 17, Tallinn, concerning the matter of the meme. I assume I don’t need to repeat the disclaimer again?
- KARSTEN TALV:
No. It’s fine. Just stop going on about Suzanna. I don’t want her mentioned again.
- A:
Yes, sorry, I wasn’t going to mention it again. But you must admit it was thematically relevant to the meme, the Lilith, and the whole battle of wills thing. I glossed over most of the details.
- KT:
Fine, just remember you’re supposed to be making me look good, here. How are you enjoying Tallinn, by the way?
- A:
It’s a wonderful city. The harbour is delightful…
- KT:
And your accommodation?
- A:
Excellent, thank you. You have a beautiful apartment.
- KT:
I own the whole building. You’ve only seen less than half of it, from what I gather. I told Suuori to show you around…
- A:
Yes, but she won’t go down below a certain level. She says she doesn’t want to go down there ever again, and nobody can make her, not even you, Mister Talv. Her words, not mine.
- KT:
Oh, well. I’ll take you down there myself. At least you’ve seen some of the attractions: the Void, and the Hall of Mirrors; the Secret Garden, the Perch and all that. Did you try it out, the Perch?
- A:
- [Alarmed]
Did I try it out—you mean …?
- KT:
Yes, yes, did you have a go on it?
- A:
Ah, no, no, it’s all right, it’s not really my thing—
- KT:
Well, your sweet little love slave Suuori just loves it. [Shouts across the room] Don’t you, Suuori?
- SUUORI:
Mister Talv?
- KT:
I was just saying, Suuori, that when you’re not busy suckling away on our charming friend here, and turning your ass up to him in the bedroom like a common whore, you just love to run off and bolt yourself into Blodeuwedd’s Perch and let rip—don’t you? You can’t get down the stairs fast enough, can you?
- S:
No, please—
- KT:
Stop squirming, It’s true. You just love that feeling of no going back when the manacles close round your wrists and ankles, all splayed wide. And then, immobilised and helpless, the sweet waiting to feel what particular shape of shaft will come out of the seat, slowly rising against you, implacable, and then into you, then deeper, until you’re well and truly impaled, and you have to take whatever comes, then, penetrated as thoroughly as it’s possible to be…
Even though you’re quite small, you like the big fat ribbed ones, don’t you, Suuori? Don’t deny it, I’ve heard you. And I know you love it when it starts—
- SUUORI:
- [Flustered]
Mister Talv, please stop! You make it sound so depraved, so dirty. Please, not in front of—
- KT:
—all right, all right. Not in front of your ‘boyfriend’, then. We wouldn’t want him to think that you’re getting addicted to anything depraved, would we? That you’re not, shall we say, untouched, pristine marriage material?
- S:
Mister Talv! I’m not addicted… It’s just sometimes I just like to—
- A:
- [Interrupting]
Ah, Suuori—look, never mind about that. I think it’s only fair to warn you we’re about to talk about your favourite subject again. The meme. Do you want to leave, now?
- S:
No. I want to hear about it, now. It’s like you said, yesterday, I need to hear it, for my own peace of mind. Anyway, you’ll protect me, won’t you…?
- KT:
Oh he’s here to protect you, is he? I do apologise, how silly of me. I thought he was here to write about me! If you could just stop making cow eyes at our guest instead of doing your job, then yes, you can stay. Just kneel down over there. Author, did you quote unquote, ‘interview’ Suuori again last night by any chance?
- A:
Ah yes… extensively, and in considerable depth. She was most helpful, thank you, Mister Talv.
- KT:
I’m sure she was. She looked particularly dishevelled this morning. And I notice she’s never around when I want her, these days. Too busy for me are you, Suuori?
- A:
So… anyway, Mister Talv. Lilith turned out to be real? Just like the stories we talked about?
- KT:
Not so fast, ‘author’…
- A:
And whatever the legends, it goes back a long way. I’ve got some notes right here.
- The Lilith:
a figure in middle eastern mythology, from a long way back. Developed earliest in the Babylonian Talmud, and generally thought to be in part derived from a historically far earlier class of female demons—Lilitu—in the Mesopotamian Religion, found in Cuneiform texts of Sumer, Akkad, Assyria and Babylonia, and then appearing in Jewish tales as the first wife of Adam. And so on. There are many variations on the story, in almost every culture...
