Rigby Taylor

The following morning after breakfast the eight guests were invited on a tour of the house, a twelve-sided polygon on stumps so snakes and other wildlife could pass beneath. The low-pitched tiled roof extended beyond the walls to cover a three metre wide verandah that encircled the house. Inside, the large open space was cleverly furnished and divided to create the usual areas while granting privacy to each. Small windows kept the interior pleasantly dim and cool and the generous wall spaces wer

Ha Ha, . Is there a law of unintended consequences? Sort of like Murphy's Law? Most of the planet's humans, if asked privately, would think the world is already a dystopian nightmare... Yes, when I tell people that even for gays it was somehow nicer in the 1960s, they shrug and stop talking to me. Oh I'm pretty sure the world will see a catastrophic future, but surely it is already too late to turn back from the brink? With the number of Robotic war machines already in production, a war of total annihilation is already possible and probable, unless the climate gets in first. Talk about fiddling while Rome burns! Actually, that's perhaps a good analogy, Nero wanted it to burn because it was the rotten old part of the city filled with revolting masses. Is it possible that our inglorious leaders want to see the end of all the annoying plebs while they sit high and dry in their fortresses, so they can then have the planet to themselves? That aside - if you want to remain in your delightful fantasy, you'd better not read the sequel to this sorry tale - NumbaCruncha.

Yes, Jarek - I'm in love with him too. As for where the story is heading -- It's heading towards the final instalment of my future predictions for Homo sapiens. NumbaCruncha... Be afraid, be very afraid!!!

You're jumping the gun, Wesley. The final bit is yet to come.

Thanks Terry for your positive response. Yes, you are right, there are millions of good humans - the problem with being good is they can't be 'bad', so the bad guys win, because three's no way to prevent the bad guys without being even badder. NumbaCruncha is not on my list of posted books because it is the next one to be posted - it continues this tale and proposes one fairly logical consequence of this type of theocracy - in a world that's getting hotter and the weather unfriendly. It's amusingly bleak - if that's possible. So I hope you will read it too.

By the time Park Rangers arrived the following morning to check the toilets, waste bins and barbeque facilities, the eight men had been walking for two hours, scrambling over boulders, pushing through tall grass and threading their way between dense young regrowth. They had crossed three walking tracks and two narrow roadways. Suburbs stretched almost up to the base of the cliffs and the men were seldom further than five hundred metres from human activity. The chance of finding somewhere peacefu

Exactly my thoughts. And who knows? They just might fall on their feet again with all those memories to share.

You are right, Temples for the religion of 'Iwannabentertained'.

Ah yes... Camelot, another delightful myth. Tales of a previous 'Golden Age' are what keep people hoping for a better future, and why truth tellers are hated.

What did you expect? That they'd be left alone? The herd always ejects those that are different. The flock pecks to death all who are different.

You do read fast. The Nobles have plenty of money - they'll be ok. We leave them now and follow our heroes to.......... ha ha, that'd be telling. But as I've mentioned before - there is a future for 'humans', but probably not what you expect - all to be revealed in subsequent chapters, and the final book in which I expound on the long term future of Homo sapiens.

That is so sweet, Canuk... 'faith in innate humanity' . The problem lies in one's definition of humanity - what makes us human. What makes humans different from other animals - and, in the end, are we so different? I sometimes gaze at my hens being so bitchy to each other and wonder.

Two days after the interment, Penelope and Aristo stood up during breakfast, thanked everyone for their sympathy and understanding, and begged them to now put it all behind them and carry on as if nothing had happened. ‘Please make jokes. Laugh. Have fun and dance and play, otherwise we are constantly reminded of what has happened and that is the road to madness. We can never forget Perses, and we are wiser because of what happened, but done is done. We must move on.’ Nods of agreement,

Ugliness indeed! Gene, ... is ugliness a strong enough word for this regime? how about hideous, horrible, frightful, awful, ghastly, vile, revolting, repellent, repulsive, repugnant; grotesque,disgusting, monstrous... Your sentiments regarding his teacher are creditworthy.

Indeed - proof of the old adage - 'Only the good die young'. I used to wonder at that saying, but now I realise it is a comment on life - as the poem read out every ANZAC day states, 'They shall not grow old, as we who are left grow old..." meaning that they will not have to endure 'the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune'.... There's something to be said for that somewhat nihilistic view of things - especially considering the bleak future predicted by those who should know..

I am quoting Canuk - I forgot to press 'quote' sorry. I've repeated the response below. That is so sweet, Canuk... 'faith in innate humanity' . The problem lies in one's definition of humanity - what makes us human. What makes humans different from other animals - and, in the end, are we so different? I sometimes gaze at my hens being so bitchy to each other and wonder.

10,000 apologies.

Back in the real world of cities and large towns, where brainwashed nonentities lived in a constructed reality, the tyrannical triumvirate was going the way of all such attempts to share power peacefully—jousting for influence and wealth. At first the troubles were a poorly kept secret behind the walls of official buildings, army barracks and Protector training schools. But when a JE official was poisoned at a banquet, an IS official was drowned in his bath, and two CH officials were discovered

You are right - And I suppose the Foreign aid workers act as a sort of police to prevent abortions or infanticide - the time honoured method of tribal survival when times are dangerous.

Every solution creates further problems - it's a law of nature. Look at where the solution to transporting loads - the invention of the wheel has got us - gridlock in all major cities. The Nobles gave the servants a very substantial payout and convincingly spread the rumour that they were leaving the city - life is fraught with difficult decisions. [sigh]

Getting close, Skyacer, you're on the right track...almost... perhaps you are too sweet and innocent to fully penetrate my dank and devious mind.

Surely the savages crazy performance was 'sweetness and light'? You were supposed to laugh. Oh dear... I am now hesitating whether to post the next chapter in seven hours time - Take deep breaths and a cup of camomile tea, young man.

Australia's totally f*ck*d internet is the problem. Let's hope the satellite hasn't called down by this evening.

Thanks for worrying, Wesley. I have satellite internet - very slow and unreliable. Yesterday it stopped for 12 hours. it went for three hours then stopped again. Nerve-wracking. Australia has the slowest and worst internet service on the planet. Sorry about the lateness of your fix.

Swift was roundly condemned for his 'modest' proposal. But it does seem sensible - if you hang around for my next novel you just might be surprised. Meanwhile... Our lads are on the ball - they aren't going to let their dopey overlords starve.