Blue Dollar by George E. Rittenhouse

Author:George E. Rittenhouse [Rittenhouse, George E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Ambassador International
Published: 2013-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

THE BIG MAN SLOWLY PACED back and forth at the head of the black table in the windowless room, his face a study—albeit a tearless study—in grief. He sighed. He raised his head and sucked air between his teeth, and then dropped his head, releasing the air in a rush.

He shook his head as though in awe at some great, eternal mystery and sighed again. The occupants of the other twelve chairs, all filled, followed him with their eyes: watching, waiting, expressionless, silent. At last, he stopped and turned to those assembled before him.

“Brothers,” he intoned, “we regret . . . no, we mourn the passing of our dear brother, Queen. His great heart—dedicated to our cause, to the service of the Old One—failed him at so young an age. Perhaps, it failed even because of the tremendous pressure upon him in that service, which, as I need tell none of you, places large demands upon us that we might experience huge joys,” the big man said. “I can think of nothing higher and better than to stand before the Old One in the great congregation and present to him a life spent and given to him. We do well to observe this example. We shall miss him, Brothers. Our convocations will lack his wit and presence. We shall carry on without him only with difficulty.”

A polite murmur of agreement arose from the tight faces around the table. The big man laughed harshly to himself. He knew none of the Brothers would miss Queen one iota. Their faces reflected not manfully restrained grief, but fear. All knew that which Queen now experienced awaited them . . . sooner or later.

“In accordance with the seventh dictum,” the big man went on, “his chair must be filled immediately from among those prepared for the purpose. This has been accomplished and the Old One has approved. I present our new brother to you. Brother Vlad, would you please do the honors?”

According to custom, the junior member of the Thirteen—a huge, hulking man who looked entirely out of place in this gathering until one saw the dark intelligence in his eyes—introduced Sczathmary’s replacement. The replacement, a short, slender man introduced as Blitzen, for some reason that would be revealed in good time, made a short speech of gratitude and commitment, and then sat down. After a round of congratulations, the big man resumed the business of the meeting.

“As you know, brothers, Queen failed in his efforts to eliminate the Reverend Grant. The idea had merit, but as Brother Pearl pointed out at the time, contained an element of superfluity. Done is done, but we find ourselves left in a worse position than before. Grant and the others have disappeared, and we have lost our key position at the Ecological League—a position of great usefulness to us in the past. We remain well-represented in that movement, of course, but Queen’s leadership position will be difficult to duplicate. Has anyone anything to say on the Grant issue?”

No one moved.

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