Part 8 (1/2)

Chapter Seven

In which Doctor Volospion becomes eager to offer Mr. Bloom his Hospitality

Mr. Emmanuel Bloom seemed for the moment to have lost interest in them. He stood upon the ramp of his s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p and stared beyond Argonheart Po's cola lake (still bearing a wisp or two of flame) toward the barren horizon. He shook his head in some despair. ”My poor, poor planet. What have they made of it in my absence?”

'Do you think we could go now?” complained Miss Ming to Doctor Volospion and Abu Thaleb. ”If you really want to see him again you could tell him where to find you.” She had an inspiration. ”Or invite him to your party, Abu Thaleb, to make up for what he did to Argonheart's feast!”

'He would be welcome, of course,” said the commissar doubtfully.

'His conversation would be refres.h.i.+ng, I think,” said Doctor Volospion. He plucked at his ruff and then, with a motion of a ring, disposed of it altogether. He was once again in green and silver, his cap tight about his head, emphasizing the angularity of his white features. ”There are many there who would respond rather better than can I to the tone of his p.r.o.nouncements. Werther de Goethe, for instance, with his special yearning for Sin? Or even Jherek Carnelian, if he is still with us, with his pursuit of the meaning of morality. Or Mongrove, who shares something of his monumental millennialism. Mongrove is back from s.p.a.ce, is he not?”

'With his aliens,” Abu Thaleb confirmed.

'Well, then, perhaps you should invite him now, courteous commissar?”

'We could tell him that the party was in his honor,” suggested Abu Thaleb. ”That would please him, don't you think. If we humor him...”

'Can't he hear us?” hissed Miss Ming.

'I think he only listens to us when it interests him to do so,” guessed Doctor Volospion. ”His mind appears on other things at present.”

'This is all very uncomfortable for me,” said Mavis Ming, ”though I suppose I shouldn't complain. Not that there's a lot of point, because n.o.body ever listens to little Mavis. It's too much to expect, isn't it. But mark my words, he's going to make trouble for all of us, and especially for me. We shouldn't be wondering about inviting him to parties. We should tell him he's not welcome. We should give him his marching orders. Tell him to leave!”

'It is traditional to welcome all visitors to our world, Miss Ming,” said Abu Thaleb. ”Even the dullest has something to offer and we, in turn, can often offer sanctuary. This Mr. Bloom, while I agree with you he seems a little deluded as to his importance to us, must have had many experiences of interest. He has traveled, he tells us, through time and through s.p.a.ce. He has knowledge of numerous dif ferent societies. There will be many here who will be glad to meet him. Lord Jagged of Canaria, I am sure-,”

'Jagged is gone from us again,” said Volospion somewhat sharply. ”Fled, some say, back into Time to avoid disaster.”

'Well, there are women, too, who would delight in meeting one so pa.s.sionate. My Lady Charlotina, Mistress Christia, the Iron Orchid -...”

'They're welcome,” said Mavis Ming. ”More than welcome. Though what any woman would see in the little creep I don't know.”

'Once he meets other ladies doubtless his own infatuation for you will subside,” said Abu Thaleb encouragingly. ”As you say, you are probably the first woman he has seen for many a long year and he has had no opportunity to select from all our many wonderful women one who pleases him even more than you do at present. He is evidently a man of great pa.s.sion. One might almost call it elephantine in its grandeur.”

Miss Ming put her chin on her fist.

There was a bang. Pensively, Mr. Bloom had blown up the rest of Werther's mountains. He continued to remain with his hands on his hips, contemplating the distance.

'Miss Ming. As a student of history have you any knowledge of Mr. Bloom?” Doctor Volospion came and sat next to her in the howdah.

'None,” she said. ”Not even a legend. He must be after my time.”

'A near contemporary, I would have thought, judging by his dress.”

'He said himself he'd taken on someone else's appearance. Someone he admired.”

'Ah, yes. Another prophet, do you think?”

