Page:Plunder (Perlman).djvu/74

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past! It's not his own life he's reliving! Moses Burumba was his friend. A real revolutionary! Father started calling me Moses Burumba when Pretoria's baby died. Burumba was beaten to death by a mob of Europeans because of a man called Servus, a filthy opportunist who turned traitor. Now father's playing the part of this Servus!

(Knock on door. Enter a Bureaucrat.)

BUREAUCRAT

Excuse me. Is this the Mockser residence?

INDIO

Residence? I believe in your part of the world it is called a "slum."

BUREAUCRAT

Technically of course the housing in a depressed area is often slum housing. I meant no offense. I am looking for a Mr. K. Mockser.

INDIO

Vaisya, is this a depressed area? Is it below sea level, below the Himalayas, or what? I had always known we were oppressed people, but that we also live in a depressed area, that is new.

VAISYA

Our name is Moksa.

BUREAUCRAT

Thank you very much. We have instructions from our home office to provide Mr. K. Mockser and his family with emergency relief. I take it the gentleman sitting there is Mr. K. Mockser?

INDIO

He's not a gentleman; he's a beggar! What emergency relief? Have you killed my sister?