Everwhere

Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

The burly guard shoved Owens and the hapless Doctor into a large marble room. Across the room, Owens could see a large man standing next to a very thin man. The thin man was sitting in a large marble chair. Is that a throne? The seated figure had a huge mustache and a cup of Tarbucks in a cup holder chiseled into the arm of the throne. That must be the Colonel and his General. The Colonel picked up the cup with a very jittery hand and took a sip. The man standing at his right was wearing a tan military uniform. The left breast of the blouse was covered in large shiny medals. So many in fact, that the man appeared to be listing to his left. The guard stopped Owens and the Doctor a few yards in front of the throne.

"Doctor Doobie-Do and the otherworlder spy my Colonel," the sergeant barked.

"Thank you sarn't, that will be all," the Mega said.

"SIR!!" The guard slapped the back of his hand onto the top of his head, stomped his right foot onto the floor – so hard, Owens thought for sure he must have broken his foot – slapped his left palm against his thigh equally hard, and let out a blood curdling shriek, all at the same time.

The violent salute startled Da-Kaffee so much that he jumped twelve inches off his throne and squeezed his coffee cup so hard that the lid popped off and coffee squirted onto the Mega, drenching his immaculate uniform.

"Thank you, my Colonel," said the Mega as he wiped coffee from his face.

The sergeant spun on his heels, stomped his right foot, slapped his thigh, and started marching out of the throne room, lifting his stiff right leg high over his head while violently swinging his opposite arm. Each time his right foot hit the floor he shrieked like a rabid banshee. Despite this incredible show of drilling, the poor sergeant only traveled about six inches each time his foot hit the floor. The Colonel watched proudly as the sergeant made his way out of the throne room.

When the sergeant finally reached the exit fifteen minutes later, the Mega addressed the prisoners. "You are to remain silent until spoken to; when questioned, you are to tell the truth, the whole truth, etc., etc. Any questions?"

Owens lifted a finger and opened his mouth to speak.

"Silence!" the Mega bellowed. "Now Doctor Doobie-Do, you have done well on the secret weapon. The Colonel is very pleased with your progress. Tomorrow we shall test fire the bomb. All should go swimmingly, and it will go swimmingly, right Doctor?"

"Yes, Mega Wati, all should go smoothly."

The Colonel let out a small gasp.

"How is it going to go?" the Mega asked.

"I am sorry Mega. All will go swimmingly."

The Mega squinted his bloodshot eyes at the Doctor. "Watch yourself Doobie-Do. You know how the Colonel loves his swimming."

"A thousand pardons my Colonel."

The Colonel relaxed as much as the coffee in his system would allow.

"The Mega tells me our new weapon is very powerful Doctor," Da-Kaffee said.

The Doctor blinked and pushed his glasses up. "Oh yes my Colonel. This is the mother of all bombs."

"The mother of all bombs? Are you sure Doctor? Are you sure you know who the mother is?" The Colonel had the look of someone who has made a great joke but is the only person in the room who gets it. "I say, are you sure? It seems that no one around here knows who the mother of anyone is," The Colonel let out a great guffaw, showering the prisoners with the coffee trapped in his mustache.