It was three years into Tiberius’ reign as the governor of the Capital District. It appeared the country had recovered from the shocking and devastating stadium collapse. The Pound Ball League had returned after a year of mourning and was regaining popularity. However, most fans now preferred to watch the games from the comfort and safety of their own homes.

Waldo had spent a year as Tiberius’ personal jester. Tiberius was punishing him for turning Sapey into a democracy. Tiberius found Waldo to be incredibly hilarious as a jester, so he forgave him. He let him have his own live television show and theatre production. The television show aired three times a week from the Capital Zoo, and his theatre production performed twice a week at the Rundo the Fifth Theatre.

Ginger had just arrived at the zoo to speak to Waldo, who had just finished his mid-week live show. Even though Waldo was now backstage, his audience were still loudly singing his theme song.

‘The children in your audience absolutely love you!’ exclaimed Ginger as she rushed towards Waldo, who was about to pick up a giant novelty coconut.

‘My lifelong ambition has always been to put smiles on the faces of my loyal subjects,’ replied Waldo confidently as he puffed out his chest.

‘You’ve done better than that,’ said Ginger as Waldo inserted a large bendy straw into his coconut drink. ‘Your audience chooses to watch. Unlike the old days when they were forced to watch and pretend to be happy because you were chief.’

‘The betrayal still stings,’ replied Waldo dramatically as he placed the back of his hand on his forehead while bending his knees slightly.

‘I’m not here to reminisce on the past,’ said Ginger as she picked up an almond biscuit off Waldo’s dressing table. ‘I’m here because I want you to join our entertainment action team.’

‘Well, if you want action, you’ve come to the right place,’ replied Waldo as his dismay immediately turned to enthusiasm. ‘I’ve hours of great Sape footage. I’m turning it into a zoo life documentary comedy.’

‘That certainly sounds different,’ said Ginger.

‘There’s nothing like it!’ added Waldo excitedly as he tightly clutched his coconut. ‘In a crazy environment, when left to their own devices, Sapes get up to amazing unscriptable antics.’

‘I absolutely love the sound of it,’ said Ginger as she desperately tried to get back on topic. ‘But I want you to hold that thought for a moment.’

‘Sapes speeding down a waterslide creating mini tidal waves, woo splash woo,’ said Waldo as he pulled his straw up with his lips.

‘The action team will consist of the core elements of entertainment,’ said Ginger, sounding a little frustrated. ‘Music, dance, drama, action, talk shows, comedy, magic, sports, children’s entertainment and much more.’

‘Waldo does it all!’ shouted Waldo as he skipped around the backstage area singing loudly.

‘I take it you’re interested,’ said Ginger as she watched Waldo’s antics. ‘Tomorrow, we have a working lunch scheduled at the palace.’

‘My old home is calling to me,’ replied Waldo as he opened his arms wide.

‘Advisor Sanguine will be chairing this meeting,’ said Ginger firmly. ‘So please, bring all your charm.’

‘I’ll wear my finest suit and top hat,’ said Waldo as he leaned in close to Ginger while raising his eyebrows.

Ginger smiled at him awkwardly.

Ginger and Waldo exited the backstage area. The children were still singing and dancing. Several dozen of them rushed over to Waldo for his autograph. Ginger watched on in astonishment at how much they loved him.

The next day, a few minutes before the meeting, Waldo strutted up the stairs to the palace entrance. He was wearing a red suit with blue polka dots and a very tall red and blue striped top hat.

The guards opened the palace doors. Waldo patted both the guards on the shoulder as he entered the palace. Inside, Ginger was standing by the staircase with her two adopted children, Duffo and Marlon.

‘Holy shit, he’s here,’ shouted Duffo as he sprinted towards Waldo.

Waldo leaned forward and hugged Duffo.

‘The meeting is upstairs,’ said Ginger as she and Marlon began to climb the staircases.

‘So, you’re part of this action team too,’ said Waldo as he walked towards the staircase holding Duffo’s hand.

‘I’m an inspired musician,’ said Duffo proudly.

‘I’ve seen you work your keyboard,’ said Waldo as they began to climb the stairs. ‘You’ve got great talent.’

‘Wait until you hear me sing,’ said Duffo as he tugged on Waldo’s arm.

