Leo shuddered. He noticed that the depths of Ahab"s eyes contained chaos. Tinges of chaotic black magic seeped from the corners of his eyes. Ahab"s features resembled the statues. Except, his nose curved more than the statues, and several warts had sprouted from his face. He saw the way Ahab gazed at the dancers in one corner from time to time. He recognized the l.u.s.t in Ahab"s eyes. Leo remembered his n.o.ble friend Jack, who was very much a prodigal, stare at women in the same manner.The throne room was filled with various exotic creatures in cages. One cage held a peac.o.c.k with white feathers and a blue beak. Leo noticed that another cage strung a baby rhinoceros from its legs with silver chains. Leo thought, "Is it dead?"
Ahab noticed Leo"s stare toward the rhinoceros and said, "Do you like it? I stuffed it. I hired a tribe of hunters to capture the beast from the neighboring country... Oh, what"s it called... Ah, yes! Attica!"
Leo didn"t know how to respond, so Ahab filled the silence.
Ahab said, "All the animals are stuffed. Some even came from the Seven Mountains!"
"Your Majesty, "A portly man with a large belly and drooping ear lobes said, "The Prisoners."
"Yes I know. Alright!" said Ahab, "You don"t need to tell me twice, Bazeel!"
Ahab"s voice grated Leo with its coa.r.s.e sound.
"Yes, your majesty," Bazeel said, "Also, please refer to me by my t.i.tle of "Prime Minister.""
Ahab chuckled, "Please, does a t.i.tle give this eunuch some justice in this cruel, cruel world!"
Prime Minister Bazeel frowned.
"I make the villager joke-style with you," said Ahab, "Surely you know I"m joking, my dear Bazeel."
Bazeel sighed and said, "The Prisoners."
"Yes alright. Now who do we have before me today? A frog? A toad? A Worm? Surely not Solomon and all of his wisdom? Because All I can see s a pig!"
"Your majesty," Bazeel said.
"Yes, yes. I know," Ahab said, "I"ll be serious."
Bazeel nodded, and the room entered a ten second period of awkward silence...
"So... What do you suggest Bazeel," said Ahab.
"I suggest a secret execution," said Bazeel, "We"ll then present Solomon"s head to the remnant that formerly supported the former king."
Ahab tapped his finger on the right arm of his large throne. He looked down upon Solomon. He noticed Solomon"s disheveled hair, and he glanced at Solomon"s faded clothes. He remarked at how old the man he once served had become. Ahab said to himself, "Yes... Yes! The time is now!" And the darkness sunk inside of Ahab"s very spirit.
Ahab said. "Publicly. I hereby decree that Solomon, former king of the Flatlands shall be executed publicly! For all to see!"
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"Your majesty!"
"What Bazeel?" Ahab said.
"He has done nothing to deserve death." Bazeel said, "The common people think him dead. We thought him dead as well. There is no need to expose his presence! It would only bring discord!"
"Discord?" Ahab said, "Hah! I don"t fear discord. I control it."
"Your Majesty!" Bazeel said, "Please reconsider!"
"Silence!" Ahab said, "We execute him publicly in the next four days."
"Anything else?" said Ahab.
"Sir!" said Captain Arron, who presence in the throne room had diminished for some time.
"Speak," Ahab said, "Oh, and don"t waste my time."
"Sir," Arron said, "Solomon"s companion fits the requirements for your majesty"s project."
"Oh," Ahab said, "Go on."
"I suggest we process him immediately in re-conditioning."
"Well I disagree," said Ahab, "Let him go."
"But Sir!" Captain Arron said, "He"s-"
"Silence! Before I have your head..." said Ahab, "Release the man!"
Leo was conflicted. He overheard the verdict given to Solomon, and while he knew it wasn"t within his own power to help the old man, he couldn"t bear to see Solomon executed. Leo thought back to Solomon"s speech about destroying the city in five days. "Wait a minute," Leo thought, "If it was five days yesterday, then wouldn"t Solomon destroy the city in four days starting today?"
The more Leo thought about it, the more puzzeled he became, and soon his head started hurting. "Wait," Leo thought, "Won"t he be executed in four days starting today?" "A coincidence?" Leo thought, "Or has the wily old man predicted this?" "But that"s impossible!" Leo thought: "There must be something to this. He can"t possibly destroy a city in chains and on the same day of his execution. Right?"
Then, Leo saw a smug smile beneath Solomon"s hanging head. He decided to trust Solomon... for now, and later if necessary, Leo contemplated the idea of rescuing the old man on the execution date if Solomon"s plan to destroy the city didn"t work out.
So, Leo walked free, with his black leather coat and black leather pants that were sewn into his skin. He sought answers, so Leo decided to search through the city. He decided to take Solomon"s advice. He would travel the city, experience different people, and in the end, he would decide how he would save the old man--the old man who gave Leo a new lease on life.
Leo stared up into the clouds. He searched for a piece of blue. He searched for a ray of light that would pierce the cloud curtain in the sky. But, to no avail, nothing shone through in the three minutes that Leo stared up into the sky. So, he descended, out of the palace, down through the dwellings of the wealthy, through the town square with bustling crowds, and down to the slums, where Raynark"s inn lay. He entered the inn and let the door shut in the middle of the afternoon on the first day.
Leo saw Raynark wiping a table with a reattached leg.
Leo said, "You don"t seem too worried."
"Why would I be?" said Raynark.
"Well, he is your friend." said Leo
"Used to be." said Raynark, "Used to be."
"But still," Leo said until Raynark interrupted him.
Raynark said, "You can stay here for the next four days, no more, no less. Got it."
"Got it." said Leo, "He"ll be alright... Right?"
"He always is lad. He always is." Raynark said.
So, Leo went to his room and lay down. He was tired from the events that happened and couldn"t be bothered to go out and meet people on a fatigued brain, so he fell asleep, while he made a mental note of the demons that were watching him. "Ahab," Leo thought.
Meanwhile, Ahab and Bazeel were alone in Ahab"s chambers.
"Sire," Bazeel said, "Why?"
"Why I allowed Solomon to scheme like that? Why I let the boy go? Or... Why I delayed his execution?"
"If you know, then why? Bazeel said when Ahab interrupted his speech.
"The demon beckons," Ahab said, "It promised me a profit from Solomon"s schemes."
"Sire!" Bazeel cried, "You can"t keep relying on that thing for guidance. It"ll destroy you."
"Bazeel"
"Who knows what it"s scheming!?"
"Bazeel!"
"Your majesty," Bazeel said when he planted his face on the floor.
"Bazeel," Ahab said, "Another word, and I"ll have your head before Solomon"s"
Bazeel left the King Ahab"s chambers. Ahab stroked his beard while his linen robe fit hung from his shoulders. The demon inside Ahab said, "I said to kill him." Ahab replied to the demon, "Be patient. Bazeel served me many years. He"s good and faithful. I won"t kill Bazeel." The demon told Ahab, "Keep your deal, or I"ll ascend from the nether and reclaim all I gave you... with interest." "Yep, yep," Ahab thought, "Now be a good little demon and sleep."
So, the demon returned to the depths of Ahab"s soul, because nothing was left of it except the speck that would protect Bazeel.
In the sky, the clouds grew thick and threw rain down from the heavens.