| "I....would have a word with you," Roland says in a tone that was
a command, not a request.
The discussion centered around Flagg and the Dark Tower. Oddly enough,
the information that King is able to provide proves to be no more than
what Roland had already learned from past experience and from Queen Astra's
group.
Frankly, King, the authors, and the Nantucketers learn more from
Roland and his friends about his world and their adventures. Cofflin, the
Chief Executive of the government, puts his notes in order and nods, now
sorting how he'll present this information to the rest of the island at
tonight's Meet. Frankly, Cofflin wasn't sure how he'd be able to present
the news that there was now actual MAGIC in this world (brought about by
that Chaos energy?).....but the Chief Executive felt that since the town
wasn't running around in riots after all they'd seen and heard (having
been surprising accepting of seeing nonhumans.....which was much less shocking
than other recent events).....well, the outlook looked good that they'd
be able to assimilate it. The fact that the demifox and kitsunes would
be around to give some lessons in countering magical threats should do
wonders in calming fears.....
Some may find this calm acceptance odd, but Nantucket is like that....
All done and said, Roland finally breaks by looking down at his growling
stomach.
"I cry your pardon, but frankly I and the others did come here to break
bread," the Gunslinger says, looking a bit embarrassed after yet another
loud gurgle.
"Hope you like whale meat," the waitress says as she hand the odd group,
"It's either that or fish, mostly."
Nantucket, in the past (or future.....because of the Event) had been
a major whaling center before that industry collapsed. What with needs
brought about by being cut off with modern supply lines and such because
of the Event, they'd returned to old traditions.
"It's a travesty and a crime," a green eyed woman says from the side.
"Lisketer," Frank Marn mutters under his breath, a trace of anger in
his voice.
Roland notes this, and sees that for some reason Marn just doesn't like
this woman.
"Oh, but no less than human beings eating any other animal," the Doctor
chimed in, seeing where this could go as he remembered the briefing Marn
gave about the powers that be in Nantucket, "We did, after all,
check that little thing."
Point in fact, it had been a major concern to the Star Fleeters, what
with them remembering the trouble their Earth got into with that Space
Probe over those extinct whales (watch Star Trek IV: the Voyage Home
for full details), intelligent beings hunted out of existence. Only by
Kirk going back in time to retrieve a set of whales saved their Earth from
freezing over. But test results for intelligence turn up negative, oddly
enough. One less problem for the Voyager to face. One less stumbling block
to an agreement between Nantucket (who needed the whales as food) and Voyager
(who also needed food or face starvation).....
That done (with a look of something like....betrayal from Lisketer at
the Doctor's words, Lisketer storms out, and the others sigh and then get
in their orders.
Solomon the demifox mage apprentice pauses in his eating to ask King
a few last questions that is bothering him.
"Why....did you write what you did in The Stand?" he asks, at
a loss for phrasing it better.
"I love to burn things up," King says. "It's the werewolf in me, I guess....
The
Stand was particularly fulfilling, because there I got a chance to
scrub the whole human race, and man, it was fun! ... Much of the compulsive,
driven feeling I had while I worked on The Stand came from the vicarious
thrill of imagining an entire entrenched social order destroyed in one
stroke."
Edward Solomon's fox ears rise up through his reddish mop of hair in
surprise at that....nods (concluding that indeed this fellow is
a rather odd bird indeed, as he suspected).
"Excuse me," Jake says, moving further away from King, not wanting to
be near him any longer. Frankly, the kid found that answer.....not to his
liking.
King blinks at that one (and the rather chill attitude he gets from
some).
"Uh....that's what I wrote," he says softly, "Not like I want
it to actually happen."
Roland and the others look at each other, and then shrug, believing
him. The situation thawed at that.
"One last thing," Solomon says, "Much less.....er....volatile I hope,
this time. In what I know of the accident that nearly killed you, that
van.....well......I thought it happened back in 1998.....not earlier as
you said."
"That was in the other 'then'," Anthony points out, "This is
in this 'now'."
"Er....right," Freddy Vulpine says, trying to sort all of this
out.
The meal ends well enough, and Roland pays the check (in gold...causing
a bit of a stir at that), and the Gunslinger and the others head for a
place to retire for the night when a....disturbance interrupts them. Something
being broadcasted over Marn's combadge.....
-
 Something
that was happening back at the Voyager!
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