Though the royal mantle was attentively placed on the burly shoulders of King Khalid by one of his servants, he was always known to wrap his own turban and trim his beard himself. He took pride in his appearance and felt that only he could get it just right. So, he often stood in front of a mirror for extended periods of time, just observing his image.

Prolonged eye contact was held between he and his reflection as Khalid checked himself over in his periphery and subconscious.

Everything was fine.

His polished loafers were strapped with silver, which hid under his baggy white cashmere pants that hung perfectly fit around his lean waist. The spotless silk achkan, embroidered with golden thread/silicon, was pressed and zipped up to his muscular neck. Brown skin, recently tanned to perfection in artificial light on the Apollyon. His beard, soft, jet-black, and flowing.

Just another day, the King told himself. He made his final adjustments.

“Alright, let’s go!”

He swung the flap of his purple cape to the left and exited his chamber into the banquet hall.

Soft lights, choral music, and the smell of new tobacco smoke. An ocean of conversation from all sides engulfed the senses, obscuring the words and sounds into oblivion. Torches burning with ignited plasmic matter, giving off the demure glow that pervaded the bustling ballroom. The clinking of glasses occurring as frequently as waves hitting the shore.

All tables were filled by then.

No attention was drawn to the King as he made his way through the hundreds of roundtables assembled on the ground level. It was only when he marched up the steps to his own table, that was raised above over the rest, that the noise level began to die down slowly and attention was being drawn to the Monarch.

A select group of people were already sitting at the King’s table, a few retired generals and their wives, an elderly senator, and also Venus, whom he nodded to with a charming grin. He approached his seat and stood over where he was meant to eat and looked out onto his sea of guests. They quieted down significantly at this point, knowing it was routine for Khalid to give some opening words for the banquet.

“Here we are all gathered, far out away from our humble origins on planet earth, each for their own purpose and reason, no matter how big or small, ready to enjoy ourselves in the comforts of carnal consumption with our fellow living, breathing man: but before we totally indulge ourselves this evening, let us bring to mind the men and women who could not make it, who have lost their breath of life and could not reach the heights we have reached. Those lonely souls who have been launched into the great mystery of death, naked as they came into the world they’ve departed. It is because of them and their pain and suffering we are able to be here tonight. And wherever they may be, let us hope they can somehow, in some small way, still share in the pleasures we all will be experiencing in their honor. I thank you for joining me, and hope you all enjoy.”

Khalid raised a glass and lightly hit it with a spoon.

Ting!

The room broke out into an applause and celebration, some clapping passionately, others lifting their glasses, as well as throwing them back. Khalid took a seat in his luxurious master’s chair and scooted himself towards the table. He turned to the dancer who was sitting patiently next to him.

“Well, hello there Miss. Venus.” Khalid said warmly “Might I say, electronic images do not do you justice; you’re even more lovelier in person then I could ever imagine.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Are you enjoying yourself so far?”

“Yes, very much so.”

Khalid continued to look admirably at Venus until he twisted and began greeting the elder senator on his right, an old friend of his.

Venus looked below at the many faces of the crowd, each different and unique in their own way. Some with mouths open, some closed. Hot dishes of food were being rolled out on trolleys by the kitchen staff and they were already distributing plates.

Everyone was served the same dish at Khalid’s dinners, though they were all treated with multiple courses of the highest quality food you can find in outer space.

Venus, however, had to perform later and specifically requested a lite meal consisting of a few slices of toasted bread/olive oil, a sliced pear, and a side of chocolate mousse.

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The others were at first served typical hors d’oeuvres like crackers, goat cheese, fig-olive tapenade, followed by a large helping of vegetable-beef stew and hot cross buns. But then there came out the main dishes beginning with stacks of lamb kabobs, pita bread, feta cheese, yogurt, large turkey legs, hummus which the affluent guests gorged on excessively.

The quantities of food surpassed the numbers of mouths and there was always extras left over.

After the third course had been served, a clean-cut, square jawed man in a nice suit got up on the stage that was off to the side of the banquet hall and began fuddling around with a mic.

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I hope you’re enjoying yourselves so far!” the man announced. “We have some special performances lined up for you all tonight. Allow me to introduce our first act and welcome to the stage: let’s hear it for the infamous house comedian of King Khalid’s court, Mr. Roger Dangles!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

A middle-aged man wearing horned rimmed glasses and a slightly opened jumpsuit got up from a table and marched up to the stage. He had a large metal medallion on his chest.

