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Earth-Never ... because the possibilities are endless.
The Loyalist from Earth-Never "... and on today's special live broadcast, we've got a great guest -- famous author The Loyalist !" A huge round of applause rose from the audience of the Oprah Winfrey Show. "Now, as you know, The Loyalist has written several powerful fiction books, including 'The Broken Man', 'Gilded Cage', and his latest, which we will be talking about today -- our book of the month, 'Echoes of Karma'! So, please join me as we welcome the greatest writer of the new millenium, The Loyalist !" There's a standing ovation for the great author, who finally appears from stage left. There are two beautiful blonde women, one on each arm, escorting him to his seat. As he sits, the two women lean seductively on either side of him, resting their hips on the arms of the plush chair. "My, I've never heard of an author who was such a ladies man!" "Well, to tell the truth ... it is a burden," smiled The Loyalist, winking into the camera. "A burden I enjoy bearing." The crowd chuckles at his response. "Well, The Loyalist, tell us about your latest book." "Well, basically, I've written two stories -- a biographical account of my life up to this point, and a parallel story which shows what would've happened had things gone differently at key points in my life." "It seems you've decided to ask, 'what if?' with this latest." "Yes, I have. I've always wondered what would've happened had I not been so lucky, and gotten all the breaks in life that I got." "Well, surely you worked hard to create your 'luck'." "Yes, Oprah. You're quite right. From winning my first science fair in the 2nd grade to writing this book, I've always had to work very hard to achieve my goals. In a lot of ways, outworking the competition has been one of the keys to my success. "However, Oprah, you must consider -- what if some of my work had not been successful? What if, despite all my hard work, things didn't work out as they did? What if I had not found a publisher for my first book? Or, what if someone else had been Yearbook Editor in high school? In my new book, I explore the concept that the littlest change in my 'timeline' could have changed my entire life. Who knows? I may still be an unknown, with no money or future, if things had turned out differently." The Loyalist shrugged his shoulders, and again, the crowd chuckled. "You're very funny, but seriously," asked Oprah, "isn't that what life's all about? I mean, we never know how things are going to turn out -- so we work hard, do our best, hopefully do what we believe in (which we learned about in your first book, The Loyalist), and things will work out in the end." "Yes, as long as you strive to do what is right, you cannot fail in your endeavors." "And, you get some beautiful women in the process, right, The Loyalist?" "Certainly," answered The Loyalist, smiling again. The audience roared. "Well, when we come back from break, we'll learn more about some of the critical turning points in The Loyalist's life, and how he thinks things might have been different." The producer of the show cued the cameramen. The lights dimmed, and the show was officially on commercial break. "Whew! We don't usually go live anymore, but there's such a demand for you, The Loyalist, that we felt the people deserved a live show from you." "I'm glad to be part of it." "Now, in the next segment, we're going to talk more about your book." "Yes." "I do have a question which can't wait for the next segment." "And what would that be?" "How did you come up with that parallel reality?" "Ha ha." "I'm serious. It's SO realistic. I mean, in Chapter 2, you're alternate self is breaking off a marriage engagement on Thanksgiving...." "Day after Thanksgiving." "Whatever. You know what I mean. To think that she cheated on him, and he had to end it like that...." "Yeah. Pretty rough." "And then, in Chapter 7, a girl breaks up with you AFTER a 75 mile charity bike ride." "That was a tough chapter to write." "And THEN, in Chapter 8, a girl breaks up with you in the middle of a hurricane! I don't know why, but ... the parallel story is so insanely far-fetched that it's .... somehow ... believable. I guess Goebbels was right -- the stranger the fiction, the more believable it is." "Yes, yes. A lot of fans that I've met on the book tour have mentioned how believable the parallel reality is. I must be honest with you -- I don't know where I got those stories from. I've never heard of anybody going through so much trouble. It's almost like it came straight from the ether ... like there's a hidden message in there that people need to know about. I guess that's really what I am -- a conduit for stories." "Fascinating." The producer signalled Oprah. The break was almost over. Then, he began the countdown out loud, "Five, four, three ..." "Okay, The Loyalist -- we'll talk about that again in this segment." "Right." "... two, one ... and we're on!" The music starts playing, and Oprah faces one of the cameras. "Okay! It's great to be back on with one of the greatest writers of our time, and one of the most altruistic men in America, The Loyalist . So, tell me...." |
