White Niggers
Chapter 29
Friday, September 6th, 2019, 11:35
Dr. Zemanek's office, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Welthandelsplatz 1, 2nd district of Vienna
This feels as if she punched me in the gut with a loaded glove, Lisa thinks. But let's not act based on feelings. Men do what's right, not what feels good. Women do too, when they're smart.
"We didn't have a formal agreement, but I thought we could work as a team," Lisa says. "My grit plus your experience equals writing history of law."
"You assumed without asking me," Dr. Zemanek says.
"Yes, because I thought that this reworked approach works much better, and is much more coherent," Lisa says.
"That may be the case, but I said I have reservations," Dr. Zemanek says. "Over the course of the conversation, they only grew stronger."
"Can we discuss them?" Lisa says.
"Of course," Dr. Zemanek says. "A big one is that you want me to help you fight the EU to get reparations for Ukraine. Is this correct?"
"Yes and I think you could benefit from it–", Lisa says.
"Let me finish," Dr. Zemanek says. "Don't you realize that I have zero incentive to do this?"
"Isn't fighting for justice and getting publicity for it an incentive?" Dr. Zemanek says.
"Fighting against whom? Against my country, which is part of the West?" Dr. Zemanek says. "Or against the very system which pays me enough for a comfortable life? For everything in here?"
Dr. Zemanek makes a circular gesture to indicate the entirety of the room they are sitting in.
This is a blow I didn't expect, Lisa thinks. Another punch in the gut.
For a few moments, Lisa can't see clearly, as if a cloud of flies is buzzing in front of her eyes.
"I'm surprised that you are presenting this idea to me," Dr. Zemanek says. "Why me?"
"Whom should I have presented this idea to?" Lisa says.
"To your ambassador, to some political party, some pro-Ukrainian youth organization, I don't know," Dr. Zemanek says. "To someone who represents the Ukraine's interests."
"And you don't?" Lisa says.
"Where did you get idea that I might?" Dr. Zemanek says.
"During that seminar last month, you said something about the Russian invasion of Crimea," Lisa says. "It sounded like you are on the Ukrainian side."
"And?" Dr. Zemanek says. "Saying something the party line approves of is very different from fighting the party."
"Party line," Lisa says. "You sound as if we lived in the Soviet Union."
"The West is more similar to the late Soviet Union than you think. Just look at the EUSSR, which wants to centralize everything down to the shape of bananas. See EU Commission Implementing Regulation Nr. 1333/2011," Dr. Zemanek says, "Joe Biden is worse than the Soviet gerontocrats. Brezhnev at least had enough reason not to brag about their nepotism in public."
"And you are going to comply with the party line instead of fighting it?" Lisa says.
"I am, and I recommend you do, too," Dr. Zemanek says. "Forget about class-action lawsuits against the EU. Finish your thesis, and then–maybe, but very likely, almost certain, I will be able to get you a trainee position at Schoenherr."
Dr. Zemanek stands up, goes to the coffee machine and starts making coffee. Dr. Zemanek speaks louder than usual to counteract the noises of the coffee machine. There are shrieking undertones in the sounds she makes.
"But this offer is conditional on you not doing anything stupid," Dr. Zemanek says. "Just finish your thesis. This should be easy, it's almost done. Just a few cosmetic corrections. You are this close to a life as wonderful as mine, maybe better. Probably better."
Dr. Zemanek puts her thumb and index finger close to each other, at a distance of less than a centimeter.
Usually people use this gesture to indicate the size of male genitals as an insult, Lisa thinks. And, somehow, I am insulted by her generous offer.
The coffee is ready. Dr. Zemaneks pours two cups of coffee. Dr. Zemanek opens a box of Bahlsen Chokini cookies and puts it on the table next to the coffee mugs.
"Let's drink some coffee and say that I haven't heard what you said before," Dr. Zemanek says. "Agreed?"
"I'm hesitant," Lisa says.
"Why?" Dr. Zemanek says.
"I don't like lying, especially in writing," Lisa says.
"You don't have to," Dr. Zemanek says. "Once you have a decent job, you can write whatever you want under a pseudonym. Like Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge."
Lisa pouts her lips. There is silence for a few moments that feel much longer than the actual time.
"What if I insist on writing the thesis as I described?" Lisa says.
"Then I'd resign as your supervisor," Dr. Zemanek says.