Scorched Earth: A Future History of Planet EarthPetrovic, Walter D.
Science
Scorched Earth: A Future History of Planet Earth
Petrovic, Walter D.
Science fiction
Coming from behind her, towards Lloyd, was Boy. His walk had just a
suggestion of purpose as he neared the man that he and Dearborne had
rescued from death.
"Good morning, sir!" said Boy, while still quite far from him.
Lloyd smiled and returned the salutation, allowing Boy to give him the
message that he obviously carried with him.
"My Lord requested me to take you to his private room, sir!"
"Right away?" asked Lloyd.
"Yes, sir. If it pleases you?" continued Boy. "Very well, my lad,
lead the way!" Lloyd accepted and Boy guided him around the hallways
and down some stairs, to Brook's private room. His viewing den.
Lloyd was astonished to see the polished walls covered with rare
paintings and tapestries, and rows of statues dotted each side of the
hall, separated by varying spaces.
Some of the paintings were very old indeed and Lloyd didn't even try to
imagine the dates of their making, but some he did recognize
immediately, as late Twentieth Century, organic-colour pictographs.
He had only seen one other such painting, and that was in the ancient
great vault library, unearthed in Besten. He was impressed by the
wealth of the prehistoric items that Brook chose to display, without
fear of exchanging words with the great feign master of the butte.
Lloyd was greatly confused about Brook's fear of the ArchBishop. If he
really was afraid.
He thought to ask his host about the thoughts that he possessed about
it all.
Soon, Boy stopped walking and motioned with his hand towards two
gigantic doors of oak and iron. He pounded three times on it before he
opened it and allowed Lloyd to enter.
When Lloyd walked into the room, Boy closed the door and left for
Dearborne's parlour. Lloyd hadn't the chance to thank him but he could
see that, to Boy, it didn't make much of a difference.
Brook was sitting in his high-backed chair, in the middle of the room.
His back was to the door and this seemed to be quite odd, to Lloyd,
when he thought that a man who was afraid of someone, would not sit in
such a way, as to lend an advantage to his opponent.
He stood at the door and looked about the room, at the far curtained
wall, the huge cabinet, the statues and several musical instruments in
the far corner.
"Come in and make yourself comfortable." said Brook.
"Thank-you, my Lord!" he answered, and from beside the doors, with his
stronger hand, pulled a tall wooden stool to the Lord's chair.
Brook looked at him with a smile and welcoming face and Lloyd pointed
to the musical instruments and smiled.
"You play music?"
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