Identity. Jeff MDiv Sieniewicz
Soon after running from one sufficiently boarded up room to another, the fathers began wondering if in fact they could get out any longer. Assuming that a situation would arrive that called for doing so.
Upon reflection of the job just finished, the fathers were left to speculate on many factors. Such as if they were now in fact safer inside rather than out.
Next, whether they should have been considering any of this before now, and if so, why in The Great Creator’s blessed name hadn’t their wives or children mentioned it. At this point, the majority of the fathers then ran from room to room checking the density of the boards. Again.
Coincidentally, their families had been doing very little all morning besides mentioning the possible error in sealing themselves inside their homes. Nevertheless, the fathers had been too busy with all the boarding up business to realize that their family was protesting.
Additionally, the fathers were now too busy resenting their families for not informing them, to consider what in their view had not been said in the earlier part of the day. Knowing that it is more difficult to feel resentment for someone when you consider their point of view, they simply didn’t. Problem solved.
While their anger toward their wives and children would soon be forgotten, the panic that was in the air would be with them, their families, and the rest of the citizens of Hiruaha for a great deal longer.
The news that a coup had taken place, where their previous leader Manny the Mellow was overthrown, had just been announced.
It had been a nice run for Manny, but the tide of change had arrived and ended it suddenly, and during parchesi nonetheless. Now, Bruce the Belligerent was in charge.
The coup took place during a session of parliament and had been given aide by the members being heavily distracted by parliamentary procedure, along with one of the long ongoing political games that was well underway at the time. That being parchesi.
Manny, who was more upset that the game had been interrupted than being unseated as leader, issued the following statement shortly afterwards:
“Balance of a civilization or not, there is never a good enough reason to interrupt leisure. Ever.”
Later adding before being launched into space, “Unless you think it’d be fun, fun for all.”
The coup apparently had not been all that fun for Manny.
Meanwhile the news had hit the inhabitants of the whole planet pretty hard. They knew that the tranquil pace of life, a trademark of Manny’s administration, was now surely over.
With rants, brain numbing decisions, and unpredictable violent outbursts by the truckload undoubtedly to come with Bruce as driver. Nevertheless, they began bracing themselves the best they could. There was still the matter of restoring their Beacon of Light, and in doing so getting back to being the real Hiruaha again.
Bruce’s men were currently busy carrying out their orders to do just that.
The term “men” is a loosely used one here, as they are Hiruahians, which are a mix of creatures. Some are Etans, some are Frogolinians, and others still are Hybrids.
Frogs much as we know them were once one of the few species, along with the Etans, that populated Hiruaha. They had been frogs much like Earth frogs for thousands of years until they acquired the minor exception of suddenly being two hundred times their original size.
These frogs underwent this change during the electrical storm of two trillion one billion five hundred million three hundred thousand and forty-two, which just happened to be during sexual reproductive season for the frogs as well. Both events also coincided with that year’s acid rain season on Hiruaha.
The outcome of all three simultaneously occurring produced an intellectual and genetic mutation rarely seen before or since, especially by the Etans. Nevertheless, they figured that The Great Creator knew best.
Evolution had received a major jump-start. Literally overnight the frogs that had been given little to no thought before, became verbal and well evolved beings wanting more for society as well as selfish gains for themselves. And they now had many of the means and abilities to do just that.
Thousands of years before this jump-start of evolution, when The Great Creator had stopped by to make the Etans, he had bestowed the gift of life on them, and now he had done the same for this new species the Frogolinians. At least that was what the Etans held to be true about what had happened. Their Etan belief circuits were very adamant about this fact.
Additionally, The Great Creator had another special gift in mind for the Etans. Coinciding with this new super species of Frogolinians, he had adapted some of the Etans to be half Frogolinians. Coincidentally, the Etans that were changed to be half and half were predominantly those who had been caught outside fishing or camping during this electrical storm. The Etans figured this change must have been part of The Great Creator’s plan so that it would be easier for the two species to co-exist. This group of half Etan and half Frogolinians would become known as The Hybrids. Just how did The Great Creator make some of the Etans half Frogolinians?
Well, no one is bold enough to claim to know the mystical and magical ways of The Great Creator, yet he is known to be all powerful, all knowing, and certainly all creating. Thus it is safe to assume that whatever his wishes are, it is not long before they become reality. That it is only fitting for his desired changes to be overnight, just as the storm was.
The Frogolinians had advantages physically and the Etans intellectually, while The Hybrids were a perfect mix that could unite the two. Together, Hiruahians were now ready to take on anything, just as the creator had intended, or so the story goes.
This combination of all three is what has made up the citizens of Hiruaha ever since, and these Hiruahians were now Bruce’s “men.” With the most highly educated and best trained among them making up the Intergalactic Missions Agency, or the IMA. Etans are the majority in this agency due to their capabilities for higher intelligence, or at least this is the ability they so often claim to have, while in fact showing it much less frequently.
With the IMA to be the primary cog used for regaining The Beacon of Light, surely the planet of Hiruaha could sleep well.
Meanwhile, the vessel carrying two Etan IMA agents in particular and powered by Zarquon’s power source was speeding away from Earth at an alarming rate. A rate that increased every time Frank worried about why he had been the one to find the rock, and not his next-door neighbor, nasty old Mrs. Lornten.
Chapter Nine
“So they took your,” Laura said, stomaching a particularly hearty laugh before continuing, “rock, did they? And claimed they worked for the,” swallowing another laugh, “government, did they?” pestered Laura in one of her three most teasing voices. “Exactly how many did you have in you by this point?“ she quipped, no longer able to bury the laughter within her.
“Yes, that’s right they did. And none!” Frank stormed back.
Laura noticed his shirt would need to be ironed at least in the area where his arms were so forcefully folded.
“Sorry, Frank, it just doesn’t make any sense.”
“Well, it’s what happened, so it doesn’t need to make sense.”
Laura thought about that for a moment, as Frank reached down clutching and hugging his knees to his chest.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make some tea,” she said.
Laura hummed as she brought the water to a boil, warmed the teapot, and then let the water mix with the fresh tea leaves she had carefully selected. It was Saturday and she was glad to have the day off from teaching. She poured the water diligently as it was boiling and not afterwards, because as she often reminded everyone, this was a key ingredient to making the very best cup of tea possible.
Laura generally enjoyed being the fourth grade teacher at the local elementary school, but this had been an especially long week, with