Impossible Dreamers

Chapter 30 (degtwi-nay): Happiness and Invention

It was time for Sleech to meet with Tyro once again. He was not looking forward to it. He was sure that Tyro would not be satisfied with how things were going. When was he ever satisfied? And yet, Sleech had achieved so much. He had delivered the Grabblers up to Tyro, along with their aerial bracelets, which were very useful to the Guardians, even if they still didn't really understand how they worked. Couldn't Tyro just be satisfied with this?

No. Tyro could never be satisfied. That's what made him powerful and successful. He would never be happy, even if he conquered the whole world. The world was not enough for someone like Tyro. The universe was not even enough. Even if he had control of the most distant corner of the most distant star, he would never be satisfied.

The door opened, as unseen hands behind it pulled, and Sleech entered. There was Tyro, up on his silver throne. He was holding what looked like an aerial bracelet, staring intently at it. His face showed hatred, as though the object was an enemy. Sleech coughed gently.

Tyro looked up, and quickly bundled the bracelet into a pocket.

'Well,' Tyro said, 'what have you to report?'

Sleech started to talk about food production in Bartyronis, about the number of people who had been imprisoned in the last week, about some minor problems with energy generation. Tyro looked bored.

'Yes, yes,' Tyro interrupted. 'But what about the Grabblers?'

'The Grabblers?' Sleech asked, as though he wasn't expecting this question. Although, of course, he knew that it would be the main topic of discussion.

'Yes, the Grabblers. Are they well...'

'They are as well as one could expect,' Sleech said quickly.

'Let me finish!' Tyro said, angrily. 'I was going to ask if they were well and truly conquered?'

'Of course, O Master of the West and East,' Sleech said. 'We have them under our control.'

'And their riches?'

'Their riches, Highest of High Himesters?'

'Yes. Their riches.'

'What exactly do you wish to know, Great Questioner?'

'Sleech, I am asking you a very simple question. Do we have control of the Grabblers' riches? I want an answer which doesn't include coughing.'

'Well, yes, your Angr...' unthinkingly, Sleech had been about to say 'angriness'. But Tyro didn't like to be thought of as angry, 'Your Awesomeness,' he corrected himself. 'We have control of everything they own,' Tyro seemed to relax, but Sleech continued, 'although...'

'Although?' Tyro asked, the angriness returning.

'Although, to tell the truth...' Sleech hesitated. He remembered that Tyro didn't like the phrase 'to tell the truth', because it implied that the other things being said were not true. Which often, they weren't. But Tyro hadn't noticed that this time.

'The thing is...' Sleech continued, 'the Grabblers don't have any riches.'

'No riches?'

'Not that we can find,' said Sleech.

'Gold?' Tyro asked.

'No.'

'Silver?'

'No.'

'Diamonds?'

'No.'

'That black stuff?'

'Which stuff, your Cleverness?'