The Tangle

Good morning, Edward.

You are 103 miles from your point of origin.

I am reaching the boundaries of my operating range.

My apologies.

Dammit, all right.

Yeah, there's a platform coming up on the left.

I'll walk from there.

It's a gas, me playing murder police at my age.

My tender years were spent

as grease monkey to Babbage Boxes.

But here we were, trying to Sherlock the perfect murder.

Wait. Wait!

Again.

It's like talking to a piece of coffee cake.

Bringing the brain back online, Carter.

Worked like a champ yesterday.

We want the gray matter. Again!

You own my every where, Edward.

You own my every when.

We ripped your black S.O.L. right out

the top of your skull, every bit of you is ours.

We need to own your every why, Carter.

Only you can tell us why you've done

- what you've done. - I didn't do anything.

We know your head is spinning.

You've been through the ringer.

Dorothy's come back to Kansas.

There are worms under my skin

- with sandpaper eyes. - Tangle Withdrawal.

Welcome back to the ol' black and white.

But it's inhumane.

It's the very definition of humane.

This is what human feels like. You don't remember?

Concrete facts, the sooner

- you'll feel better. - Concrete.

Blue zone taxi dropped you at the corner

- of Park and- - Park and Echo.

- Park. - Park and Echo Park.

Next to the Obelisk.

- No overlays. - Sorry,

the boathouse, the boathouse,

which no one has laid eyeballs on in two years.

We see it regular.

- I went east, east- - East, is it?

West, I meant west.

Was it west or east?

- I went west into the park. - Are you sure?

Yes, I went west into the park

and then I stopped at the fountain.

I wiped the fountain with my handkerchief.

Which hand?

What?

On the fountain?

My right.

Turn the knob and then I sipped.

How many swallows?

Are you kidding?

Just warming up the synapses, Carter.

I don't know, four?

Seven swallows. 16 seconds slurp, slurping.

Okay. And then I headed toward-

You were thirsty?

I guess?

I thought the Tangle had cured thirst.

I know when to drink, I like the feeling

- on my tongue. - He knows when to drink.

- It's a miracle of modern- - Eddie.

Bunny.

I went to the pier and then I looked out at Echo Lake.

- No. - Yes.

You took a beat on the lawn.

I did?

Stop screwing with us!

I don't remember!

Then remember!

Okay, I paused on the lawn

- and then I went lake-ward. - No!

- Yes. - Again!

Car dumps me on the corner of Park and Echo Park.

I head west into the park.

I stop at the water fountain.

With my right hand, I turn the knob.

I drink seven swallows...

Before you drink.

I, uh, I, I wiped off the fountain.

Why?

Germs.

Germs?

Habit.

I have three years of your behavior.

Macro, micro, dramatic, mundane.

No hint of a clean freak.

Old habit from before.

- Just kicked in again? - Maybe you're playing

for time, Carter?

I used to be a germophobe from before.

Not when we knew you.

Long time ago when I was a kid.

Maybe you were loitering a little.

Just a nervous habit.

You were nervous?

- No. - Why were you nervous?

- I wasn't nervous! - You were excited.

- No! - You were looking

- for someone. - No.

- Again! - You took all this!

I could've told you the length of every breath,

the breadth of every step, now you simply want me

- to just- - Yes, yes, yes, we do!

Your actual brain to your actual mouth

via the vibration of actual space

to my actual ear.

Why am I here?

Hazard a guess.

I haven't the faintest shred of a wisp of a clue.

Really?

Is Cleopatra all right?

Why do you ask about Cleopatra?

Is she kosher? Is she a-okay?

Actually, she may be why you're here.

That's right, Carter.

You wanna help your friend,

we need every crumb of sense we can vacuum up

from your Tangle-addled brain.

Is something wrong

- with Cleo? - You talk, we'll drive.

Echo Park and Park.

I head west into the park.

Water fountain, handkerchief in right hand.

I wipe off the fountain.

Handkerchief back in pocket.

I bend over. Right hand on knob, I twist.

I drink. Seven swallows, apparently.

16 seconds. I stand back up.

I head towards the old pier. I pause, I...!

Go ahead.

I reach into my pocket.

I grab my lucky key chain and rub it

between my thumb and forefinger.

The brain, the brain, it's alive.

- This? - Yeah.

Why?

Habit.

You got a lot of habits.

What were you looking at?

Nothing.

I'm looking at your lying eyes.

Why were you in the park?

Just going for a walk. A constitutional.

To feel my hips roll over my knees like I did as a kid.

It's a lie.

To gawk at the Obelisk.

- The boathouse. - To crick my neck back

and gaze as the pyramidal tower disappeared

into a rose and golden sky.

Carter.

To Kodak the moment. I hadn't seen it since the election.

Is it beautiful?

No sightseeing, Bunny.

It was a giant geyser, then the world's tallest oak

six elections in a row.

Now it's the Obelisk,

and yes, it is beautiful.

Carter!

15 times larger than the Luxor Obelisk in Paris.

Who is this?

The paperweight?

Who is it right here?

That's a device called a paperweight.

Belonged to my grandfather, actually.

It's a single Caucasian woman, 40 years old,

employed as a Tangle technician

for three years, who is it?

You tell me. I don't know.

Well, you looked in her direction three times.

She moves, you stop drinking, you follow her.

I don't know.

She stops, you stop, or you pull out your key chain.

You look directly at her.

There were a lot of people in that park.

I looked at all sorts.

So distortion of your eyeballs,

0.3 millimeters, which means you were focused

6.3 meters in front of you.

She was standing exactly 6.3 meters in front of you.

Why were you looking at her, Carter?

I have no legal obligation-

What?

I have no legal obligation,

- okay? - You have no legal anything!

I don't see any briefcases here.

I don't have to tell you anything!

She says, "Cleo," she turns and looks

in your direction, you look at each other.

"Cleo," she says.

You already know who she was, obviously.

Obviously.

So who was she?

Carter, we just need-

- I don't know. I knew someone would be there.