Verman

15. The King

Thirteen years earlier

The King sat on his high throne, overlooking his large kingdom. He snapped his fingers and a small servant girl entered. She curtsied and The King said, "bring me my advisor Alfred."

"Will do," said the girl, curtsying again and leaving.

The King sat back on his throne, looking at all his land, stretching out before him.

There was a knock at the door, but before The King could say, "Come in!" Alfred entered.

"You asked for me sir?" he bowed.

"Sit," The King smiled at him.

Alfred sat on a small stool at The King's feet and said, "What do you need sir?"

"Well," The King began, "You are one of the few people who know I'm dying." There was a pause and then The King continued, "And you know my beliefs about other rulers." The King made a small gesture to Alfred.

"You think that other rulers are unfit to rule because they aren't you," Alfred said without missing a beat.

"And I think that correctly. Anyway, I am dying; I should be dead by now but I'm not. Now when I die, someone else will need to take my place to rule this land." The King sighed, "but as you well know, everyone else is unfit to rule because alas, they are not me."

"Yes, but what if--"

"Shhh," The King silenced him. "If I can't rule and no one else can, what might happen?"

"There wouldn't be a king," Alfred said matter of factly.

"And without a king..."

"There wouldn't be a ruler?" Alfred finished uncertainty.

"Correct." The King sighed again, "It would be terrible without a king, so I'm thinking..." He paused for effect and then said, "I wouldn't want the people to feel terrible because there is no king."

"So you'll choose a king?"

"No, I'll do the opposite. I'll kill off the human race."

Alfred gasped in shock, "No, you can't do that! There are innocent people out there and you can't just take their lives away because you think the next ruler won't be as good!"

"Well, well, well," The King said, looking pleased. "You're not on my side after all?"

"No, no, I am," Alfred sputtered.

The King clapped his fingers and three guards came in quickly and dragged screaming, yelling, pleading, Alfred away.

The King sighed and snapped his fingers, bringing a small servant girl in this time. She curtsied and awaited her instructions.

"Tell Joe to drop all of the bombs we have on this city."

The small servant gasped and The King continued, "I want all source of life to be wiped out."

"Actually," the girl said. "I don't think that will be necessary."

"Why's that?" The King snapped, annoyed.

"I just now got the message to tell you. Joe and Atticus are terrorists. They're about to bomb the city now."

"Really?" The King said, amused.

"Yes! Come with me to the bunker if you want to live!" She shouted over the roaring of the approaching terrorist planes.

"I'll stay put," The King said.

"You're gonna die!" The girl said, exasperated now.

"I already am," The King said, grinning.

The girl sprinted away just as bombs dropped down in the cornfields. More bombs dropped around Vermville and the villages.

A few minutes passed before a bomb whistled down and dropped right on the King sitting serenely on his throne.