Scorched Earth: A Future History of Planet EarthPetrovic, Walter D.
Science
Scorched Earth: A Future History of Planet Earth
Petrovic, Walter D.
Science fiction
"We are not destroying anything, my young friend!" Manguino assured
him while he was leaning against the cabinet.
Boyce looked around the room and saw the undraped wall.
"Why is that curtain pulled away?" he demanded.
"Why isn't that wall white?" asked Manguino.
"White?" questioned Boyce. "Was it white, originally?"
Manguino nodded his head.
"I wish that I would have known this, earlier. I want this place to be
as authentic as possible to its original interior!"
Orren and Manguino looked at one another with puzzled eyes and Boyce
continued.
"I had found out the history of this place from a few of the towns'
people and I had decided to talk to a few of the people who have been
within this house when it was lived in by the ruling Lord. I had every
detail of their memories reconstructed. My academy will have the
atmosphere it needs, to inspire our artisans and great thinkers."
"What's in here?" Manguino demanded of him, touching the cabinet with
a few pats of his hand.
"Nothing is in there!" replied Boyce.
"Open it for me!" Manguino threw another order at Boyce.
"I don't believe that I am obliged to do so without being given a
reason for my opening it!" Boyce denied obedience to them, knowing
exactly who both of these men were.
"If you are to live in Pomperaque," said Orren. "you must learn to
obey the ArchBishop. He wants you to open that cabinet and you will
open it!"
Boyce put on a bewildered expression then sighed, nodding his head as
he went to the cabinet.
He took a key from around his neck and put it in the slot of the
cabinet door. His actions with the key, and the manner in which he
used it to open the doors, disturbed Manguino but he made himself think
that Boyce was told about the way that Brook handled the cabinet key.
Boyce slowly opened the cabinet to reveal the empty interior.
"There!" Boyce exclaimed. "I had told you that there was nothing
inside!"
The ArchBishop Manguino breathed more easily when he saw that the
cabinet was truly empty as this stranger called Boyce, had truthfully
told him.
"I would think that you would like to mingle more with the common
folk." said Boyce. "I had heard some rumours that you, ArchBishop,
don't present yourself to the people as much as you should!"
Orren didn't like what Boyce had said and he was ready to say something
to him until Manguino stopped him by raising his hand.
Manguino made for the door and Orren followed him. It was obvious that
the Almighty wanted peace, for now, and Orren held to his respect of it.
However, before the two men totally exited the room, Manguino turned
around and saw Boyce closing the cabinet doors. He smiled at Boyce and
asked him a question while Zoro flew into the room and to his shoulder.
"Tell me, Boyce Loebh ... do you know what was inside the cabinet?" he
asked him.
Boyce shrugged and a squawk came from Zoro.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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