Pygmy

  Also by Chuck Palahniuk

  Fight Club

  Survivor

  Invisible Monsters

  Choke

  Lullaby

  Fugitives and Refugees

  Diary

  Stranger Than Fiction

  Haunted

  Rant

  Snuff

  To Amy Hempel—

  —There is no other cheese.

  He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.

  —Adolf Hitler

  Dispatch

  First

  Begins here first account of operative me, agent number 67, on arrival Midwestern American airport greater area. Flight . Date . Priority mission top success to complete. Code name: Operation Havoc.

  Fellow operatives already pass immigrant control, exit through secure doors and to embrace own other host family people. Operative Tibor, agent 23; operative Magda, agent 36; operative Ling, agent 19. All violate United States secure port of entry having success. Each now embedded among middle-income corrupt American family, all other homes, other schools and neighbors of same city. By not after next today, strategy web of operatives to be established.

  Passport man, officer nothing behind bullet glass, open and reading passport book of operative me, matching to paper facts of visa, man down look upon this agent, say, “You’re a long ways from home, son.” Man, ancient penned animal dying of too tall, pooled heavy blood hanging in leg veins. Trapped all day, then could be next walk to toilet, pow-pow, clot knock out brain.

  Passport man say, “So, you’re an exchange student?” Man say, “How old are you, my boy?”

  On fingers of operative me, am to count one, two until thirteen.

  “So you’re thirteen?” say passport man. Behind glass, say, “Awful small for your age, aren’t you?”

  Operative me say, One-three. Hold fingers straight and say repeat, Thirteen.

  Iron fist of operative me, could be, flash fire explode, pow-bang. Burst bullet glass. Striking Cobra Quick Kill maneuver so collapse passport man windpipe. Render instant quick dead.

  Tongue of operative me lick, licking, touching back tooth on bottom, molar where planted inside forms cyanide hollow, touching not biting. Not yet. Tooth wet smooth against lick of tongue. Swallow spit, say counting one, two, counting on fingers of hand until six. Tell passport man, to be exchange student with host family six month.

  Passport man strike paper of book with ink, marked good to enter nation. Slide passport book returned to this agent. Man say, “Welcome to the greatest country on earth.” Press button and doors allow way inside United States, accessing target family to harvest.

  Only one step with foot, operative me to defile security of degenerate American snake nest. Den of evil. Hive of corruption. Host family of operative me waiting, host arms elbow bent to flutter host fingers in attention of this agent. Host family shouting, arms above with wiggling finger.

  For official record, host father present as vast breathing cow, blowing out putrid stink diet heavy with dead slaughterhouse flesh, bellowing stench of Viagra breath during cow father reach to clasp hand of operative me. From tissue compress rate of father fist, bone-to-cow ratio, host father contain 31.2 percent body fat. Wearing is anchored spring apparatus gripping chest blouse pocket of father, one laminated name badge swinging there, giving name “Donald Cedar,” from orange dot code, security level nine. Swipe magnetic strip. American industry typical biological exposure indicate strip, as stripe gray along bottom edge of badge, strip showing no recent exposure.

  Operative me, am agitating vast fist of cow father, while free hand of this agent reach to acquire security badge.

  Next now, host cow father say, “Whoa, there, little fella.” Say, “No touchy,” and father touching badge, tapping laminate card flat against own cow-stinking chest, say, “Top secret.” In talk breath of Viagra, reek of Propecia and mint chew gum.

  Operative me ready. Could be simple two pointed elbows to father’s chest, one-two, kam-pow, Flying Eagle maneuver, and three days, by after next today, will father be vomiting both lungs, turned inside out with massive blood, dead. Fast as easy, young child able do.

  Host mother dig pointed elbow into rib cage of host father, say, “Listen to you, Mister Big Shot.”

  Host mother present as blinking chicken, chin of face bony sharp as beak, chin tucking and swivel to turn, never still, chicken mother say, “Look at you!” Face exploded in silent screaming of wide-open lips and teeth, pointy tongue, eyebrows jumped into chicken forehead. Bony claws of chicken mother, gripping each this agent hands, mother lifts to spread arms too high on top this agent head. Spreading operative me so open, exposed, host mother say, “Look how skinny!”

