Chapter Eight - Part 3

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It was early in the morning. Troy had never arrived at the President’s Palace this early before. The fog hovered over the large moat surrounding the palace, blanketing the aquatic life beneath its surface. An occasional splash was the only sound of life.

The president’s office was empty. No one sat at the big oak desk.

That’s my desk now, thought Troy in reverence. Well, for now at least.

He walked around the desk, admiring the desk’s dark brown burnish. He sat down in the president’s chair, then simultaneously tipped his toes up, rocking back into a reclined position. When he returned sitting upright, he looked across the desk at the two button-leathered chairs where he had always sat before.

Troy checked the time in his Nanolense, realizing he had better get to work.

“Good morning, Mr. President,” greeted President Barber in Troy’s Nanolense. “How is it going so far?”

President Barber’s smile gleamed at him through his hologram.

“Very well, sir. Very well indeed,” replied Troy.

“I left something for you. Something you will find of great use during the next few weeks,” said President Barber, sternly.

“Thank you, Mr. President,” appreciated Troy. “What is it?”

“I thought it might be difficult for you to speak with the populous directly without them knowing that something extraordinary had occurred. I will be completely out-and I mean out-for at least three weeks while I go through with this surgery. So, after thinking it through and trusting you as much as I do, I decided to have Dr. Hill clone my Nanolense. Now you will have mine as well as yours. Put mine in your left eye. But this one isn’t permanent like the others; it will dissolve in about a month or so,” explained President Barber.

Troy sat in awe, his jaw dropped completely open.

“So,” he stuttered. “So you want me to be you?”

“Well, you certainly won’t be me,” redirected President Barber. “But the citizens of The Movement will believe you are. We have a great thing going here, Mr. Duckworth, and I don’t want anything to impede that progression. Continue this rapid progress.”

“Yes, sir. I understand,” said Troy, still in disbelief, excited for the opportunity.

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