The World of Tom Stafford by D.A. Sanford - HTML preview

Chapter 12: Royal pains

“So how does this work? All I need to do is return to the surface and take my surface life span.”

“Sire, please don’t even jest about that.” chamberlain Gar pleads.

“There are going to be changes here and one of them is that the staff are not slaves.

They cannot be treated like they are. I simply made a decision on clearing out an unused space making it comfortable for the staff to eat. That door is for the comfort of Nadean and I. I don’t care if it has never been done that way. So, if you don’t want change, I’ll go back to the surface. No one’s left there. I’ll have peace.”

Earlier in the day I had an unused room changed into the staff dining room. Nadean and I had our lunch with the staff. One problem, they were all off the job with the exception of the palace guard. Higher up’s searched the palace for the staff. Someone found them eating in that room.

He started to yell about them being away from their work until he saw us.

“Pardon the interruption your majesties. May I ask why are they all down here. They need to be doing their specific function.”

“They are.” I reply “I’m conducting a staff meeting.”

Ignoring that person, I ask the staff

“Would you please raise your hand if you are here as a slave?”

No one raises their hands.

“How many of you feel that you are being treated as slaves?”

All raise their hands. I ask the person that was complaining,

“I need you to address these people as to why exactly you are treating them as slaves.

Your outburst verified their feelings. Go ahead, we’re all ears.”

“They all have vital functions that need their attention”

“And what’s your function?”

He now gets perturbed at my questioning him

“I’m in charge of the staff.”

“Royal edict, during any and all royally called staff meetings, which will be once a week for lunch, you must assume their vital functions. A word of warning, I hear that you take

this out on them and you will be scrubbing the dungeon floors from inside your own cell.”

“I’ll see about that. I’m going to the regent.” He bellows.

“When you see him, tell him for me that as of now, you’re terminated. One more word and you will be in that cell but for disrespecting the crown. Now get out”

I address the staff “I do not tolerate disrespect or discrimination. Now where were we.”

Back with the chamberlain.

“That man was downright disrespectful toward the staff and my authority. He even said to me that he was coming to you to get you to reverse me. Now am I king or not?”

“You are king” he says

“What penalty does disrespecting the king result in?”

“It is to be expelled to the surface without the possibility of returning.”

Appropriate with water, I suddenly heard all those movies about ships that were going to collide. They all had various klaxons, whistles, bells and horns going off warning that a violent collision. I am totally taken aback by his statement.

“Wait a second, did I hear you right? Expelled to the surface. Is that universal in all the kingdoms or just ours?”

“I believe that all the kingdoms have the same rules.”

“How many people would you say have been put to the surface over the past 10 years?”

“Worldwide, in ten years, maybe around a thousand.”

“How many people are left on the surface?”

“Your group was the last humans on the surface, so there is no one left alive on the surface.”

“Other than the thousand?”

It hit him, “No one left”

“There were surface prisons all over the world. What about them?”

“They would have been let out.”

“Did you know that there were serial killers, rapists, thieves and all sorts of evil locked up? Were there any screening for those that are evil? Some sort of registration and tracking?”

“No”

“Chamberlain, we need a meeting of the heads of state. This peaceful world has ended whether you realize it or not. My evidence is that Reba, from my surface group, had her mother come and my wife’s son was here. They both have full recollection. Their personalities were intact. Just as mine is.