Thursday, August 31, 2006

Chapter 1 - The King Didn't Make a Decision (4)

“Your Agents of Peace, Your Majestic Brilliance. You formed it two years ago as Landscape’s secret service after you had seen the movie From Portrait with Love. The agents haven’t been active as yet. Now would be a good time to see how good they really are.”

The King dwelled on this for a little while. Attendants wiped his brow carefully with cloths bathed in rose water. Then his brow cleared and everyone knew that this was a momentous occasion, for King Blink the Very First etcetera did not make up his mind too easily. That might be why there are whisperings that he might become King Blink the Very Last if he and the Queen didn’t make up their mind about having a try at getting a baby boy. On the other hand, no-one could blame them for giving up after Grue had seen the light.

With a motion of his bejewelled hand the king indicated that he was about to say something that should definitely be recorded for future generations. Scribbler gripped his pen tightly and swallowed a tranquilizer. Then King Blink stood up, gazed benevolently at his followers, blinked, opened his mouth, and promptly sat down again. He had just realised something of national importance.

While Scribbler wondered whether he should record the opening of the king’s mouth as a “-“ or an “a” or “!” or not at all, King Blink sat immobile, thinking furiously. He absolutely must have an appropriate opening line for his historic speech. It should captivate the reader right from the start, he thought. It should leave him eager to read more. In his mind’s eye the king could already see future generations reading his speech over and over, drinking in every line and learning it off by heart.

At last he stood up and said: “Someone go fetch YUCK!”

“Er, Your Highness,” said Tom. “Didn’t your Illustriousness mean YAP?”

YAP! YAP! YAP! That’s what I said!” barked the king. He was thoroughly tired of the whole business. He wished he weren’t king. He wished he had another cook. He wished he didn’t have a daughter like Grue. In fact, he wished he were safely tucked away in his hunting lodge, one with nature, and far away from everything a king wouldn’t desire. He made a quick decision.

“Tom! Organise the retrieval of Genius’s lamp and let me know when that’s done. I’ll be at the White Burrow, doing some hunting of defenceless furry animals.”

These words didn’t come as a surprise to the crowd. The king was known to disappear in times of trouble. Scribbler simply scratched out the last few recorded sentences. He would send the recorded speech to the King’s creative crew who would invent a totally fictitious speech and fabricate a heroic adventure in which the king played a prominent role.

Thus ended King Blink’s part in the retrieval of Genius’s lamp. He was gone within the hour and all that remained of him was his echo saying “some hunting” over and over again.

Thus began Tom the Fool’s part in the Great Retrieval, as it has since become known in the folklore of that great country Landscape.

3 comments:

Nagolore said...

L.S.,
Thanks for (4) !
I would like to make a link to your blog via my belgian blog. (top right side "favorieten")

Is that oké for you?

my e-mail: adrisuykerbuyk@skynet.be

or on my blog: "E-Mail me"


Grts.

The HR Partner said...

Raak net beter. Ekt jou blog op stumble-upon geshare. Wat is die moontlikheid van 'n counter? Ek dink dit gaan 'n groot sukses word!

Nagolore said...

I fully agree with Chris, conc. the counter and the possible success! If you prefer to make a link to my blog (feel completely free about this) I w'd suggest you link to nagolore-experimens.blogspot, because there's a link to Experimens, my belgian blog.
Thanks and grts. Adri.