The Hypernatural and Supernatural in Madlax -- Episode 13

Episode 13: “you’ll die” and “kill you”
"Cry of Awakening ~awake~": (覚鳴: Kakumei)

note:"覚鳴"
This is a coined set of words string. “覚”＝ aware, and “鳴” = cry, but Japanese reading “kakumei” suggests the homonym “革命=revolution”.

In the avant, Laetitia and Poupee are watching each other. Then, Laetitia’s back figure overlaps with Margaret. Though this makes no particular sense here, it will be judged to be a decisively direct visual expression, after the basic condition introduced in this show has been unraveled, concerning the relationship between character manifestation and psychic phases.

Carrossea notices she is the girl he saw in the passage of Bookwald company. Approaching her, he says, “I’ve come at the request of Eric Gillain.” Carrossea tells a lie making use of the case Margaret asked the bibliodetective the search for the picture book. “And I’ve seen the writing in that book before. …It’s a script called ‘Elies’ that was discovered over ten years ago in Gaths-Sonika. …Eric showed me photos of your book. Its title is “Sarks Sark.” But in spite of Carrossea’s expectation, Margaret shows no sign of perturbation. Nakhl is watching their conversation hiding among trees. Nakhl mutters, “Secondari.”

Madlax brings Vanessa into her room. Vanessa fixes her attention on a piece of paper pinned on the wall. “What’s that? I’ve never seen letters like that before.” Madlax answers, saying, “Just a good-luck charm. It’s one of the things I’ve had for as long as I can remember.”

At that time in Nafrece, Margaret is asking Carrossea, “What’s the book about?” Carrossea answers, “I don’t know that. But if I look at it, I may be able to tell something. Would you show it to me?” Opening the book , Carrossea begins to check the inside of the book. In astonishment, Carrossea mutters, “There’s a page torn out.” Finding a page stained with blood, Carrossea begins to be agitated. “You’ve looked at this picture book many times, haven’t you? You’ve touched it many times. Who are you?”

Vanessa tells Madlax about her parents who have been arrested in the suspicion of joining the intrigue concerning the civil war in Gaths-Sonika. “My father was a diplomat in Nafrece, you see, and at the time that the threat of civil war here was coming to a peak, he was in charge of relations with Gaths-Sonika. And the civil war broke out, and my parents were detained by the Gaths-Sonika army under suspicion of inciting the war. …The truth was consigned to darkness. …I even joined Bookwald’s international division specifically because it was closely tied to Gaths-Sonika.” Madlax too, confides Vanessa about her father. “I have a faint memory. He’s somewhere in this country. My father is.” Vanessa and Madlax are getting involved in the matter of civil war and the influence of Enfant to it, through which their relationship seems to have been deepening closer beside their concern to mission or justice. This element is going to add one more genre defining condition that has not been detected in this show before.

Margaret and Carrossea are also deepening their relationship. Margaret confides Carrossea, saying, “I don’t have any memories from when I was little.” Carrossea also says, “I’m the same. …I don’t have any memories either.” The three of Margaret, Carrossea and Madlax are supposed to share some unknown connection in their loss of memory. Eric Gillain’s loss of memory may have been functioning as the underplot of this.

Vanessa asks Madlax, “Say, Madlax, what was your father like?” “I hardly remember anything. Just the sight of his back walking away. …He was wearing an army uniform. He might have been one of this country’s soldiers.” “Then he might have been in a corps of foreigners. Or been a mercenary. …Have you tried investigating? That’s right, what about his dog tags?” “Madlax shows her a dog tag with a hole in it. “With the shape they are in, it’s no good. …I want to know. Why I am in this country, why I can’t catch up to my father. …And who I am.” “I’m sure you’ll be able to meet him.” Vanessa gently embraces Madlax from behind, and rubs her face against Madlax’s cheek. “You are just trying to make me feel better.” “Even if I am, it’s better than nothing, right?” “Yes, you are right.” Madlax accepts Vanessa’s heartful kindness for the first time in her life. This show, that has been following the line of hard-boiled action and psycho horror, is now beginning to develop the phase of “human drama” in which two girls’ intimate attachment is depicted.

Carrossea brings Margaret back to her apartment and about to say something, “Margaret, could I…” But Margaret seems to have sensed something through her intuition as usual. “No. This picture book is mine. So you can’t take it.” “How did you…” “Somehow I just knew.” Carrossea was prepared to forcibly take the book from her hand, but he understands that it is unattainable to this girl. It is not because Elenore just appeared there when he tried to produce a gun to threaten Margaret, nor because of her physical strength. It appears cause-and-effect chain itself seems to be working reflecting Margaret’s will. Carrossea asks Elenore about Margaret’s lost memory in the hall, after she has retired in her room. Elenore answers him saying, “When Miss Margaret returned to her estate after being missing, she didn’t remember language, let alone anything else. All she remembered was just one word. ‘Madlax.’ She was mumbling that word.” Pieces seem to be gathering to make an uncompleted picture, but voids between discernible meanings are still too large.

Outside of the apartment, Nakhl is watching the actions of Carrossea. Carrossea is asking to himself returned in his car, “What am I doing? …The girl who possesses Secondari… a girl who’s unruffled by the Essence. Margaret Burton.” The word “Essence” Carrossea has spoken here, seems to come up as a hint that indicates the mysterious relation between the picture book and the strange ability of Margaret. “The woman who seeks to know Enfant’s secrets: Vanessa Rene. The Agent acting with Vanessa: Madlax. … ‘Madlax’, the one-word Margaret, who had no other memories, remembered. All of it is connected. Yes, even me… The bloodstain on the pages of Secondari… That was my blood. …I’m trying to get it back. No, I will get it back, and then I will return to that boundless place.” Carrossea is speaking one more hint, that is the space that he calls “boundless place”.

There he receives a call from Friday Monday. Carrossea explains his present situation. Friday says, “I wanted to meet her once, but time is up.” Carrossea asks back, “Time is up? You don’t mean to use those word, do you?” Friday answers, “Use them? Of course I’ll use them. I wonder if this ‘Madlax’ will be able to withstand it… the Essence that I will send forth.” Friday too, is speaking the same word, “Essence”.

A warning from SSS is brought to Madlax. “Then be careful. Sometimes Enfant sets traps in its data.” Just as SSS tells, Madlax gets affected at seeing the displayed monitor. Friday again tells the eerie words. “Elda Taluta.” Laetitia reacts to the words. The screen shows a small girl crouching in a battlefield. It is Madlax herself. The girl screams, “Dad, what is this?” She is holding a gun in her hands. “Dad? …Dad?” Countless sets of words “Elda Taluta” are filled on the computer monitor, and Madlax utters a frantic scream.

In Nafrece, Nakhl has sneaked into Margaret’s room. Nakhl tries to reach her hand onto the picture book on the bed cover, confirming the state of the sleeper. But Margaret, still sleeping, takes hold of Nakhl’s hand. Margaret warns Nakhl saying, “No. You can’t have this. If you take it, I’ll kill you.” Nakhl is stunned by an unexpected occurrence. After all, both Carrossea and Nakhl were baffled their attempts to steal the picture book even though Margaret was quite unaware of their intentions. This is an impressive scene that implies Margaret is endowed with some specific ability to exert control over others even without physical strength. In contrast to the words “You’ll die” Madlax spoke, the phrase “I’ll kill you” Margaret uttered will be later disclosed of their implication relating to her peculiar attributes.

A red moon is hanging in the sky over the village of the Lady Qwanzitta in Gaths-Sonika. Qwanzitta mutters, looking up the moon, “The moon is going to change.”