(1) Hello?

[cramschoolgod]

[Sasaki's morning found her more confused than she had been in years. To all outward appearances, she was suddenly a member of American society from the Golden Age of the 1950s. This was a subject she was fairly well read on, as she was on many subjects

Comments

[letunityblossom]

I'm afraid you're not anywhere near home, now, Miss...

[cramschoolgod]

Ah, I am Sasaki. And yes, so it would appear. Is it certain that we are in the United States?

[letunityblossom]

I'm Lithuania--or Toris Laurinaitis, if you prefer. [you know, if calling someone a country is weird] I don't think it's certain... America doesn't seem to think it's his place, at least.

[cramschoolgod]

You were named after the country, then? Or it is a nickname? I'm sorry, I don't see what you mean by "his place." Are these language difficulties? The government of the United States doesn't want to acknowledge this location as a principality?

[letunityblossom]

No, I mean--forgive me, I realize this is hard to believe--I am Lithuania, the country. And America is here, too--the country--and he says it's not his.

[cramschoolgod]

[Pause ...Sasaki's hypothesis of an asylum is gaining in probability.]

You are Lithuania, the country. Ah, I suppose it would be too much to hope for that you mean this in some symbolic sense.

You mean that you are some manifestation of the spirit of the people of Lithuania? My, my. This concept is entirely incoherent.

[letunityblossom]

I know it's strange... Your second idea is what I am, more or less. I represent my people, yes.

[cramschoolgod]

[A pause.]

In what sense? Do your actions correspond to the actions of the nation Lithuania? Does your intellect represent the sum total of the Lithuanian people? I suppose that if I were to quiz you on Lithuanian history, I would receive more or less perfect responses?

[letunityblossom]

Ah, let's see... You could quiz me on my history if you wanted--it'd be embarrassing if I got something wrong, wouldn't it? [dry laugh] But I've been alive as long as Lithuania has. My opinions are my people's, and anything the average Lithuanian would know I would. I can form my own opinions, but my peoples' are always more important.

Ah, it hasn't come up here, yet, though.

[cramschoolgod]

Yes, hmm, indeed.

[In a word, he has no proof, she thinks.]

Well, that's very interesting. And you claim there is another person who... is another representative of a country? America, namely?

[letunityblossom]

I-I know it's hard to believe... Yes, though, America is here... And many others. A lot of us seem to be trapped here.

[cramschoolgod]

May I ask who else, then?

[letunityblossom]

Ah, l-let's see... Poland, Latvia, Russia, Miss Vietnam, Mister Japan, Mister China, Mister Australia, Mister Finland... T-there's really a lot...

[cramschoolgod]

[Yare yare.]

I... see. Just to be clear, do your physical actions correspond to the actions of the represented countries in any way? For example, say that Germany punches Russia in the face. Does this represent the year 1941, or some kind of attack? Or--forgive me--Serbia and Albania have romantic relations. Do they birth Kosovo?

[letunityblossom]

It's a bit like that, yes... Though we fight alongside our people in wars, and new nation representations aren't birthed, they just appear, as far as I'm aware. F-for example during the time of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Poland and I shared a home, and when we fought wars, we fought against the representation of the opposing nation.

[cramschoolgod]

Well, this is certainly an interesting [delusion] situation. I'll never say again that I've led a boring life.

There are never duplicates, I suppose? Two Finlands, say?