strange bedfellows
Copernicus Rade Nagas, like many great humans, was a curious mixture of pride and humility.
His humility made it possible for him to work in the laundry. It was a saying of his people, "After sex, there is laundry."
Like most of Earth's races, the Gvot believed they had made it up, a small pebble of wisdom which had somehow passed unnoticed through the untold billions of years of Universe's history. Although a great man, Nagas himself believed it.
At this moment in his timeline, Nagas was in the washroom, having washed himself, relieved himself, then washed his hands again. He had unravelled his traditional headdress, and was taking considerable pains with the copious hair beneath it.
He finished soon enough, checked his chronometer, sighed and prepared to return to the laundry room.
His sigh was not because he found the work tedious. He was sighing because he was about to leave it altogether, simple work, useful work, work which allowed his brilliant mind and magnificent imagination to play inside his head.
And he was about to disappear into Little Gvotia, that part of the population which comprised his people.
Copernicus Nagas' idea of hell was about to descend around him, the birdcage of being adored and admired as a hero.
He'd rather be doing the laundry.
Few human epiphenomena are more obscene than the 'avid fan'.
He checked his appearance again in the mirror, suppressed another sigh, and exited the washroom.
His escort was right outside the door. He looked a little pale to Nagas. His headdress looked wrong.
"You are?" Nagas surveyed the man suspiciously.
The young man smiled. "I am Tavakh Aldebaran."
Nagas squinted. "Tavakh is Hebrew, Aldebaran is Arabic. Your headdress is as if a child did it." Nagas had an odd sense the young man wasn't a threat.
The smile didn't disappear. "All true, my father was Israeli, my mother was a Syrian."
Nagas looked up a little into the distance. "So technically you're neither Jew nor Arab."
The young man smiled. "No, I'm both & neither. Philosophically, I adhere to Buddhism."
Nagas raised his eyebrows and returned his eyes to the man's smiling face. "You know, when you are re-incarnated, next time, you should attempt to be more organized in your approach."
The smiling man nodded. "With all due respect, Sir, when that happens, I will no longer remember the problem."
"Why did they pick you for this job?"
The young man's smile finally disappeared. "'They' meaning who, exactly?"
Unwittingly, Nagas solved Tavakh's problem with his answer. "Whoever sent you."
Tavakh's smile re-appeared. "They sent me because we lacked human resources." he beamed. "I'm just filling in. I'll be your co-conspirator for today."
Nagas shook his head a little, a small laugh issuing forth as he said "You will do well in the food service industry."
Tavakh proved Nagas' point by not reacting as if that were an insult. "The tub is nearly full, Sir, it's time we were getting you moved."
Nagas raised his hand a little. "I mean you no ill, my friend, by all means, let us go to the tub."
They moved towards the bottom of the laundry chute, the slow draft of air hitting their faces.
Tavakh grabbed an empty replacement, and wheeled the nearly-full one towards the bolted down steel table.
Nagas looked around apprehensively. Seeing nothing, he climbed up onto the table. He declined the offer of Tavakh's hand and stepped into the tub.
Tavakh seemed pleased. "Great! Now get down there under some sheets and off we go!"
Nagas grabbed the sheets beside him, revealing Suzanne & Leon.
The four looked at each other in amazed silence.
None was amused or encouraged when Tavakh surveyed the scene and finally said "I gotta admit, I didn't see it coming."
His humility made it possible for him to work in the laundry. It was a saying of his people, "After sex, there is laundry."
Like most of Earth's races, the Gvot believed they had made it up, a small pebble of wisdom which had somehow passed unnoticed through the untold billions of years of Universe's history. Although a great man, Nagas himself believed it.
At this moment in his timeline, Nagas was in the washroom, having washed himself, relieved himself, then washed his hands again. He had unravelled his traditional headdress, and was taking considerable pains with the copious hair beneath it.
He finished soon enough, checked his chronometer, sighed and prepared to return to the laundry room.
His sigh was not because he found the work tedious. He was sighing because he was about to leave it altogether, simple work, useful work, work which allowed his brilliant mind and magnificent imagination to play inside his head.
And he was about to disappear into Little Gvotia, that part of the population which comprised his people.
Copernicus Nagas' idea of hell was about to descend around him, the birdcage of being adored and admired as a hero.
He'd rather be doing the laundry.
Few human epiphenomena are more obscene than the 'avid fan'.
He checked his appearance again in the mirror, suppressed another sigh, and exited the washroom.
His escort was right outside the door. He looked a little pale to Nagas. His headdress looked wrong.
"You are?" Nagas surveyed the man suspiciously.
The young man smiled. "I am Tavakh Aldebaran."
Nagas squinted. "Tavakh is Hebrew, Aldebaran is Arabic. Your headdress is as if a child did it." Nagas had an odd sense the young man wasn't a threat.
The smile didn't disappear. "All true, my father was Israeli, my mother was a Syrian."
Nagas looked up a little into the distance. "So technically you're neither Jew nor Arab."
The young man smiled. "No, I'm both & neither. Philosophically, I adhere to Buddhism."
Nagas raised his eyebrows and returned his eyes to the man's smiling face. "You know, when you are re-incarnated, next time, you should attempt to be more organized in your approach."
The smiling man nodded. "With all due respect, Sir, when that happens, I will no longer remember the problem."
"Why did they pick you for this job?"
The young man's smile finally disappeared. "'They' meaning who, exactly?"
Unwittingly, Nagas solved Tavakh's problem with his answer. "Whoever sent you."
Tavakh's smile re-appeared. "They sent me because we lacked human resources." he beamed. "I'm just filling in. I'll be your co-conspirator for today."
Nagas shook his head a little, a small laugh issuing forth as he said "You will do well in the food service industry."
Tavakh proved Nagas' point by not reacting as if that were an insult. "The tub is nearly full, Sir, it's time we were getting you moved."
Nagas raised his hand a little. "I mean you no ill, my friend, by all means, let us go to the tub."
They moved towards the bottom of the laundry chute, the slow draft of air hitting their faces.
Tavakh grabbed an empty replacement, and wheeled the nearly-full one towards the bolted down steel table.
Nagas looked around apprehensively. Seeing nothing, he climbed up onto the table. He declined the offer of Tavakh's hand and stepped into the tub.
Tavakh seemed pleased. "Great! Now get down there under some sheets and off we go!"
Nagas grabbed the sheets beside him, revealing Suzanne & Leon.
The four looked at each other in amazed silence.
None was amused or encouraged when Tavakh surveyed the scene and finally said "I gotta admit, I didn't see it coming."