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"I reckon," said Richard, smiling happily, "we could do a lot better than this."
Richard was sitting on the beach, his beach house behind him. Next to him was an old friend, Keith. Keith did not own a beach house. Neither was he a successful businessman, like Richard.
"What the hell more do you want?" asked Keith. "You're a friggin' multimillionaire."
"Not what I want, Keith. I've always felt, well, the world just isn't right, you know? I mean, I'm only twenty-five and just because I got lucky and have some brains, I'm one of the richest people in the city. I wish I could change it."
"Uh, duuuude." Keith said, taking a long swig of whiskey, "you have more money than you know what to do with. Least you could do is fix someone's life. Don't have to be me, mind. I can get by."
Richard looked into the sea for a while. Keith got bored and left. He never was a patient man.
"I think you're right, Keith. I could fix some lives."
"It's a part of my plan for global revolution. Starting small scale, of course." Richard said to Keith, a year later, as he walked around the now-pristine block that was once a ghetto. "I own the place now. Bought it from the government. The whole section of the city is mine. Not that it's a big section, of course."
"So whaddaya gonna do, man? Tax the people, make a killing?"
Richard scowled. "Nope. See, I wanted to make this place better. Turn it into a place where you could really live a good life. I've already planned all the basics. School, shopping centre, security, it's all here. I even employed a few people."
"Musta cost ya a bundle, Rick."
"Yeah. I figured, I actually lose money on the first few years. It's worth it though, in the end. Really worth it. It'll make the place better."
"Howzat work?"
"I'm bringing in the people with no place to go. Homeless. Troubled kids. Kids straight of uni and full of ideals, like me. I let them live here. I give them jobs. I employ them. This place is safe. They can grow up, live happily, die happily. It's a perfect society."
"Oh? What's the catch? And what's gonna stop all these people, scum o' the earth by my standards, from turnin' your little bit of heaven into a wreck?"
Richard looked a little sheepish. "Ideals. I only invite in the people I'm sure believe in what I believe in. It's all or nothing. And, of course, my 'police' are very well trained."
"Innerestin'. So what the hell are you tellin' me all this for?"
"Because you're public relations. I run my heaven. You get to tell other people about it. You're my prophet."
"Daddy, will we ever get to go to Heaven?" asked a young girl, ten years later.
"I don't know, sweetheart. I don't think daddy can afford that trip. It's a long way." He still remembered the days when Heaven was still a city like any other. It had long since grown past that, though. Richard, or Lord Richard, he called himself now, had overtaken the entire city with his message.
"The Prophet says if we're good and follow the Word of the Lord we'll get to go to Heaven because he'll send his angels to us."
The All-eNcompassing Gatherers of Endangered Lives. The people who sometimes invited people into Heaven, and paid for their trip.
"There are a lot of other people who want to go to Heaven, sweetie. I don't know if the angels will be able to find us."
"I'm hungry, daddy."
"I know."
"s**t! Run! The justiciars are coming!"
Ten years later, Josh and Tommy ran through the pristine, clean back alleys of the Kingdom of Heaven, trying to escape, their half-finished graffiti left behind them. The trumpeting sirens followed them, slowly fading. They were safe.
"Why are we doing this again?"
"Because the Lord imprisoned my girlfriend." answered Josh.
"Yeah, but she was doing something wrong, wasn't she? Something that didn't agree with the Word of the Lord."
"Idiot. The Word isn't fair. It doesn't let us think or do what we want. We can't just let this keep going on, people being imprisoned just because they say something the Lord doesn't like."
Flashlights shone in their faces suddenly.
"s**t!"
Lord of all Creation, Emperor of Heaven on Earth, Richard looked at the sight before him, so many decades later.
An entire planet, following his will. Being good, kind, honest people. Following his ideas. His Word. Finally, he had done it. He had made the world a better place. The only people not in his Heaven were those on the rafts out at sea, and on small islands.
They would be gone soon.
He smiled as he died. His mission was complete.
 Nocturnal Emissions · Thu Jul 10, 2008 @ 06:20pm · 1 Comments |
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