Chapter 29: Time to Say Goodbye
The next morning, Eugene was eating his pancakes as usual. He noticed his mother was looking sad.
‘Is everything okay, Mummy?’ asked Eugene.
‘It’s been a tough week at school,’ replied Sophie as she buttered a piece of toast for Arthur. ‘Don’t worry about it. You don’t need this distraction.’
‘I can have more potatoes sent over for art class if you need them,’ said Eugene as he stuck his fork into another pancake.
‘It’s okay; we have plenty,’ replied Sophie as she placed a plate with toast on it in front of Arthur.
‘Is Henders holding back on the coloured chalk?’ asked Eugene as he leaned forward.
‘Lots of chalk; no problem in that area,’ replied Sophie as she grabbed the kettle.
‘That piano is playing up again, isn’t it?’ asked Eugene as he stuck his fork into a piece of pancake.
‘You should tell him,’ said Arthur. ‘Otherwise, he’ll just keep guessing.’
‘I had a feeling you were withholding important information,’ said Eugene as he turned sharply to look at Arthur.
‘The Emperor wants our miracle children to become warriors in his grand army,’ sighed Sophie.
‘Are they sleuthing?’ asked Eugene as he continued to look at Arthur.
‘No, the imperial guards are teaching them to fight,’ replied Sophie. ‘They are making them fight each other.’
‘Woah!’ yelped Eugene. ‘This has to be a crime. I’ll put an end to this madness.’
'Oh, son, these orders are directly from the Emperor,’ said Sophie. ‘You shouldn’t challenge him.’
‘Nobody is above the law, Mummy,’ said Eugene as he leaned forward again.
‘Son, we both appreciate your incomparable moral values and courage,’ said Arthur. ‘I just fear the repercussions if you confront the Emperor.’
‘Afraid, eh!’ said Eugene as he looked at Arthur.
‘Yes, I am,’ said Arthur. ‘I love you, son.’
‘Oh Daddy, do you know how long I’ve waited for you to say those words?’ said Eugene as he reached out and grabbed Arthur’s shoulders.
‘Maybe twelve hours,’ said Arthur, sounding surprised.
‘He tells you every night before bed,’ said Sophie.
‘Yeah, but never in the morning,’ said Eugene as he released his father’s shoulders.
‘In the morning, you eat all the pancakes,’ chuckled Arthur as he shrugged his shoulders. ‘You don’t leave me any.’
‘Sacrificing for our children is one of my core values,’ said Eugene, raising his right finger. ‘You should thank me.’
‘Thank you for eating our food, sleeping under our roof rent-free, and using our electricity and water,’ chuckled Arthur. ‘You’ve made me far more generous and tolerant.’
‘Don’t forget the free laundry and cleaning,’ added Sophie.
‘Well, it’s obvious you’d be lost without me, family,’ said Eugene as he stood up.
Sophie grabbed Eugene’s lunch basket. ‘Do you think you can restrain yourself?’ asked Sophie as she handed Eugene the basket.
‘I can’t let this slide,’ said Eugene as his eyes began to dart.
‘If you must approach him, please be as nice as you can,’ said Sophie. ‘No accusations, just gently raised concerns.’
Eugene frowned.
‘Please, Eugene?’ asked Sophie.
Eugene nodded and hugged Sophie.
Phillip had just arrived at the Enforcer Headquarters. He was carrying a pizza box.
‘I need to see Head Enforcer Eugene, friend,’ said Phillip in a worried tone to the enforcer on the front desk.
‘The Head Enforcer hasn’t arrived yet, friend,’ said the enforcer on the front desk. ‘I’m sure he’ll be along soon to help you.’
‘I’ll take over from here,’ said Clifford in an angry tone as he approached Phillip.
‘The box is smaller and the wrong colour,’ said Phillip as he looked at Clifford.
‘I’ve seen you come in here almost every day,’ said Clifford as he glared at Phillip. ‘You whine and complain about the most idiotic things imaginable.’
‘Hey, where? What?!’ gasped Phillip.
