Solomon's Private File #196
These stories about Stephen and Solomon take place starting in
1950's. Stephen wrote about his life in letters to a penpal, and then
in a secure blog, in case he lost his memory again, in the master
computer in his school for gifted students, which he started attending
in 2016 in a new incarnation, until his death. Now his son Solomon is
attending the same school, and is writing in his own secure blog for
his future incarnations.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Solomon is 23 in this story, in the Spring of 2050.
Solomon's Private File #196 "Tusk Tusk"
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I received Oscars for the first Chinese movie in technical for
editing and cinematography, and for directing, music, and best picture.
I accepted the awards with a speech. "I learned how to make moves by
studying what my father did. I didn't write the story. History, and the
people who lived and died it, did. In this, I am only the reporter. So
it is for them that I except the honors that you have bestowed on me
and this movie. And for the modern great nation of China, for it is
their history which has become in part who they are now. Thank you."
A large group of heavily armed elephant poachers was traveling across
countries in Africa, to their targets. I made their trucks stop, and
refuse to start. I shifted there. They stared at me. One shot at me,
but missed. I said, "It seems your aim isn't good enough to hit
anything smaller than an elephant. I request that you turn back, and no
longer kill elephants." One said, "It is bad to kill animals?" I said,
"In general, it is not a good thing, but it may be done if the animal
is used completely. This you do not do, in taking only the tusks. If
you eat all you kill, and do not endanger the continuance of the
species by taking too many, I will not stop you, but you and I know you
won't, can't, do that." He said, "We will." I said, "You know I can see
lies."
He said, "How will you stop us?" I said, "Your trucks will not go
where I don't want them to go. Your rifles will do some interesting
things that do not involve elephants, such as that one that was used to
shoot at me." The barrel tied itself into a not, to their bulging eyes.
I said, "And one more thing. All who would purchase the ivory, will,
when they touch it, feel the pain and death of the elephants. And so
would the killers. Do you doubt that I will do all I say?" There was a
lot of fear among his group. He said, "Even if we could take the ivory,
we could not sell it then, because of what they would feel from it?" I
said, "Yes. I will start that a few days after I announce it to the
world, for ivory that was collected from live and killed animals after
1974. And I will know how old the ivory is. Your trucks will start now,
but they will not go past this line, or any closer to the country of
your recently intended destination." I made the line. I said, "I
suggest you go home, and find other employment that doesn't violate the
law. Do not consider yourselves unfortunate. I can still make you
experience the deaths of the past victims of your greed, if that would
help to convince you of my sincerity." He said, "We will turn back."
One objected, who then fell to the dirt and screamed. I said, "I think
you will all agree that is an unpleasant way to encourage belief." He
said, "Very much so! I fully agree!" I bowed and left.
I asked to see the president of CNN. He said, "What have you got for
to make some world wide rulings, and enforce them my way." He looked
very interested. I said, "Here's what got me on this track." I showed
him what I did in support of the elephants. He said, "Personally, I'm
very glad you're going to do that." I said, "It's not stopping there.
Getting on my moral high er, endangered animal, I'm going much further.
It's wrong to kill animals just for the making of luxury items." He
said, "Oh, the whole use idea. PETA is going to LOVE you." I said, "And
I will support international law regarding marine mammals." He said,
"Japanese will NOT love you." I said, "Dalai Lama WILL. She just told
me so. Well, she considers all of them something like her free roaming
pets. I know, weird." He chuckled.
I said, "Now we have to decide on how it's presented. I could just
release some written statements. Or a video of me saying it. Or do it
on an interview show. Or doing it with representatives of opposing
groups here I can play with. Oh, here's a bib." He almost chuckled. He
the reps here?" Chuckles. He said, "Got a time limit?" I said, "Five
days." He said, "We'll fly them." I said, "Up to you who you tell about
my involvement. Better hope your face doesn't freeze like that."
Chuckles. I said, "Think I should ask religion's leaders if they would
like to be involved?" He said, "That would be great!" I said, "If they
want to be here, I'll port them or their reps. I'll keep you updated on
the guest list. Using the Conservative tactic of semantic misdirection,
call it a world symposium on the use of our natural resources?" He
said, "Are you available to er, run this part of our group?" I said,
"Er, thanks for the offer, but no. Get to work. Oh, one more thing." I
offered my hug, and he accepted.
I asked to see Pope Paolo. I told him my plans. He said, "Cardinal
Harold." He told his secretary. We talked about other things until he
came in. Paolo told him about my plans, and he responded with tears. I
said to him, "I sense some approval there." He said, "You are correct!
I'll be available whenever you need me at minutes notice." I said, "And
dressed to impress?" He grinned and said, "Mormon will look so er,
ordinary." I said with a smile. "Competition is good. Well, at least
from my point of view. Interesting expression." Chuckles. We hugged.
