I realized then that I should find out where my friends, Wes, Lyle, and Camilla were before accepting the post and become an official servant of Makumba.  I didn’t care if Clive knew that I recovered my memory, so I asked him.  “Where are my friends?”

“Don’t worry about them,” said Clive.  “They are well taken care of.”

“If you don’t tell me where my friends are, I reject your job offer.”

He glared at me.  “You don’t need to know.  Now, come to the Reception Hall with me!”

He headed toward the front door to the building.  I had no choice but to follow him.  Two guards in orange uniforms standing on both side of the entrance bowed to us.

In the Reception Hall, I followed Clive to the front stage, glancing around the attendees in colorful clothes.  There were about three hundreds.  As we took our seat in the front row a portly Makumban in a silver hooded coat appeared from the back stage.  The master of ceremonies announced in Makumban that was translated in English.  “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and welcome our leader, Talumon.”  As the attendees gave him standing ovation, Talumon took a chair right in front of us.

“We are here today,” said the MC, “to welcome our new Brumba, as Assistant Chief of Security Department of Makumba.  He’s from Earth to be our friend.”

Liar!  I yelled in my mind.

“His duty is crucial to the security of our planet,” the MC continued.  “Let’s welcome him with standing ovation as he comes to the stage.  Brumba, Marlon Cummings, please come to the stage.”

(from THE SPACE HERMITS)