a silent maid took the professor’s hat, coat, and scarf , and the butler escorted hm down the hall to mr wilson’s study.
mr wilson was seated alone in an armchair in front of a roaring fire. he rose, drink in hand, when the professor entered the room.
“it was good of you to come, young man,” he smiled at the professor.
“it is good of you to have me, sir,” the professor replied.
“hot chocolate is your beverage of preference, if i recall.”
“a hot chocolate would be very nice ,sir.”
“bring us a pot of hot chocolate, nash, and a plate of muffins and scones.”
“very good, sir.” the butler withdrew and closed the door behind him.
mr wilson pointed to another armchair and the professor perched himself on it.
“a pretty fire, eh?” mr wilson said as they waited for the butler. “i built it myself.”
“it is quite impressive, sir.”
“there is nothing quite so primally satisfying as a good roaring fire on a cold night. wine, women, beefsteaks, power, vengeance - all very well in their way, but nothing beats a good fire.”
“if you say so, sir.”
mr wilson chuckled softly and leaned back in his chair and they waited in silence until the butler brought the hot chocolate and scones and muffins.
when the butler had once again closed the door , mr wilson’s face assumed a graver expression.
“now, to business. i summoned you here because i wanted your perspective on some rapidly developing events - events which, as you may guess, have not made their way into the newspapers and may never do so.”
“yes, sir.”
mr wilson put his fingertips together and stared into the fire. “now, you know - or think you know - if you read the newspapers - what is the newspaper’s name again, that you are employed by?”
“the federal-democrat, sir.”
“of course, the federal-democrat, a so-called left-leaning paper, somewhat partial to the interests of the russian and mongol empires. in any event, the press in all its shades is reporting an increase in tensions between the teutonic federation and the anglo-saxon alliance, with the alliance professing to champion the independence of the small states between the teutons and the russians, eh?”
“quite so, sir, although the russians themselves are taking a detached view, at least for the present. or, at least, so the papers say.”
“exactly. so the papers say. but what do you think?’
“it is hard to imagine that the detachment is anything - anything at all, really. it can hardly even be called a ruse. but i do not think, sir, with all due respect, that you summoned me here to say so.”
mr wilson smiled. “quite so. tell me, do you remember, or since you may be too young to remember, the late mr bryan’s views on the invasion of earth by entities from other planets, which caused so much amusement among his contemporaries.”
“i have read of them, sir, and found them … quite intriguing, at least from the perspective of theory.”
“i thought you might have. now what if i were to tell you…”
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