Original: The Table
Original Fiction
Rating: G
Length: 249 words
Notes: *gasp* Something original?! You thought you'd never see the day! Or, rather, you didn't. I shan't flatter myself. Uh, anyway, this is a little thing I wrote back in first year (argh, I can't believe it's been that long!) when sadrazam and I had a regular writing challenge, and I actually quite like it. Enjoy!
The Table
The general stared at her, disbelief flooding his tired features. "It took you seven days of twelve-hour meetings to come up with a round, unadorned table?"
Alyssa sighed. "Yes, General."
His bulging eyes roved down to settle once again on the painstakingly undetailed diagram. "A round table?" he repeated, sucking on his back molars and willing the paper to reveal something more.
"Yes, General. It took half of those meetings to decide on having a table at all. The Gnaeusians were quite adamant about their traditional method of drawing diagrams in the air with long sticks ."
One eye swivelled up to look at her. "Yellow?"
"Yes, General. It was the only colour found to be non-threatening to all eight delegations. It was made most difficult by the Byllans, who fear rainbows above all else."
The eye sighed. "Rainbows."
"Yes, General. It's akin to our Satan. Fortunately, the unique properties of the atmosphere on the Byllan homeworld are such that yellow doesn't appear in their rainbow."
"Right." His shoulders shuddered as the eyes swivelled back in the same direction. He stamped the drawing with his seal. "I'll have it requisitioned for you immediately. Will that be all?" His face begged a positive response.
"Yes, General." Though the same, oft-repeated words, a distinctly happy note struck the general's ears.
He nodded. "Dismissed. Er, and good work."
Alyssa saluted and quickly marched from the room, the heavy door cutting off the sound of the general's head striking his desk.
Rating: G
Length: 249 words
Notes: *gasp* Something original?! You thought you'd never see the day! Or, rather, you didn't. I shan't flatter myself. Uh, anyway, this is a little thing I wrote back in first year (argh, I can't believe it's been that long!) when sadrazam and I had a regular writing challenge, and I actually quite like it. Enjoy!
The Table
The general stared at her, disbelief flooding his tired features. "It took you seven days of twelve-hour meetings to come up with a round, unadorned table?"
Alyssa sighed. "Yes, General."
His bulging eyes roved down to settle once again on the painstakingly undetailed diagram. "A round table?" he repeated, sucking on his back molars and willing the paper to reveal something more.
"Yes, General. It took half of those meetings to decide on having a table at all. The Gnaeusians were quite adamant about their traditional method of drawing diagrams in the air with long sticks ."
One eye swivelled up to look at her. "Yellow?"
"Yes, General. It was the only colour found to be non-threatening to all eight delegations. It was made most difficult by the Byllans, who fear rainbows above all else."
The eye sighed. "Rainbows."
"Yes, General. It's akin to our Satan. Fortunately, the unique properties of the atmosphere on the Byllan homeworld are such that yellow doesn't appear in their rainbow."
"Right." His shoulders shuddered as the eyes swivelled back in the same direction. He stamped the drawing with his seal. "I'll have it requisitioned for you immediately. Will that be all?" His face begged a positive response.
"Yes, General." Though the same, oft-repeated words, a distinctly happy note struck the general's ears.
He nodded. "Dismissed. Er, and good work."
Alyssa saluted and quickly marched from the room, the heavy door cutting off the sound of the general's head striking his desk.