Johan rested his elbows on the table's edge, his eyes partially closed, his chin resting on folded hands. A passing soul would suppose he was at peace, a restful vision of contemplation in afternoon repose, but no one--no one save his other self--could hope to glimpse the truth of his vision and the macabre maelstrom of thought that wound between his ears.
And his thoughts were on Ruby City.
He could hardly claim to be thrilled with his relocation here, but he nor could he claim to find it boring. It was almost a dilemma. He was as curious as he was provoked, intrigued as much as inconvenienced. Ruby City... it was an interesting name. It reminded him, obliquely, of the Emerald City, fabled destination of The Wizard of Oz--a story he wasn't treated to until the Wall came down. It was a wonderful fantasy.
A pair of slippers featured in it. Ruby ones. Gorgeous items gifted to the precocious young heroine by a benevolent witch, they were taken from the corpse of the witch's evil sister, to whom they belonged. The witch had been killed by the heroine's falling house--lifted by a tornado into a fantastic land, through which she must then journey to return home. Upon the completion of the girl's journey, it is revealed by the same witch that the shoes had been the key to returning home all along. Or were they? A very neat ending--the power to go home was with her the entire time. Of course, this raised the question of why the benevolent witch didn't tell her this information to begin with.
Perhaps she was not so good after all.
He smiled faintly.
The Emerald City itself was a lie--it appeared to be a glorious, beautiful city of green, so brilliant as to be blinding to all who beheld it. Visitors were mandated to wear a pair of special glasses to protect them from the intensity of its splendour and beauty. A true wonder indeed. Once the glasses were taken off, however, the lie was revealed: it was revealed to be a perfectly ordinary city encircled by green walls, no more marvellous or splendid than any other.
So was this Ruby City, too, a lie?
He leaned back in his chair, opening his eyes and crossing one leg over the other as he began to watch the residents strolling by, talking in the warm afternoon sun. It was almost idyllic here. Very pretty.
But who was Dorothy? He wondered. Who was the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow? Who was the Wizard? The Good Witch?
Toto?
He wondered if it wouldn't be revealing to see the city burn itself to the ground. He would see the walls themselves come down, and the monsters of the outside pour in, driving the people inward even as they destroyed themselves from the inside. He would bear witness the waves of fear and paranoia radiating out from the centre obelisk, unfolding in each person like the petals of a flower--a cascading trail of terror and flame, death after death...
And then?
Perhaps he would walk to the edge of the world.
It was an idle thought, and not very practical. There would be more constructive ways to bring this city to its knees. Ways more conducive to his goals. There was no need to burn this city to the ground, or let itself do that. But as fun as this had been, his tea was done, and he really ought to get going.
I got carried away with this I'm so sorry
And his thoughts were on Ruby City.
He could hardly claim to be thrilled with his relocation here, but he nor could he claim to find it boring. It was almost a dilemma. He was as curious as he was provoked, intrigued as much as inconvenienced. Ruby City... it was an interesting name. It reminded him, obliquely, of the Emerald City, fabled destination of The Wizard of Oz--a story he wasn't treated to until the Wall came down. It was a wonderful fantasy.
A pair of slippers featured in it. Ruby ones. Gorgeous items gifted to the precocious young heroine by a benevolent witch, they were taken from the corpse of the witch's evil sister, to whom they belonged. The witch had been killed by the heroine's falling house--lifted by a tornado into a fantastic land, through which she must then journey to return home. Upon the completion of the girl's journey, it is revealed by the same witch that the shoes had been the key to returning home all along. Or were they? A very neat ending--the power to go home was with her the entire time. Of course, this raised the question of why the benevolent witch didn't tell her this information to begin with.
Perhaps she was not so good after all.
He smiled faintly.
The Emerald City itself was a lie--it appeared to be a glorious, beautiful city of green, so brilliant as to be blinding to all who beheld it. Visitors were mandated to wear a pair of special glasses to protect them from the intensity of its splendour and beauty. A true wonder indeed. Once the glasses were taken off, however, the lie was revealed: it was revealed to be a perfectly ordinary city encircled by green walls, no more marvellous or splendid than any other.
So was this Ruby City, too, a lie?
He leaned back in his chair, opening his eyes and crossing one leg over the other as he began to watch the residents strolling by, talking in the warm afternoon sun. It was almost idyllic here. Very pretty.
But who was Dorothy? He wondered. Who was the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow? Who was the Wizard? The Good Witch?
Toto?
He wondered if it wouldn't be revealing to see the city burn itself to the ground. He would see the walls themselves come down, and the monsters of the outside pour in, driving the people inward even as they destroyed themselves from the inside. He would bear witness the waves of fear and paranoia radiating out from the centre obelisk, unfolding in each person like the petals of a flower--a cascading trail of terror and flame, death after death...
And then?
Perhaps he would walk to the edge of the world.
It was an idle thought, and not very practical. There would be more constructive ways to bring this city to its knees. Ways more conducive to his goals. There was no need to burn this city to the ground, or let itself do that. But as fun as this had been, his tea was done, and he really ought to get going.
There was a lot to today.
Perhaps he would meet the Wizard.