Waldo and Duffo followed Ginger and Marlon into a meeting room. In the middle of the meeting room was a large conference table. In the middle of the table was a huge spread of food. There were different types of cakes and pies, and in between them were plates with a variety of different sandwiches. Giant novelty coconuts containing a blend of fruit juices were placed in front of each chair around the table.

Most of the other invitees had already arrived and were seated. These included Ricardo, a television host and comedian; Mickey, an action star and debate host; Jeff Yensid, the owner of the Pound Ball League; Mobius the Magician; Delilah, a singer and dancer; and Serena, a freelance journalist.

Waldo casually walked to the far end of the table and sat down. Duffo rejoined his mother and Marlon. A couple of minutes later, Vector the Ventriloquist and his dummy, Gillman, entered the room. Waldo waved frantically for him to come over and join him. Vector nervously walked over and sat down next to him.

‘Looks like we’re in good company today,’ said Waldo to Vector.

‘Bunch of losers!’ blurted out Gillman. ‘Still, they’re a million times more talented than you, fatso.’

‘Aha, I love it,’ chuckled Waldo. ‘The act is still going strong, I see.’

‘I can’t resist,’ chuckled Vector. ‘This is too much fun.’

Sanguine entered the meeting room. He stood at the head of the table nearest the door. Everyone in the room became silent.

‘I’m glad everyone was able to make it,’ said Sanguine as he looked at all those around the table. ‘You are all in my entertainment action team. You’ve been selected because of your talent and commitment to your craft beyond all else.’

Mobius pulled a bouquet of flowers out from under his hat and then tossed them over to Ginger. Ginger caught them with one hand and smiled back in acknowledgement.

‘Media and entertainment have become a central part of most Linap’s lives,’ continued Sanguine. ‘James Yensid made it the centre of our universe. As a result, ten of the twelve governors’ elected were from his media company.’

‘That’s me!’ yelled out Vector. ‘I won an election and became Agriah’s first governor.’

‘How did that work out for you?’ asked Sanguine.

‘I was bored, so I resigned,’ replied Vector, sheepishly, as he shook his head.

‘You committed fraud!’ shouted Gillman. ‘You hired your own puppets to Government positions and bagged their salaries for yourself.’

Waldo gestured to Gillman to be quiet, and Gillman responded by poking out his wooden tongue.

‘You were born to entertain,’ said Sanguine as he glared angrily at Vector. ‘Your failings as a leader are not your fault. The blame falls fully on James Yensid. He greedily wanted to rule all of Sapey from behind the scenes.’

‘See, I’m really a victim in all this,’ said Vector optimistically as he nodded in agreement.

‘You’re a hardened criminal!’ shouted Gillman as he turned abruptly to face Vector. ‘You belong in the cell next to James.’

‘Please, no more,’ begged Waldo as he dropped to one knee. ‘He loves you like a son.’

‘It’s true, you’re my family,’ whimpered Vector, who also dropped to one knee.

‘Not anymore!’ shouted Gillman. ‘I want a divorce!’

‘You should come on my show next week,’ shouted Ricardo at Vector. ‘We need to get to the bottom of this. My brain dead audience can decide your fate.’

‘This can only be settled in structured debate,’ said Mickey as he stood up and pointed at Ricardo.

‘Yes, last time we had so much fun,’ called out Waldo as he leapt to his feet and pointed at Mickey, who then jumped onto his chair and pointed straight back at Waldo.

‘Enough!’ shouted Sanguine.

Everyone immediately quietened down and returned to their seats.

‘You prove my point on so many levels,’ added Sanguine in a much calmer tone. ‘You’re great at entertaining. It’s important we play to those strengths.’

‘I lost many of my friends in the stadium massacre,’ said Delilah. ‘It wouldn’t have happened if James Yensid had not tried to squeeze 80,000 in a stadium with a capacity of 60,000.’

‘I’m deeply sorry for my brother’s great misjudgement,’ said Jeff.

‘I suggest we have a brief moment of silence to remember all those who died that day and especially our fellow entertainers who lost their lives trying to help,’ said Ginger in a solemn voice.

The room was silent for around a minute.

‘I can understand why all of you have great resentment for James Yensid,’ said Sanguine. ‘He did many bad things.’

‘He should have been hanged by the neck along with this clown,’ shouted Gillman aggressively as he pointed at Jeff.

‘He has been granted a full life sentence by our merciful leader,’ replied Sanguine as Waldo desperately tried to cover Gillman’s wooden mouth. ‘Jeff is not like his brother and has been found completely innocent. Therefore, there is no reason to punish him.’