‘You intentionally waste enforcer time, you bastard,’ continued Clifford as he snatched the pizza box off Phillip. ‘You pull this shit one more time, and I’ll have you beaten up and thrown in a cage.’
Phillip screamed, turned around, and sprinted out of the Enforcer Headquarters. Phillip continued to scream as he frantically sprinted down the road. He ran to the front of the pizza and pancake food truck. He opened the door and climbed in. He turned on the engine and sped off towards the entrance gate while continuing to scream. He sped past Eugene and several enforcers as he entered the Central Agriculture Zone.
‘Something’s not right here,’ said Eugene as he scratched his head.
Phillip continued driving at high speed across the grass flattened by other vehicles.
‘What are you doing?!’ shouted a voice from inside the truck.
‘I’m escaping!’ shouted Phillip. ‘They want to beat me up.’
‘Oh no!’ shouted the voice.
‘Who are you?’ stammered Phillip. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I’m Cynthia,’ said the voice. ‘I work here. I gave you your pizza today.’
‘You put it into the wrong box!’ shouted Phillip, as he slammed down harder on the accelerator.
‘They’re the only ones we have left,’ said Cynthia. ‘Please stop shouting and slow down. You’re ruining these jumbo dessert pizzas that I just made.’
Phillip slammed on the brakes, and Cynthia screamed and fell over.
‘Do they have chocolate and banana?’ asked Phillip as he turned around to look at Cynthia, who was covered in chocolate.
‘They were banana and marshmallow on hazelnut chocolate spread,’ said Cynthia in an annoyed tone.
‘Sounds great,’ said Phillip in a chirpy tone. ‘I’ll happily take them off your hands.’
‘I made them for the wizard,’ said Cynthia as she wiped her face.
Phillip screamed and slammed down on the accelerator again. Cynthia screamed, fell over, and rolled to the back of the truck.
Eugene entered the Enforcer Headquarters. He walked over to the enforcer on the front desk. ‘What happened, friend?’ asked Eugene as he looked at the pizza box.
‘He did it,’ said the enforcer as he pointed at Clifford.
‘You can’t even address a resident’s most basic concerns, friend,’ said Eugene, shaking his head.
‘I did you a favour,’ said Clifford angrily. ‘You don’t need to deal with that idiot anymore.’
Eugene opened the pizza box and sniffed the pizza. ‘Does this smell like moo moo cheese to you?’ asked Eugene as he looked up at Clifford.
‘I don’t know what that is,’ said Clifford. ‘I don’t waste my time sniffing pizzas, and neither should you.’
‘It’s not,’ said Eugene, poking the cheese. ‘It’s cashew cheese. Creamier and less stretchy.’
‘What’re you talking about?’ asked Clifford in an annoyed tone.
‘He had legitimate concerns, friend,’ said Eugene, shaking his head. ‘Different box and suspicious cheese. He needed answers, and you failed him. ‘You’re not ready to be a commander. In fact, you’re not qualified to be an enforcer of any type.’
‘That moron could have asked the idiot who gave him the pizza!’ shouted Clifford.
‘Those words disappoint me, friend,’ said Eugene, shaking his head. ‘I’m forced to strip you of your rank.’
‘You don’t have that authority,’ said Clifford, poking Eugene in the chest. ‘I was appointed by the Emperor himself based on the recommendation of the Imperial Advisor Miro.’
‘Let’s head over to the hotel, friend,’ said Eugene as he raised his eyebrows. ‘We can clarify everything with the Emperor himself.’
‘Yes, let’s do that,’ replied Clifford, grinning.
Ten minutes later, Eugene and Clifford arrived at the hotel lounge. Tiberius, Miro, Duffo, and Louis were casually chatting and enjoying their morning fruit juices. The imperial guards, who were now wearing helmets with functioning infrared vision, surrounded them.
‘Look, our highest-ranking enforcers have come to join us,’ called out Duffo, raising his glass.
‘Afraid not, friend,’ said Eugene as he walked towards the table they were sitting at. ‘We have some serious business to discuss.’
