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"No, Palakon," I say "You know hi about?"

"Palakon," I shout "I saw you in a videotape shaking Bobby Hughes’ hand, you fking bastard, I saw you shake that assle’s hand Don’t tell me you don’t know him"

Palakon flinches "Mr Ward, I’ about But I have never , you’re fking lying," I shout "Why are you lying, Palakon? I saw a videotape You were shaking his hand" I’ toward hirimly, then launches into, "Mr Ward, as you well know, they are quite sophisticated at altering photographs and videotapes" Palakon stops, starts again "What you probably saas just a itally altered Why they showed this to you I don’t know But I have never hes before-"

"Blah blah blah," I’ "What a load of shit No way, hviolently

"Mr Ward, I think you have been a victiwe’re shown anyis altered? That everything’s a lie? That everyone will believe this?"

"That’s a fact," Palakon says

"So what’s true, then?" I cry out

"Nothing, Victor," Palakon says "There are different truths"

"Then what happens to us?"

"We change" He shrugs "We adapt"

"To what? Better? Worse?"

"I’m not sure those terms are applicable anymore"

"Why not?" I shout "Why aren’t they?"

"Because no one cares about ’better’ No one cares about ’worse,"’ Palakon says "Not anymore It’s different now"

Someone clears his throat as tears pour down my face

"Mr Ward, please, you’ve helped us enormously," Crater says

"How?" I sob