'From the 19th century? Who was there? Karl Marx? Neitsche? Wagner? Maybe he looks a bit like Wagner. No. Someone like that, though. English? It's just not my period, Doctor Volospion. And religion was never my strong subject. The Middle Ages were my own favorite, because people lived such simpler lives, then. I could get quite nostalgic about the Middle Ages, even now. That's probably why I originally started doing history. When I was a little girl you couldn't get me away from all those stories of brave knights and fair ladies. I guess I was like a lot of kids, but I just hung on to that interest until I went to the university, where I got more interested in the politics, well, that was Betty, really, who was the political nut, you know. But she really had some strong ideas about politics good ideas. She-”

'But you do not recognize Mr. Bloom?”

'You couldn't fail to, could you, once you'd seen him? No. Doctor Volospion, can't you send me home on my own? If I had a power ring, even a little one, I could...”

She had hinted to him before that if she were equipped with a power ring or two she would be less of a nuisance to him. Few time travelers, however, were given the rings which tapped the energy of the old cities, certainly not when, like Miss Ming, they were comparative newcomers to the End of Time. As Doctor Volospion had explained to her before, there was a certain discipline of mind or at least a habit of mind which had to be learned before they could be used. Also they were not one of the artifacts which could be reproduced at will. There was a relatively limited number of them. Miss Ming had never been quite convinced by Doctor Volospion's arguments against her having her own power ring, but there was little she could do save hope that one day he would relent.

'Regretfully...” He gestured. ”Not yet, Miss Ming.” It was not clear to which of her suggestions he was referring. She allowed her disappointment to show on her plump face.

'Hm,” said Mr. Bloom from above, ”it is evident that the entire planet will have to be consumed so that, from the ashes, a purer place may prosper.”

'Mr. Bloom!” cried Abu Thaleb. ”I would remind you, sir, that while you are a most honored guest to our world, you will inconvenience a great many people if you burn them up.”

Bloom blinked as he looked down at Abu Thaleb. ”Oh, they will not die. I shall resurrect them.”

'They are perfectly capable of resurrecting one another, Mr, Bloom. That is not my point. You see many of us have embarked on schemes oh, menageries, collections, creations of various kinds and if you were to destroy them they would be seriously disappointed. It would be the height of bad manners, don't you think?”

'You have already heard my opinion of manners.”

'But-”

'It is for your own good,” Bloom told him.

'Aha! The authentic voice of the prophet!” cried Doctor Volospion. ”Sir, you must be my guest!”

'You begin to irritate me, Doctor Volospion,” piped Emmanuel Bloom, ”with your constant references to me as a guest. I am not a guest. I am the rightful inheritor of this world, controller of the destinies of all who dwell in it, sole Savior of your souls.”

'Quite,” apologized Doctor Volospion. ”I should imagine, however, that your s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p, however grandly furnished and with whatever fine amenities, palls on you as a domicile after so many centuries. Perhaps if you would allow me to put my own humble house at your disposal until a suitable palace or temple, perhaps can be built for you, I should be greatly flattered.”

'Your feeble attempts at guile begin to irritate me, Doctor Volospion. I am Emmanuel Bloom.”

'So you have told us...”

'I am Emmanuel Bloom and can see into every soul.”

'Naturally. I merely...”

'And this priestly fawning only makes me despair of you still further. If you would defy me, defy me with some dignity.”

'Mr. Bloom, I am simply attempting to make you welcome. Your ideas, your language, your att.i.tudes, they are all decidedly unfas.h.i.+onable now. It was my intention to offer you a dwelling from which you may observe the Age at the End of Time, and make plans for its specific salvation at your leisure.”

'My plans are simple enough. They can apply to any age. I shall destroy everything. Then I shall create it afresh. Your ident.i.ty will not only be preserved, it will be fully alive, perhaps for the first time since you were born.”

'Most of us,” Abu Thaleb wished to point out, ”were not actually born at all, Mr. Bloom...”

'That is immaterial. You exist now. I shall help you find yourselves.”

'Most of us are content...”