‘He thinks it’s acceptable to waste time investigating nonsense, Your Imperial Majesty,’ said Clifford. ‘I put an end to it, and he feels it appropriate to reprimand me.’
‘Dear Head Enforcer, I’ve warned you about wasting time on trivial matters,’ sighed Tiberius.
‘Oh friend, this wasn’t a trivial matter,’ said Eugene as his eyes began to dart. ‘Phillip had a problem…’
‘Damn it!’ shouted Duffo as he stood up and smashed his glass of juice on the floor.
Tiberius gestured for Duffo to sit back down. He did so immediately.
‘There’s the problem of the school,’ continued Eugene. ‘We don’t teach violence to our children. It’s not the Downs way.’
‘I understand,’ sighed Tiberius. ‘It’s not your fault. I’ve asked too much and I’m sorry.’
Duffo looked at Tiberius. He had a confused look on his face.
‘The demands of an Empire Head Enforcer far exceed those of a district Head Enforcer,’ continued Tiberius. ‘To expect you to make such a leap in such a short time is not reasonable.’
Duffo began to smile as he looked at Eugene.
‘I want to ensure justice and fairness for all, friend,’ said Eugene. ‘Isn’t that the job of every enforcer?’
‘It’s a matter of scale,’ replied Tiberius. ‘You can’t handle it.’
‘Translation!’ chuckled Clifford. ‘It means you’re fired, friend.’
‘Do you think you could do a better job?’ asked Tiberius as he looked at Clifford.
‘Absolutely, Your Imperial Majesty,’ replied Clifford.
‘Thank you for informing me about the inadequacies of your Head Enforcer,’ said Tiberius as he looked at his glass.
‘It was my pleasure,’ replied Clifford as he looked at Eugene, who had his head bowed.
‘Was it also your pleasure to disobey and disrespect your Head Enforcer?’ asked Tiberius as he looked up.
‘It was out of loyalty to you,’ said Clifford, sounding nervous.
‘If you are willing to betray the Head Enforcer, what’s stopping you from betraying me?’ asked Tiberius.
‘My loyalty,’ replied Clifford.
Duffo began to chuckle, and the others around the table looked concerned.
‘You betrayed your Head Enforcer; in doing so, you’ve already betrayed me,’ said Tiberius calmly as he sipped on his juice. ‘Your Head Enforcer wanted you to be punished. My imperial guard can do that. Kill him!’
‘Oh no!’ said Eugene, waving his arms. ‘I didn’t mean for that.’
An imperial guard pulled out his gun and shot Clifford in the head.
Eugene jumped back in shock. Louis had a look of terror on his face. Miro’s mouth dropped open in astonishment.
‘I want everyone to take this as a valuable lesson,’ said Tiberius as he began sipping on his juice.
‘No one is beyond the reach of justice,’ said Eugene as tears rolled down his face. He turned around and ran out of the lounge. Louis got up and ran after him.
Tiberius put a gun on the table. ‘Guard, take this gun,’ said Tiberius to the imperial guard who had shot Clifford. ‘I want you to shoot yourself in the head with it.’
The imperial guard picked up the gun. He pointed at his head. He squeezed the trigger. The gun made a click sound.
‘The gun does not appear to be loaded, Your Imperial Majesty,’ replied the imperial guard. ‘May I request permission to use my own gun?’
‘That won’t be necessary,’ replied Tiberius. ‘I want to promote you to Head Enforcer. What is your name?’
‘My name is Fabien, Your Imperial Majesty,’ replied Fabien.
‘Your name will now be Head Enforcer. Your word will be my word, and it will be absolute,’ said Tiberius as he stared at Fabien.
‘As you command, Your Imperial Majesty,’ said Head Enforcer.
Eugene was walking briskly towards the school; Louis was walking behind him trying to catch up.
‘Are you crazy?!’ shouted Louis as he waved his arms. ‘You just threatened the Emperor. He’ll have you killed.’
