Scorched Earth: A Future History of Planet EarthPetrovic, Walter D.
Science
Scorched Earth: A Future History of Planet Earth
Petrovic, Walter D.
Science fiction
That was Boyce's only contact with the two men, all evening, and later
Empal mentioned to both men that it would be to their benefit to listen
to and to respect the young man called Boyce
Loebh, and that made both men wonder since they knew that Empal
wouldn't say such a thing to them unless it was serious.
Manguino and Orren had walked through the Mansion and finally Manguino
ended up at the room which was once Brook's private viewing den. That
was the room Brook and Dearborne had been taken from before they were
executed.
Manguino felt discomfited standing there and Orren couldn't help but
notice it. Everything in the house was just as it was before it was
ravaged by him and his men, thought Manguino. He was petrified to open
the door and looked inside but Orren had never seen the original room
and what it contained, so he bound into the room and looked around at
the rock walls, drapes, shelves of books and the large wooden cabinet.
The room was beautiful; decorated with small statues and paintings, and
although it wasn't an identical duplicate of Brook's den, it closely
enough resembled it to warp Manguino's mind back to when he had the
cabinet opened to his view and saw Brook's computer.
The ArchBishop had finally summoned ample courage in order to enter the
room and he let out an exasperated breath which sounded like he was in
pain, when he saw the room. He quickly stepped over to the book
shelves and read the names and titles on the books: Lapinz,
Argynossti, Smarte. All were identical to those books that Brook kept
there.
"This is some room!" said Orren and oddly glanced over at Manguino.
"What's wrong?" he asked the ArchBishop.
"This room is hardly different than Brook Scullion-Blue's was, so long
ago. How did these men know what was within? How did they know what
was in every room, within this house?"
Manguino trembled as he spoke then he looked at the far curtained wall
and went over to it.
He violently pulled the curtains away from the wall exposing a dingy
grey.
"Why did you do that, your Grace?" asked Orren.
"This wall was supposed to be white in the centre. If it was, I don't
know what I would've thought!" he answered.
He looked at the large wooden cabinet near the entrance and went to
it. He tried to open it but it was locked. He shook his head towards
Orren then punched at the cabinet doors.
"Just like Brook's, always locked until the day that I finally knew for
sure what was inside!"
Manguino was feeling ill and angry, and most of all frightened.
"You were right to suspect these men, Orren!" he told the cardinal.
There was a sudden angry and loud voice blaring from the entrance to
the room.
"What are you doing in here?" It was Boyce and he majestically trooped
into the room and glared at the ArchBishop. "I don't mind if the
guests roam around the house, but I do mind if the guests try to
destroy the things that are within the rooms!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account