‘Thank you, sir,’ said Jeff, nodding his head.

‘Despite all of his flaws, James Yensid started something that cannot be ignored,’ said Sanguine. ‘He used entertainment to influence the way we all think and feel. His fatal error was to believe that entertainers could hold office. When they are far better suited to playing a supporting role to real leaders.’

‘I’m playing the role of Tiberius in an action movie,’ announced Mickey excitedly. ‘Filming begins in two weeks.’

‘That’s what I’m talking about,’ said Sanguine excitedly. ‘You can entertain and educate your audiences at the same time.’

‘I’ve watched all your movies,’ called out Waldo. ‘You’re a legend!’

‘You cured my insomnia, fat head,’ shouted Gillman as he glared at Mickey.

‘All of you have your strengths and target audience,’ continued Sanguine. ‘Jeff’s Pound Ball League appeals to sports fans. Waldo and Mobius appeal to children. Ricardo appeals to those with an interest in current affairs. Ginger and Delilah appeal to those who love music. Vector gives everyone a good laugh. Serena adds focus and direction.’

‘Those morons hang off my every word,’ called out Ricardo.

‘As they should,’ replied Sanguine firmly as he held his fist up.

They all began cheering.

‘As part of my entertainment action team, you will be given everything you need to take your shows to the next level,’ said Sanguine confidently as he watched all the entertainers’ faces light up.

‘I want extra baggy trousers,’ called out Mobius.

‘I want a hot seat that’s actually hot,’ called out Ricardo.

‘I need extreme special effects,’ called out Mickey.

‘I want new puppets,’ called Vector.

‘I’ll rip you a new one, you piece of shit!’ shouted Gillman as he tried to attack Vector.

‘New motion detection cameras for my zoo would be great,’ called out Waldo as he tried to pull Gillman off Vector.

‘Of course, no need to rush,’ said Sanguine as he held his arms up with his palms facing forward. ‘Make a list. Our great leader has given us an exceedingly generous budget.’

‘Oh yeah!’ called out Ricardo. ‘Now we’re talking.’

‘On top of that, you’re going to receive goal-based bonuses,’ said Sanguine.

Mickey jumped on his chair and began to howl.

‘Now calm down, everyone,’ said Ginger as she tapped the table. ‘You need to let Advisor Sanguine explain the goals to you.’

‘Doesn’t matter!’ shouted Gillman. ‘This bastard traded his grandmother for a bag of donuts.’

‘It’s alright,’ said Sanguine calmly to Ginger. ‘They’re just being themselves.’

‘If she watches my show, she probably deserved it,’ shouted Ricardo at Gillman as he grabbed a sandwich.

Mobius began shovelling cakes into his magic top hat.

‘How about I let you finish your lunches before I delve into these goals?’ said Sanguine calmly as he looked around the table.

The entertainers stuck into the food as if they were starving.

Twenty minutes later, they had cleared the table of all the food.

‘I hope all of you enjoyed the spread,’ said Sanguine as he stood back up.

‘It was a magnificent spread,’ said Jeff. ‘Thank you very much.’

The others began to clap.

‘You’re all a bunch of arse kissers,’ called out Gillman as he slapped his lips together.

‘You now represent more than just yourselves,’ said Sanguine firmly. ‘You represent my entertainment action team. You will do more than just entertain. You will entertain with a purpose.’

‘I like to bring smiles to children’s faces,’ said Mobius excitedly.

‘I want to help my audience grow enough brain cells to make it through the day,’ snarled Ricardo.

‘You’re on the right lines, but you need to go further,’ said Sanguine. ‘With such a large viewership, you have a moral obligation to your audience. You must send the right messages.’

‘What a joke; this guy’s a filthy pervert,’ remarked Gillman as he glanced at Vector.

‘The right kinds of messages originate from those with high moral values,’ said Sanguine. ‘Such as our great Governor Tiberius, myself, the Head Enforcer, and some of the inspiring new leaders from the Business Sector. Since we share the same values, in essence, we have the same moral messages. Your job is to incorporate our messages into your craft. I want your audiences’ way of thinking to align automatically and naturally with our messaging. In fact, I want their thinking to be one step ahead of us.’

‘This reminds me of a deal I had with a sponsor,’ said Ricardo casually. ‘I would slip their products onto my set. I wouldn’t even mention them. They’d just sit there. Without fail, the sales of these products skyrocketed every time.’

