The higher purpose
(Told by the journalist)
Sometimes I thought I knew more about the man than he knew about himself. I watched, listened, analyzed. But did I judge him? No, there is nothing to judge. A man like him – a chief – is not to judge. One submits to his superiority – his mind.
My interest was not only for him anymore but also for his disciple, if he could be called that. The Chosen. He, who should serve for a higher purpose. What purpose it was had not yet been disclosed to me, but the intention of the Colonel could not be questioned.
Like an animal, he was kept in a cage. A narrow cage made of robust bamboo rods. But he was lucky because he could also had ended up as a wretched corpse on the temple steps. He got prepared for something bigger. Captain Willard. I could see it in his eyes. Certainly the Colonel could see what he needed in them. A passion, an honesty – whatever it was.
Anyway, the handsome Captain was in the cage – oh, he really was an eye candy!
Soon it was getting dark and I sat, grooming my equipment, near the cage. As Kurtz was added in, I preferred not to be seen, because he was out of sorts with me this day. I disappeared behind a wall, but now and then I looked to the cage and listened to the conversation he had begun with Willard.
Near the end of the conversation Kurtz said:
„ ... It's wrong to loose, it's right to win. It's wrong to be inside those cages. It's right to be outside", and Willard answered almost mockingly:
"I was wrong and you're right. So why the fuck don't you just shoot me now, and get it over with?!"
Kurtz withdrew. The conversation was over.
I had not expected this, but the Colonel came back after a while, when it was already dark. Almost silently, he stalked up behind Willard – what seemed strange, since Willard could not use his bound hands, neither could he run away. Lightning fast Kurtz had put a wire through the bars, strung it around Willard's neck and pulled him tight against the bars in his back. Willard fought desperately against it, but without a chance of course.
"No, no, I'm not here to hurt you. You only hurt yourself!", the Colonel assured him, "I'm going to get you out of this. For now. Just don't fight it."
I could not see what happened next, because Kurtz stood bowed, with his back to me, in front of Willard. Whatever he did, Willard's body tensed up instantly, he opened his eyes wide and groaned hoarsely but loudly. Then I saw he threw his head to the side and – breathing heavily – slowly relaxed again.
Kurtz fastened the wire at Willard's nape, then he opened the cage and wrapped both ends of the wire around his wrist. With the feline predator of a man on the short wire-leash, Kurtz went to the stairway of the temple. But they did not arrived yet. Whatever Kurtz had said to him, Willard immediately began to fight back fiercely. He threw himself to the ground on purpose, just not to have to go further. I was really impressed by the scene and began to take pictures. Secretly and silently of course. Kurtz stood like a pillar of strength, even as Willard tried to trip him up to the floor. He only drew the thin line and wrapped it tighter around his wrist. He pulled the screaming man's hair to set him on his feet again and pushed him forward, up the stairs.
Of course I followed them unnoticed. I was so curious. Especially why Willard repeatedly was upset so quickly. Strangely, even though it seemed absurd to me, I already had a suspicion.