  Looped around one bony chicken claw, keys of automobile rattle and swinging. American-type model require 17.1 minute merely so feed gasoline tank full. Keys of host family residence structure. Other automobile keys, crushed between bony chicken claw and hand of operative me. Fingers of this agent close around keys, attempt slip steal begin off from claw.

  Next now, host mother say, “We need to put some meat on those bones.” Host mother claws keys shut inside mother talon. Sweat sweating from pores of mother, a cooking stew smell heavy mixed with café iced mocha vanilla combined Zoloft mixed Xanax. Stenched with supplement estrogen. Reek of lanolin out face wrinkle with folic acid pills too many.

  From tissue flex index of hand, tendon resistance and dermal friction, guessing chicken mother to be 6.3 percent body fat. Blood pressure 182/120. Resting pulse rate 93. Age 42.3 years. Inside six year, easy subject brain stroke dead.

  Mother and father, host family name “Cedar.” Around operative me, make arms. Grope hug.

  Next then, introduced two host sibling.

  Host sister push bundle of paper so collide with abdomen of operative me, paper red and constricted with false gold color of synthetic binding tied so make elaborate flowering knot on top. Printed on paper, in English gold letters say, “Happy Birthday.”

  “It’s a T-shirt,” say host brother, say, “Show some manners.” Host brother only pig dog, cradled on both hands, apparatus of black plastic with pig dog dancing thumbs making buttons beep. Black plastic issue noise many tiny explosion. Machine gun report. Host pig dog brother say, “You’re not sharing my room, you little turd.”

  On pig dog breath, the stink of Ritalin. The pollution stench of model airplane adhesive and frequent masturbations. Underneath… reek of secret blood, latex rubber, and fear sweat. Pig dog face not look up, but blotted one cheek with vast purple bruised. Estimate old 14.5 years.

  Twitching chicken mother, wagging one finger made straight, host mother say, “Now, don’t let’s be racist…”

  Easy fast could be, feet of operative me hitting pig dog, pow-pow, Flying Giant Stork Death Kick, collapse inside of pig dog zygomatic arch, driving bone back direct to spear brain, jab-boom, dead before make next stink breath.

  For host mother, soon plan dim mak, fatal touch to acupuncture meridian, leave painless instant now dead as mook Joong dummy.

  For official record, only host sister look rewarding opponent. Host sister, stealth cat. Cat of night, silent but eyeing all happen. Cat sister press red paper bundle on fingers of operative me, host sister say, “I hope it fits.”

  Fingers of operative me cradle package, slick feel of red paper. Pull at fake gold of flowering knot, careful no to tear paper, no to break binding. This agent deconstruct package careful as were delay-ignite Turkish T-155 Panter howitzer shell bomb. Inside, folded black fabric printed white with in letters English writing. Unfold fabric so reveal tunic, wrote across front with “Property of Jesus” on top above shape like fish, like primitive outline caveman fish.

  Pig dog eyes looking down at apparatus, twitching thumbs pushing beeps,
busy and fast, host brother say, “It’s a T-shirt, ’tard.” Say, “Put it on.”

  Fellow mission operatives, neighboring amid arrival for collect luggage, target host families throw arms around, say, “Group hug.” Agent Sasha. Agent Vigor. Accept to grip thread of silver floating bladder, English worded “Welcome to Jesus.” Other floating bladder worded “Smile!” Other package covered of paper. Other agents buried in heavy layer American arms. Every American try secret to be sniffing operatives, scrub with small snake eyes for soil or foreign disease germ. Host families with fellow operatives trailing more distant, strolling more distant until disappear out airport doors to where already automobile wait. Horn honking at edge of outside street. All automobile the big of house.

  Begins here phase one: Operation Havoc.

  Arms of operative me wrestle black fabric over head, pull fabric down over shoulders, over waist until black hang to knees, past knees. Edge of little sleeve hang to elbow. Word of “Jesus” flap over crotch. Collar big around to circle neck and one shoulder of this agent.

  Breathing cow father say, “You’ll grow into it.” Say, stinking fluoride breath, “Here,” and hand over fabric rag glued to hang off end of wood stick. American flag little as napkin. White, red, and blue.