- KT:
Jesus Christ. How the hell do you know this sort of stuff?
- A:
Um, the benefits of a classical education. Research. The internet.
- KT:
- [Sighs]
The internet. You’re as bad as Takeshi, sometimes.
- A:
Mm hm. So the meme won the battle of wills, it seems.
- KT:
Won? Call it a score draw, if you must. I did very well indeed under the circumstances. I trust you’ll make that crystal clear in the story.
- A:
Undoubtedly… anyway, before we move on, I just want to pick up on something Suuori said. Just let me check the transcript—ah yes. Here. Suuori said ‘What it did… to me… to her… and the other, so innocent… and to that poor man…’
- KT:
Why don’t you just ask her? It’s her story. I wasn’t even there until later. Since she thinks it’s so good for her to be part of the conversation, let’s get it straight from the horse’s mouth…
Oh look, off she goes again. Doesn’t take much, does it? Suuori, have a little backbone, would you? And you … where are you going, Author? Oh, I see. Fine. I can see what’s going on here. I suppose you’re going to ‘comfort’ her now, are you? ‘Empathise’? Isn’t that what they call it?
- A:
Suuori? Please don’t cry. Look, you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. I won’t make you.
- KT:
Look, forget all that. The bottom line is that Suuori is too weak, She’s so damn gullible, you see. Aren’t you, Suuori? She actually believes in all this stuff. The nature spirits, the female goddess, the wicca, the kobolds; you name it, she believes it. The story of the brave little lovelorn slave girl who falls in love with her kind, lonely master and lives happily ever after, at least until some damn stranger like you comes along.
- SUUORI:
I’m not gullible! And yes, I’m brave. I fought it.
- KT:
Innocent, then. You wouldn’t credit the things she believes. All that stuff; all these archetypal so-called true stories you talk about. She believes them.
- SUUORI:
- [Sobbing, louder]
It is real. It’s still out there! She’s out there!
- KT:
Oh for heaven’s sake. What do the Americans say? Might it not be ‘cathartic’ to talk about it then, Suuori? Share with the group, as they say? Might it not offer some ‘closure’? What do you think…?
- A:
Mmm. Yes, Suuori. He may be right, actually. Why don’t you just tell me all about it? In private, if you prefer.
- KT:
Fine. Good luck that. I’ll be downstairs in the study if you need me.
- SUUORI:
Thank God he’s gone. The way he talks about me…
- A:
Um, Suuori, about the Perch… and you know, the, ah, other things Mister Talv’s mentioned…
- S:
He taunts me with it. He makes it all sound so decadent. It’s just that sometimes I can’t help it… but I’m not addicted! I’m not!
- A:
Okay, okay, I believe you. What—oh, come on, Suuori, put your uniform back on. We can do all that later. Mister Talv could come back in at any minute, and what would he—
Ah, well since you insist, that is rather special—oh my—
- A:
Suuori, that is fantastic, but do you ever stop? I need to ask you about—
- S:
Mmm, no, I don’t ever want to stop. Do you want to stop? Do you want to stop this…?
- A:
What are you —? Oh my—
- S:
- [Whispering]
No, you don’t. And I’m all yours now. All of me. Look, feel, put your hand just there, and I’ll just do this…
- A:
- [Inaudible]
- S:
See? Ooh yes, isn’t that sooo good? All yours, whenever you want. And I so want to tell you, only you… you’re the only one… oh, isn’t that so good…?
- A:
- [Inaudible]
- S:
- [Urgently]
But if I tell you, you have to promise to take me with you when you leave. He’s different, I’m different, since the thing—since Lilith. But Mister Talv likes you, I can tell. He’ll let you take me, if you ask, I know he will… Ooh yes, just there... Do we have a deal?
- A:
- [Inaudible]
- S:
- [Louder]
Not maybe. Maybe’s no good! Do you want me to stop now…?
- A:
- [Inaudible]
- S:
Mmm. Better. I can feel you really, really don’t want me to stop, do you? But if I tell you about it, you will take me. You must. Promise me!
- S:
- [Whispering]
Mmm, that’s it. I’m just going to sit here now, and keep you nice and excited, by doing this. See? And while I’m doing this, I can talk just fine, even if you can’t, and I won’t be scared either. So just lie back and listen…