‘That’s because you’ve subtly planted an idea,’ said Sanguine as he thrust his finger forward. ‘Imagine the power of repeatedly and consistently planting interrelated ideas in all of our shows. The planted perception becomes reality.’

‘Excuse me, I’m a journalist,’ said Serena, sounding confused. ‘I report the news.’

‘We live in a huge world,’ said Sanguine. ‘There’s so much happening everywhere. It’s not possible to report everything. Your job is to focus on what matters. And what matters is that reality aligns with the perception that everyone else is trying to reinforce.’

‘That doesn’t sound too ethical,’ replied Serena, frowning.

‘I’m not telling you to make things up,’ chuckled Sanguine. ‘I’m saying you need to frame reality in the right way. For example, when you report on a robbery in the West District. Question the competence of leadership, and follow that question with an image of Head Philosopher Etnad tripping over his own feet.’

‘I’d take that image and turn it into a meme for my show,’ called out Ricardo. ‘I’ll show it ten times and add fart sounds for extra effect.’

‘See, he gets it!’ said Sanguine as he nodded at Ricardo.

‘I’ll re-enact the fall and face plant in a massive Sape turd,’ shouted Gillman.

‘Hey, Jeff!’ called out Waldo. ‘You can get the West City Priests to blow a huge halftime lead in honour of their stumbling leader.’

‘Oh, well, in that case,’ chuckled Delilah. ‘I want to sing “One Little Trip” during the halftime show of that game.’

‘That’s the spirit,’ said Sanguine with delight in his voice. ‘Your audiences will be entertained and educated at the same time. It’s a huge win for everyone.’

Jeff sighed and shook his head.

‘I think we have covered the basics,’ said Sanguine. ‘Any questions before we wrap up?’

All their hands shot up.

‘Great,’ said Sanguine. ‘You can add your questions to the list of your needs. Then submit them to Ginger. Thank you for coming.’

He then abruptly turned around and left the meeting room.

The entertainers immediately converged on Ginger with a barrage of questions.

Later that day, Ginger met Sanguine in his office. Sanguine was standing by the window watching the gardener talking with Tiberius.

‘They have some pretty crazy demands,’ said Ginger as she approached Sanguine.

Sanguine held out his hand, and Ginger handed the list of requests to him.

‘Fluffy rugs, double-pleated pantaloons, flying machines, electric chairs, Sape fashion, wooden puppets, pyrotechnic machines, party houses, rights to exclusive interviews, blah, blah, etc., etc.,’ sighed Sanguine. ‘I can live with this.’

‘That’s really generous of you,’ said Ginger. ‘The entertainers will be grateful.’

‘I want you to work closely with the entertainers,’ said Sanguine sternly. ‘So far they seem to get it, but they could easily drift off course.’

‘I’d be honoured,’ said Ginger.

‘Your two sons will be taken care of at the palace,’ said Sanguine. ‘Governor Tiberius has taken an interest in them. He sees them as the future.’

‘That is most kind of you,’ replied Ginger, nodding.

‘That’s sorted then,’ said Sanguine as he watched the gardener get down on his knees in front of Tiberius.

‘The members of the House of Divine Knowledge teach our children; do you think it is wise to mock their leaders?’ asked Ginger.

‘They teach the children what we tell them to teach them,’ replied Sanguine. ‘It keeps them relevant, and it keeps them valuable. The mocking keeps them humble and prevents them from getting any credible foothold in our leadership.’

‘Do we treat other forms of opposition in the same way?’ asked Ginger.

‘No, we simply make them disappear,’ replied Sanguine. ‘The only opposition we give any attention to is the House of Divine Knowledge. They are still our preferred opposition. Besides, they are too well established to just disappear. I hope that clarifies things.’

‘Yes, thank you,’ replied Ginger. ‘I’ll get right to work.’

End of Part One. Continue this story in Part Two.

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Images were created with the help of Bing Image Creator

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Sapien Loop Short Stories

Sapien Loop short stories explore the adventures of some of the characters from the Sapien Loop series. These stories are intended to reveal more about individual characters and the events that have helped shape them.

Currently, two books from the series have been published on Amazon; see links below:

• Sapien Loop: End of an Era
• Sapien Loop: Frozen in Time

All individual chapters can be found on my @captainhive account.

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