Euclid Shellingford (Volume 2)

CHAPTER 29: And then there were None

''Are you sure it's him?"

"Yeah," maiksi kong sagot at saka naglakad na palabas. Naramdaman ko naman ang pagsunod niya kaya hindi na ako nag-abala pang lingunin siya. I looked at my watch and found that it's almost 5pm. Kaya pala halos mangilan-ngilang estudyante na lang ang mga naglalakad-balik sa mahabang pasilyo. Mukhang wala akong choice kung hindi ang bumalik bukas para ituloy ang pag-eenroll.

"Paano mo naman nalamang si Kir nga ang nasa likod ng dummy account na 'yun?"

Tumigil ako sa paglalakad at pagkatapos ay hinarap siya. Mukhang nagulat naman ito sa biglaang paghinto ko. I filled my lungs with air and let out a deep sigh. I intentionally looked at him with dead eyes.

"Are you asking that question because you've tried to think but failed to find an answer or because you gave up without even trying to think?"

"Ha?"

"Real 1977. 19 for Potassium and 77 for Iridium. Concatenating the two symbols K and Ir, we'll have 'KIR' as a result."

"Ahh chemical symbols!" nakangiwi pa nitong reaksyon, as if he wasn't really expecting that kind of explanation.

"Ginamit niya ang mga chemical symbols dahil alam niyang Chemical engineering student ako. He knows that it's a piece of cake to me," tinalikuran ko na siya at pagkatapos ay tuluy-tuloy na naglakad papunta sa parking lot kung nasaan ang kotse ko. Hindi pa man ako nakakalapit ay tanaw ko na ang isang kapirasong papel na halatang sinadyang isingit sa wiper sa may unahan.

"It looks like he left a message for me," mahinang sabi ko habang nakatuon ang tingin sa kapirasong papel. Upon reading the phrases written on that piece of paper, I suddenly felt both excitement and anxiety.

And then there were None.

"Ano yan? 'And then there were None'? Kanta ba 'yan o title—ahh title yan ng book ni Agatha Christie!"

'And Then There Were None', a story about a group of people who are lured into coming to an island under different pretexts. All have been complicit in the deaths of other human beings pero hindi mga nakulong o nakasuhan dahil sa iba't ibang mga kadahilanan. And due to some reasons obviously plotted by the one who planned the scheme, silang sampu ay hindi makaalis ng isla. They were trapped. And as the story progressed gradually, all ten are killed in turn, each in a manner that seems to parallel the deaths in the nursery rhyme 'Ten little indians'.

"Isa yan sa mga paborito kong books ni Agatha Christie ah? Don't tell me iniwan yan ni Kir dito?" tanong pa ni Nicolai.

"Ten little Indians..." mahina kong sabi.

Ten little Indian boys went out to dine;

One choked his little self and then there were nine.

Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;

One overslept himself and then there were eight.

Eight little Indian boys travelling in Devon;

One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.

Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks;

One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.

Six little Indian boys playing with a hive;

A bumblebee stung one of them and then there were five.

Five little Indian boys going in for law;

One got in Chancery and then there were four.