  Fingers of operative me pinch wood stick like stem of stinking weed. Wave stripe flag to fan away reek of host family air. Butter fat stench. Chemical hair soap stink. Such filthy reek American cash money.

  Hand of vast cow father, hand rise, all finger made straight as for pledge. Lips host father say, “We’re not just a family.” Say shout, “We’re a team!”

  Same now, host mother flex both leg limbs so able leap, smite own palm against open hand of father, making loud sound of slap hands. Say shout host chicken mother, “Team Cedar!”

  Begins here delicious tang of host family, thin American blood already salt on hot tongue of operative me. Already is decadent host family flesh tear by operative teeth. Drool of operative me, flooding hunger within mouth making to swallow. Tongue to lick lips of operative me. Drown cyanide molar. Could be crunch of host bones sweet between teeth of this agent. Stomach to growl. Quick them to be screaming out blood, mouth trumpet yawning blood, quick dead. Ultimate vengeance.

  Label tag inside collar of Jesus tunic, print “Made in China.”

  Label tag along weed stem of American flag, print “Made in China.”

  Operative me not say loud, only say inside this agent head, quote turncoat Hebrew, corrupt genius Robert Oppenheimer, atom bomb father, quote, “I am become as death, the destroyer of worlds.” Next then, making agent eyes bright on host target family, mouth of operative design into smile, extra especial wide to show all of many sharp white teeth.

  Quote, “All the better to eat you with, my dears.”

  Repeat inside head of operative me, quote, “I am become as death…”

  Chicken mother say, “We’ll make an American out of you…” Keys of automobile jangling, beak chin wagging no stop, host mother say, “Or, swear to our Lord almighty God, we are gonna die trying.”

  Dispatch

  Second

  Begins here second account of operative me, agent number 67, on arrival retail product distribution facility of city. Outlet number . Date . For official record, during American winter youth attend compulsive levels of teaching; during summer, American youth must attend shopping mall.

  Magic quiet door go sideways, disappear inside wall to open path from outside. Not total all glass, extruded aluminum metal frame silver edge, doors slide gone until reveal inside stand old woman, slave woman appareled with red tunic, spring apparatus gripping tunic front to hang swinging sign, printed, “Doris.” Ancient sentinel rest gray cloud eye upon operative me, roll eye from hair and down this agent, say, voice like old parrot, say, “Welcome to Wal-Mart.” Say, “May I help you find something?”

  Mouths of this agent make smile, face design into pleasing eye contact. This agent say, “Much venerate ancient mother … where sold here location China-make 81-S-type gas-operated, rotating-bolt, fire six hundred fifty rounds per minute machine gun?”

  Face of ancient mummify bound in dying skin, clouded eye only look, no blink.

  Smile of operative me say, “Revered soon dying mother, distribute you ammunitions correct for Croatia-made forty-five-caliber, long-piston-stroke APS assault rifle?”

  Smile of operative me, breathing, await.

  Sag windpipe of ancient parrot, sag skin jump with swallow. Edge smear of red wax slice open as mouth, wax smile melt flat, straight.

  “Brazil-made FA 03 assault rifle?” say this agent, shout, maybe not could hear, shout, “Venerate ancestor, much respected dying soon rotting corpse,” shout, “where sell here Slovak SA Vz.58 assault rifle?”

  Parrot face of dying skin fill with blood glow, red wax of mouth bunch until volcano pucker, tight until skin of pucker mouth pinched white of no blood. Cloud eyes flash electric bolts. Volcano blow open, old parrot voice say, loud shout, saliva erupt to fly, “You’ll find our sporting goods on aisle sixteen, young man.”

  Could be, zing-wring, hands of this operative pounce in rapid Bird Wing Gentle Embrace to twist parrot neck, backbone twist-snap, to bring mercy instant soft death.

  Merely this agent say, “Thank you, much esteemed madam living skeleton.” Wish safe quick soon mission into next eternity.

  For official record, squirrel maze of retail distribution center puzzle of competition warring objects, all improved, all package within fire colors. Area divided into walls constructed from objects, all tinted color so grab eye. All object printed: Love me. Look me. Million speaking objects, begging. Crown American consumer with power of king, to rescue choose and give home or abandon here for expire. Word label blow sharp into ear, loud into eye. Pander hand to take. Dying objects. All here, useful life winding down in clock ticks. Dying objects. Dying buyer. Dying slave woman “Doris.” Desperate how sad.