I saw the Archbishop of Canterbury, and gave my presentation. He
said, "I wasn't the first. Who's going so far?" I grinned, and he
looked embarrassed. I said, "Got a high rank Vatican Cardinal, and
they're going to get a Bishop from Africa to go." He said, "May I make
some calls?" He did, and woke up a Bishop in Africa who agreed to come.
Then he said, "And Me." I said, "I can guess why." He said, "It isn't
just oneupmanship, for the Pope not attending. I've heard about the
shows you and your father did. I want to see you in er, action, in
person." I said, "You're in good company there. In fact, I would want
to watch myself in that." He laughed.
I ported to meet with my friend the Mormon Apostle, and gave him my
presentation. He said, "I'm going. Can I make a call?" I said, with a
grin, "Absolutely." Result was one of his Bishops from Africa was on
the list, too. Leader of Scientology was on the list. I met with the
leader of the Southern Baptist Conference. He said, "Going to be a
little trouble with hunters." I said, "I won't stop them, but I will
make sure they know how I feel about it on air, if they don't make full
use of the animals they kill." He nodded. He said, "Fur makers?" I
said, "I'll only be enforcing international laws. Other issues will
have different levels of my disapproval, but not enforcement." He said,
"Official from the Senior Prophet?" I said, "I don't want to, but yes.
I feel I should." He said, "I'm IN!" I said, "Er, wow?" He laughed. He
said, "We've wanted to be a part of what you do for the world, for a
LONG time! I'm not going to pass up this opportunity to be involved
with such a righteous action." I said, "I'm sorry it didn't happen
before, but your er, group is so er, diffuse. Hard to find somebody
able to speak for enough people to work in what I do." He said, "I know
that you mean. I don't have any power at all to make changes in any of
our churches, but in this, it's different. This is universal morality!"
I said, "Know of the Lord Dunsany piece, called 'The Use of Man'?" He
grinned and said, "Interesting if you use that. Only animals who had
any use for us in our divine judgement, were the mosquito and the dog."
I said, "If you want to?" He said, "Oh, wow! Thank you?" I said, "I'll
warn off the British guy. Well, you got in with that first." We hugged
with love.
I met with some Rabbis. They all thought that I could represent them
well, but thought that there would be more prestige in numbers. Two
were on the list. Kam and Rhamcha were in the list. A Russian Orthodox
Priest was on the list. I visited the Islamic Cultural Center in New
York, and gave the leader my presentation. He said, "I like this, but
those of Yemen will not." I said, "Do you know the actual source of
that tradition?" He didn't. I said, "They had to hunt and kill the
rhinoceros alone, to prove their bravery, to collect the horn to make
the handle of their knife of manhood. Those who don't do that now are
false to what it's supposed to mean. But I can help a little with that.
I will give them replacement material, and ONLY them, from me. With my
personal blessing, and it will look and work exactly the same." He
said, "That could work." He made some calls, and an Imam was on the
list. I asked to see the Grand Ayatollah, and gave him my presentation.
I also told him about the Yemen offer. He too wanted to know who was on
the list. I grinned when I told him. He said, "I should send one of my
people." I said, "But you think it would be better if you went, being
the full leader." He said, "You know it!" He was on the list.
I asked to see the King of Saudi Arabia, and told him what I told the
Ayatollah. He said, "Who's going?" We grinned, and I told him. I said,
"But you are not exactly a real leader of a religion, or even of a
Denomination." He said, "True. But we have Mecca and Medina. And he who
yet?" He grinned and did just that. I said during the call, "I can go
meet with him if you and he wish." He said, "We do!" I shifted there.
We did many polite things. I gave him my updated presentation. He said,
"Our King does not rule us." I just grinned. He chuckled. I said, "No
governments rule us, or should. Although sometimes it doesn't hurt much
to have them thinking they could have some influence over us." He
grinned. I said, "We are the two sides, religion, and government or
law, that compete for the attention and obedience of our people. This
is a good thing, because when one side is ascendant, abuse occurs." He
said, "Wisdom is annoying." Chuckles. He said, "I did not expect this.
I have not heard that you have ever said this in public." I said, "Most
could not accept that." He felt very complimented. I said,
"Friendship?" He said, "With great honor, yes!" We hugged with love.
I went to the head Chaplain at Harvard, and gave him my presentation.
He said, "So you want a Unitarian or Congregationalist." I said, "For a
good mix, that would be helpful." He said, "I like that. Should I
propose some people?" I said, "If you don't want to come, yes." He
said, "I would be acceptable?" I said, "Are you really asking for
compliments?" I said it with a smile, and he had a mix of emotions. He
said, "I accept." I said, "If you would like to nominate another, a
woman would be good. Would be the only one in the group. Get your
delegation more notice." He grinned and said, "Good Idea. May I make
some calls?" I said, "Sure!" We got one.
