tamerlane looked over the river.
here comes somebody, he told genghis khan.
it’s my break time, genghis said. think you can handle it yourself?
tamerlane held his binoculars up to his eyes. there were only three people in the little boat.
yes, i can handle it. but you owe me one.
fair enough. genghis headed for the break room.
tamerlane followed him out of the room and waked down the short corridor to the elevator.
he was waiting for the boat when it pulled up to the little dock. pete maneuvered it up beside a stanchion and tied it up.
johnny stepped put of the boat. he saw tamerlane but waited for him to say something first.
cleo jumped out after johnny.
we are here! she shouted to tamerlane,.
yes, young lady, i see that you are here, tamerlane replied. what can i do for you?
before cleo could answer, pete joined them. the game is up!. he told tamerlane. we know who you are and what you are doing!
and we are here to save the human race! cleo added.
well in that case, tamerlane said, we are happy to see you.
you do not say so, johnny spoke for the first time. who is “we” and who are you?
my name is whitey, tamerlane replied. and me and my pal blackie are the caretakers of this outpost of the empire. but we have grown weary of out roles, and hoped and prayed that someone would come along to rescue us. and now you are here.
blackie and whitey, said pete. those are cool names,, easy to remember.
and where is this blackie? johnny asked.
he is on his break now, but will rejoin us shortly. meanwhile, would you like a tour of the premises?
yes, cleo said. i have always wanted a tour of the planet’s headquarters.
it is simple enough, tamerlane replied. just follow me.
johnny, cleo, and pete followed tamerlane into the building and entered the elevator.
they ascended to the fourteenth floor. they got out and tamerlane escorted them down a short corridor..
they entered a small, dimly lit room.
on a table in the center of the room were three flat screens.
one was red, one was green, one was gray.
tamerlane pointed to the red screen. it had a somewhat wavy, but basically straight black line across it.
this is the power monitor, tamerlane said. it tracks the power of the empire on the planet. as youc an see, it is holding pretty steady.
and this is the freedom monitor, he said, pointing to the green screen. it, too, had a black line across it, somewhat more wavy than the one on the red screen, but also basically steady.
this, tamerlane explained, tracks the acceptance of the earth’s inhabitants of the empire’s rule. right now it looks pretty stable.
and this, he pointed to the gray monitor, is the truth monitor.
but there is nothing on it, said pete. it is blank.
exactly, tamerlane agreed.
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