Runaway World

General Wayne

     Time went by and the General failed to appear.

     Andrew tried to calm his rising anxiety by wandering around the room looking at the books and the other small, decorative items ornamenting it. Busts of famous historical figures standing on plinths. Exquisitely designed clocks with all their moving parts visible under a dome of glass and, of course, the paintings. A dozen of them showing mainly military scenes with what Andrew guessed were American soldiers winning great victories over their enemies.

     The Captain was also staring around the room in wonder. He wandered over to the wall opposite the window where there was a wooden model of an old sailing ship inside a glass cabinet. A plaque at the base of the ship named it the USS Constitution. The Captain stared at it as if he'd never imagined that such a thing was possible.

     "Is this your first time up here?' Andrew asked him. "On this level of the city I mean."

     "No," the Captain replied. "I've been inside this house before, but never in this room. When I've met him in the past it's been in the cabinet room with other officers. There are paintings and ornaments there as well, but nothing like this. This must be the cream of his collection."

     "Do you have a museum?" asked Andrew. "A place where you put works of art where everyone can see them?"

     "Of course," the Captain replied, "but there isn't enough room for all of it. Imagine all the work of art that nine billion people created over thousands of years. Do you think one building can house them all? Or even twelve, one for each city?"

     "I suppose not," Andrew admitted.

     "When they knew The Freeze was coming they tried to save what they could, and what wouldn't fit in the museum was entrusted to the people of the city themselves, to keep in their homes. It was either that or leave them to be destroyed. I expect it's the same in New London."

     "I don't know," Andrew admitted. "I've never been in the equivalent part of my own city. I know that the homes of the ordinary people don't have works of art like this, though. Maybe the homes of the council members do. I don't know."

     "The council?" said the Captain with a faint sneer. "Your city is ruled by a council?"

     "Yes. We have elections every five years. You put your name forward and try to get people to vote for you. If you're elected you get to live up on levels four and five until your term of office expires." He smiled ruefully. "I will admit that the same people tend to get re-elected time and again. It's rare for us to get a new Councillor."

     Captain Douglas smiled and nodded wisely. "So you have a permanent ruling class which you just pretend is a democracy. In this city we're more honest about things."

     "The military rules," said Andrew. "Everyone else obeys."

     "I can hear the disapproval in your voice," the Captain replied. "However, the fact remains that our city lives while most of the others do not. We went to New Richmond a few years ago. Saw what had become of the place and discovered records telling us the fate of other cities. New Richmond had a council like yours and they were destroyed by a civil uprising. Here, such an uprising is impossible unde the firm, guiding hand of the military."

     "Anyone who steps out of line is shot," Andrew guessed.

     "Again, I hear the disapproval in your voice, but we are still here while many of the more enlightened, more civilised..." He sneered the word. "...cities are gone."

     "So who rules this city?" asked Andrew. "This General we're here to meet?"

     "No. President Calhoun rules."