Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité

Story Sent in by Terry:

Wesley phoned me up on the morning of our date and asked me where I wanted to meet. It was an odd question as we had already agreed on a cafe. When I reminded him of that, he said, "Not good enough. We need to take over a place."

I asked, "Take over?"

"Yeah. You know. Claim a place for our own. To rule forever."

If he was making a reference, I didn't follow. I said, "How about we start at the cafe and take it from there?"

When we met in front of the cafe, he said, "This place won't work. It's too stupid. Let's find like a monument or a fountain or office building."

There was an office building almost next door, and I followed him there. There was no receptionist in the lobby but Wesley walked into the first office and said to the smiling secretary, "Hi. We're here to take over your building."

I was afraid the admin would phone the cops, but he just laughed and said, "Take it. It's all yours."

I'm glad the admin was good-natured about it, but it was obviously not the answer Wesley wanted. He turned to me and said, "This place blows. We're going somewhere else."

"Where?" I asked, "I don't think anywhere will really let you 'take them over' willingly."

"That's where you're wrong," he said, and with a grin he pulled out a washcloth. "It's a flag. We plant this baby someplace, it'll be ours! Just name a place."

I said, "City hall," hoping to be done with his game soon.

We hoofed it to the city hall and when we arrived, he asked me to look for a stick. I found one and he tied the washcloth to it, making a washcloth-tied-to-a-stick. He stuck it into the ground.

"I claim this land away from tyranny and Egypt," he said, "Long live the empire!" He turned to me. "What should we call our empire?"

I said, "Lorgandoria." It just came to me. I have no idea how.

"No. I like Busterton," he repeated, "Our empire, Busterton. Now how about lunch?"

We ate lunch and he talked all about his plans for Busterton. How he wanted to expand the borders, raise a navy, levy taxes, and so on.

Once we were done with lunch, he dragged me back to city hall where the "flag" still wobbled in the breeze. He was so very pleased with his new country. He even said, "The United States doesn't exist here. Or China. It's just Busterton. Anyone who wants to enter here must pay a fee."

He then shouted to a few passersby that they needed to pay him a fee. They mostly ignored him. I told him I had to go, but that I'd be back to visit often. He said, "I hope you do. The people will miss their empress!"

I avoided that part of town for a long, long while. And I never saw my "emperor" again.

*

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