I said, "There is one more thing that's completely unrelated to this,
and personal to me. When I was set to choose a religion, well, it was
going to be two. Because of the singing, I did Conservative Judaism
first, and somehow never got around to your faith, and the Denomination
of Unitarian Universalist. But I AM qualified as an Interfaith
Chaplain." I waited for him to recover. He said, "I should assume that
you know all there is to know about our faith?" I said, "Yes. About all
current religions, and some long gone. More than available, for some."
He said, "Would you provide us with some usual university work on
this?" I said, "I know what you have in mind. Well, what religion
wouldn't?" He grinned and said, "True, but you haven't approached them
like you have here." I said, "I chose the two because there is no
hierarchy to order me, and they were the most open. Yes. Here." I gave
him some files. He said, "You just wrote them?" I said, "Yes. Still
don't want to be a lawyer, though." He grinned and said, "I heard about
that. We weren't sad that you refused Yale." I said, "Please don't
mention this before or at the CNN show. If you say anything about it
after at least a week later, please say that it's been in the works for
a while, which it will have been, then. I'm not agreeing to do this for
any reason but that it was what I had intended when I originally chose
the religions I wanted to be a part of. I have no idea what the Jews
will think of this. Could be interesting. I'll tell them Jesus was a
Jew." He said with a grin, "And that we are lapsed Jews. Yes, I
remember that very well." I said, "And who doesn't like kosher food?"
Chuckles. We hugged with love.
All that took less than a full day. Then I had a meeting with CNN,
with the group that would be running the show. I gave them the list of
who would be representing the religions, and they were very impressed.
One asked me, "Are all of them friendly to you?" I said, "Some I met
just for this event, but to answer your question, they are all now my
personal friends. I'll be briefing them in our green room before the
show. Well, they should know who else will be here, and how we'll
proceed." One said, "And how is that?" I said, "The non religious will
not know of all of my group, and be seated first, and the show will
start. The less they know, the better, but they should know something
of it, so they won't be needing medical assistance on air." Chuckles. I
said, "Then I will walk in, and announce and introduce my group as they
walk in and be seated. Watch the faces of the first group. Some are
going to look a little sick." Chuckles. I said "Oh, and did any tell
Greenpeace I would be involved?" Pres said, "I think we didn't." I
said, "Right. Hasn't been plastered all over the internet yet."
Chuckles. I said, "Better warn the sound engineer to be careful with
PETA, when I start ruling." Laughter. I said, "Hawk liked that one."
Chuckles.
I said, "Then your moderator will begin. Here's some possible things
to use." I passed that around. I said, "That my group will be mostly
silent, will make the others nervous. Make sure the cameras catch that,
and their very frequent glances at me." BIG grins. I said, "If an
argument gets too er, noisy, I might reduce it. Yes, sighs of relief
were expected." Chuckles. I said, "I might ask my group to comment
before and after I make my ruling. It could be very interesting to
watch their competition with each other in that." More grins. I said,
"I'll tell them that violence will be, well, unappreciated. Yes, that's
an understatement. If you're asked why religious leaders are at the
meeting, you can say that the treatment of animals can have a moral
issue with religions, and they are there to represent those views if
they wish to. If that is said, expect face cracking grins from some
people." They gave some of their own. I said, "Now about commercial
breaks. I know you have to have them, but I ask you to let me choose
the moments that are best for that. I'll inform the director of that."
"We've seen your work. We don't want second best. Go for it!"
I said, "Our green room should be ready at least an hour before the
start of the program, and well stocked. Near rest rooms, too. A lot of
old men." Nods. I said, "One more thing. This may shock you a little.
You've seen my father's video of his fight on the planet of the cat
people?" Pres said, "Oh, the walk to the pub. You're going to do that
here?" I said, "It would happen all the time, if I didn't restrict my
personal power. In this event, I will let it flow just a little, to
encourage people to tell the truth and to not run away in abject
terror. Strange expressions you're sporting!" Chuckles. I said, "It's
not force. More like a gentle suggestion. If any of them become
abusive, well, who here wouldn't like them to receive some er,
justice?" Grins.
Pres said, "Japan isn't coming." I said, "Not a surprise. Their
sexual customs are a little odd." Choked surprised laughter. One asked,
"Er, in what way?" I said, "They take the idea of the top, unusually
seriously. Traditionally, one of the sexual pair is dominant, and the
other is so submissive, you could get more reaction from a wet noodle.
Extremely passive, even to reading a book while being er, screwed.
Those roles are the custom, but of course it's not universal with them
all the time. Yes, even in homosexual relationships. But again, not
always. You're wondering how I know this. Got people of all kinds in my
group. And I'm a research psychologist by major interest. Personally,
I'm not sure I would want to be around an adult who didn't have some
interest in sex. It's an important part of who we are. Well, try to
have a future generation without it." Nods. I said, "And that I could
shock you with what I said, well, thank you." Chuckles.
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Grant
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