(A sunny morning in Gaza City. The students of the Institute for the Advancement of Dictatorships sit on rubble. The Instructor speaks quietly with the Host. Napoleon walks. He picks up a fragment and inspects it.)
THE INSTRUCTOR
Let’s begin.
THE HOST
Welcome to Gaza.
THE FIRST STUDENT
What is today’s lesson?
THE INSTRUCTOR
Today’s lesson is about teaching lessons.
THE OTHER STUDENTS
Teaching lessons.
(Napoleon holds up the little piece he found.)
NAPOLEON
What is this?
THE HOST
It’s a metal fragment from an MK-84.
NAPOLEON
Ah.
(He pockets it.)
SOME YOUNG VOICES
We were here then.
THE HOST
There were many others. Different payloads. Different objectives. All to teach.
THE FIRST STUDENT
Whom?
SOME YOUNG VOICES
Us.
THE HOST
Them.
(He pauses.)
THE HOST
The world.
(He pauses again.)
THE HOST
These were different lessons.
THE OTHER STUDENTS
One stone. Two birds.
(The Host turns to the Instructor.)
THE HOST
You have clever students.
THE INSTRUCTOR
We only take the best.
THE HOST
They will appreciate the subtlety then.
THE OTHER STUDENTS
We do.
THE FIRST STUDENT
I don’t.
THE INSTRUCTOR
Please.
THE HOST
No, let him.
THE FIRST STUDENT
You did not teach. You killed.
THE HOST
Of course we did.
SOME YOUNG VOICES
Us.
THE FIRST STUDENT
Them. Their parents. Their cousins.
THE HOST
Naturally.
THE FIRST STUDENT
Most of the world condemns this.
THE HOST
Not Germany.
THE FIRST STUDENT
Ah, the experts.
THE HOST
We can act with impunity. That is the second lesson.
THE OTHER STUDENTS
Impunity.
SOME YOUNG VOICES
Impunity.
THE FIRST STUDENT
It is not over yet.
THE HOST
It is not. We have turned our attention elsewhere.
NAPOLEON
Towards the Hindu Kush?
THE HOST
The Hindu Kush is not part of what we have been promised.
NAPOLEON
I see.
(He takes out the fragment again and looks at it.)
THE INSTRUCTOR
Let us summarize today’s lessons.
THE OTHER STUDENTS
Impunity rules.
(The First Student looks at his feet, then mumbles.)
THE FIRST STUDENT
The horror. The horror.
SOME YOUNG VOICES
Heaven is blue.