  Feet of this operative walk bending around corners, through canyon shadowed of objects, all boast best cheap. All most good taste. All objects fight for adopt.

  Bending around new corner, eyes of operative me witness operative Tibor, agent 23, shoving wheeled silver basket of host family. Around new corner, witness operative Magda, agent 36; host mother eyeing sideways as concealing bright box of object within tunic of that agent to theft. Eye of operative Magda meeting eye contact of this agent.

  Recent to commence: Operation Havoc.

  Next then, feet of this operative bending around new corner, witness host brother, pig dog, resting on polish floor. Prone on floor, pig dog face cheek flat pressed on floor, whole body sprawl behind head and neck. Stand over, other new youth, American growing clear-yellow hair to hang hiding ears. Clear-yellow hair hang to hide neck, hang so curtain sides of face while youth rest shoe foot on upside of pig dog face. Clear-yellow youth balance all weight, stand only on face of host brother, clear-yellow youth say, “Hand over the cash, dick-wad…”

  Face of pig dog, pinched under shoe, flat on top of floor, nose of host brother leak blood and liquid mucus in mix puddle around crack lips. Host brother eyes squeeze shut. Lips of pig dog sputter in puddle, blow blood and juice to say, “Okay… okay.” Say, “Just let me up.”

  Clear-yellow bully reach hand to behind trouser pocket of pig dog. Slide fingers within and pull until denim fabric cry with threads breaking, until pocket flap hanging like fabric tail. Hands of clear-yellow bully, stomp shoe planted to hold pig dog face into floor, hands apprehend American paper dollars out of leather pocketbook of pig dog. Clear-yellow bully stuff paper in own trouser pocket, throw hollow pocketbook to wing, zing-pow, bounce against face, splashing blood puddle of host brother. Clear-bully look to witness this agent, eyes of bully electric-bolt blue, product fire color blue, to grab eyes of operative me. Bully appareled with black tunic lettered, “John 3:16.” Blue denim trouser. Clear-yellow bully say, “What are you looking at, pygmy?” Say, “Beat it!”

  Eyes of host brother
open, look from floor, lips say, “I told you not to follow me…” Eyes zigzag cracked with blood tunnels inside white part.

  Leather pocketbook spread open on floor, splashed in blood, hollow of dollars. Knees of operative me bend so allow hands of this agent to retrieve.

  Clear-yellow bully say, “Hey, Cedar, is this your little colored bitch?”

  Hold pocketbook slippery wet in blood, this agent say, “No pygmy.”

  Clear-yellow bully, foot stand on cowering pig dog, yellow hair swing across fire blue eye, bully say, “You a gook? A nigger? A sand flea?” Say, “Exactly what breed of wetback bitch are you?”

  Could be, this instant, elbows of operative me fly and drive fast, wham-pow, to soft corners of head temple, stun brain of yellow bully. Blackout. Foot of this agent stomp down trouser waist of bully to pool around bully feet. Next then turgid weapon of operative me, violate stunned anus, humiliate with seed the forced screaming pain of clear-yellow bully. All dry friction.

  Clear-yellow bully lift shoe from head of host brother. Fashions face of half smile, says, “Okay, Cedar, you can go fuck your little colored bitch.” Say, “Thanks for the cash.” Shoe of bully step in puddle of blood, and clear-yellow bully print blood in zigzag design of shoe bottom going away, blood design of diagonal traction lines going less red, less clear until feet bend around new product wall corner, gone.

  Solely remain trail blood steps.

  Solely witness, peek from terminus product aisle Doris woman cadaver squinting for watch melee. Next now, cadaver scuttle, scurry retreat, vanished.

  Pig dog lift own self to rest on both elbow against floor. Zigzag engraved, embedded in cheek of host brother face. Dermis patterned dark pink, later red, later purple in shoe traction design. Diagonal many line of purple electric bolts, channels carry water bleed out eyes down, zigzag switchback far as pig dog hand slap water gone.

  Finger of operative me, made straight to direct eye, this agent say, “Tennis shoe,” at blood design on floor. Next, embed design in cheek.