“Good evening folks, it’s a pleasure being with you here.” Roger Dangles said, while situating the microphone stand out of the way. “And when I say pleasure, I really mean pleasure, considering what some of you are into to.”

Dispersed chuckling was heard.

The comedian began to pace across the stage. Something is dropped inconspicuously.

“Yes, it is an honor to be with you all here tonight, around such nobility, power, prestige; the influences of the world all gathered together in the same room; a fool like me is most definitely out of place!”

He slipped on a banana peel.

The crowd resounded with laughter.

Fat red faces gasped for air between mouthfuls of food as the comedian sat on the stage looking at them with a satisfaction he didn’t bother concealing.

Venus chewed on an olive, looking down at her plate, bored.

He got back up.

“No, no, no, I shouldn’t be here… Yet, here I am! And you, you are watching me, giving me your utmost attention! You could say, you are all in my possession!”

At least half of those who were in attendance were cracking up, dying by then, while most of the others had wide gleeful grins that reflected one another.

He continued, “Even your King, up there, he’s mine too. I own him, well, for the time being at least… I guess that doesn’t make me that much different than some of you after all!”

Venus looked up at Khalid, who had a giddy smile on his face and laughed along with the others.

“Yes… However, there is someone out there who is out of my control, causing a ruckus on this beautiful station, someone who, let’s just say, really does suck, if you know who I am talking about… Yes folks, let’s see if we can bring him to the stage and change all that: Do we have one Jack the Anglo in the audience tonight? Jack the Anglo? Come on up you dumb Angloid! Say it with me folks: JACK THE ANGLO! JACK THE ANGLO! JACK THE ANGLO!”

The crowd did join in, loudly yelling between their bellowing.

“No….? He’s not here? Not even his big chicken friend?” Roger thrusted elbows back and flapped his arms while making heavy clucking noises across the stage. This killed.

“I guess he’s not here… Oh well…. That’s okay; I got a feeling he’ll show up eventually! Especially since his girlfriend is here!” He pointed up to Venus.

She knitted her eyebrows and did not seem happy.

After the crowd began to calm down from their howling the comedian continued.

“Let’s be serious for a second though, folks. All this terrorism, it’s no laughing matter. The king’s men are being picked off, one by one, and that’s no joke. Yeah, this Jack the Anglo guy, he may seem like a common rogue but, I tell you, he’s dangerous, he’s uh– he’s a real life-ruiner. Just look at old Johnny Blathers down there, with his black eye and swollen face” Roger pointed to the mustached man Jack had punched in the face before. “you think his reputation will ever be the same again!?”

At this point, mostly everyone had erupted into hackles and cackles of laughter––besides maybe Venus and the man who was being laughed at, who by then was slightly sunken down into his seat and had an embarrassed goofy grin that he tried to use to fend off the emotional onslaught of hundreds of judging minds, but failed. The portly bearded man next to him patted him on his hunched shoulder.

“So let’s be safe tonight, ladies and gentlemen; appreciate that we’re all on the same side and weren’t born as one of those ghastly angloids. Can you imagine? Being that dumb and selfish? Well, maybe a few of you do…”

The crowd continuously laughed through the entirety of the space comedian’s set. He received a standing ovation as he finished and walked off the stage triumphantly. The next act was then brought up, a solo nu jazz musician from New Congo, who specialized in large, expansive sounds and landscapes with an electric dulcimer and drum machine.

Venus turned to Khalid and whispered.

“Excuse me, sire, the comedian who was just up there–“

“Yes, I know, Roger Dangles, he’s quite good, isn’t he?”

“Well, what I mean, sire, is that– I’m wondering, why would you allow such rude things to be said about you and your guests?”

“Rude? Ha ha– don’t think of it that way, Miss Venus. He was only having fun; that’s what the court’s fool is supposed to do. Yeah, I get it. Most of his jokes aren’t for me either and really don’t understand, but that doesn’t matter. He’s popular with the people and I’m always willing to try my best to make the people happy.”

The Master of dance smiled politely.

“Well if you put it that way–“

“Plus, it’s always good to have ones ears open to negative feedback. In my experience, it’s the most informative of information.”

“Yes, that makes perfect sense. Very wise, might I say” Venus said, wondering just how open Khalid’s ears actually were.