‘I’ll not break the enforcer’s code, friend,’ replied Eugene. ‘I stand by it. I live by it.’
Eugene and Louis entered the school. They walked into a classroom. Four imperial guards were standing at the front of the classroom, and Sophie was standing to one side.
‘Hello, Head Enforcer,’ said an imperial guard. ‘Or should I say Eugene? Either way, we’re happy you joined us.’
‘The demonstration is over, friends,’ said Eugene firmly. ‘Your services are no longer needed.’
‘Damn, you’re so predictable,’ chuckled an imperial guard. ‘We’re just getting started, and this show is dedicated to you.’
Two of the imperial guards grabbed both Eugene and Louis.
‘What are you doing?’ cried out Louis.
‘Listen carefully, children,’ said one of the imperial guards. ‘Self-defence is more than just responding to an attack. It can be pre-emptive. That means if someone appears threatening, you have every right to strike first.’
The imperial guard punched Sophie in the face, knocking her to the ground.
Eugene screamed. The guard holding him put his hand over his mouth. ‘We’re going to kill her nice and slowly,’ he whispered in Eugene’s ear. ‘You brought this on yourself.’ The camera on his helmet began recording.
The imperial guard began stomping on Sophie.
‘See this!’ shouted another imperial guard. ‘This is self-defence. All threats must be eliminated. The sooner the better.’
The children huddled together in one corner.
The imperial guard pulled Sophie off the ground and placed her on one of the desks. ‘How would you like to see what Mummy looks like on the inside?’ shouted the imperial guard as he pulled out a knife.
Eugene’s eyes bulged in extreme stress.
Polly burst through the door. An imperial guard charged at Polly. She grabbed him by the head and snapped his neck. The imperial guard who was attacking Sophie tried to stab Polly. Polly blocked the attack. She knocked the knife from his hand. The imperial guard tried to punch her. She grabbed his head and snapped his neck, killing him instantly.
The two imperial guards that were holding Louis and Eugene tried to draw their guns. Both Eugene and Louis tried to stop them. Polly walked over to the two guards. She squeezed their heads together with her hands. They screamed in pain. She continued to squeeze as hard as she could. Blood began to ooze from their eyes, nose, and mouth. A few seconds later, she released them. They both fell to the ground.
Both Eugene and Louis were sitting down with their backs pressed against the classroom wall. They both looked terrified. Most of the children were crying. Gaston had rushed over to Sophie, who was badly hurt.
‘You need to leave,’ said Polly as she looked at Eugene. ‘More of them will be here soon.’
Eugene got up, and he rushed over to Sophie.
The Hat Lady rushed into the classroom.
‘They need your help,’ said Polly to the Hat Lady.
‘All of you grab my hand,’ said the Hat Lady.
‘The children!' gasped Sophie. ‘We must help the children.’
‘Yes, of course,’ said the Hat Lady. ‘Louis, get the children from all the classes.’
‘All of them,’ said Louis.
‘Yes, now quick,’ said the Hat Lady. ‘Everyone in here is in danger.’
Within two minutes, all the children and teachers from the other classrooms had gathered around the Hat Lady. Eugene had hoisted Sophie up onto his shoulders.
‘Everyone hold hands,’ said the Hat Lady as she looked around her. ‘Everyone remain absolutely silent. We need to move quickly.’
They all held hands and became invisible. They headed out the back entrance of the school and made their way to the House of Divine Knowledge.
Five minutes later, Head Enforcer and half a dozen imperial guards arrived. They walked around the school. Head Enforcer checked the bodies. He was looking for the cameras on the helmets, but they had been destroyed.
Sapien Loop: Worlds Collide
Sapien Loop: Worlds Collide is the final book in the Sapien Loop trilogy. It continues directly after the events of the second book. The world above and the world below merge into one world. The conflicts in the underground world are brought to the surface. The new ruling elite attempt to crush any resistance from above and below in an attempt to create a new global empire.
Currently, three books from the series have been published on Amazon; see the links below:
All individual chapters can be found on my 