The Late Unpleasantness

Four / Dream Interpreter

By Jo Dora Webster

How will Belinda survive being called upon to interpret dreams again?

Four / Dream Interpreter

Belinda was again called into the Oval Office because President Bishop Norman Bush had another dream and this one was a doozy. Unlike the one about the robot, Norman could remember the dream. Norman had told it to all his scientific advisors but none of them could tell him what the dream meant even when he told them about the dream. Last of all Norman called in Belinda Bush to tell her the dream.

Norman started telling Belinda the dream, "There was at the center of the US in Kansas a tree which had grown so tall it was a navigation hazard to aircraft. It's branches reached out great and strong so that the tree was capable of being seen over the whole US. It was an apple tree and it supplied enough fruit to feed the population of the US. It had grown so large that it was beginning to even cause a hazard for the Commercial Space Station in low earth orbit."

"An astronaut climbed down the tree and announced to the whole US, 'We need to cut down this tree, take off it's branches, strip its foliage, scatter its fruit. Leave it's stump and roots in the ground. There is a man found under the tree. Let him be turned out into the fields having his mind becoming an animal's mind. Seven times will elapse.' Now that was the dream, Belinda. You can think about it then tell me what it means."

As The One revealed the interpretation to the dream, Belinda was so horrified that the horror that she felt showed on her face. The last dream had been very complimentary of President Bishop Norman Bush. This one struck against him personally. Norman could tell that Belinda was horrified but he had to know the answer .

"Belinda, I can tell that the interpretation horrified you. I just have to know what the dream means especially if it is bad news."

"President Bishop Bush, I wish that your dream was about your enemies but it is not. The dream is about you. You are the tree that reached the Space Station that fed and protected all of America. You are the man whose mind was changed to an animal's mind and was left out in the fields. You are the tree that was cut down but the stump and roots were left. The One will punish you for usurping the worship of The One by the people and having the people worship you instead. But this punishment can be put off if you will atone for your pride and allow worship of The One to be the only religion in the US instead of worshiping you.

A year had passed and President Bishop Norman Bush was still filled with pride and still declared that the people worship him as the national religion. Then Norman heard the voice of The One.

"Norman, the punishment that Belinda told you about is happening now!

Immediately, Norman lost his sentience and became like an animal and he ran out into the fields and lived outside like an animal. Belinda and her friends had covered for Norman. This punishment lasted for seven days.

The time elapsed and Norman was again in his right mind but he still remembered what it was like to live like an animal with his reason stripped from him. When Norman had recovered they reinstalled him as President Norman Bush. Norman first said a prayer to The One that renounced his pride. He renounced the people worshiping him as the national religion. For the rest of his term as President he allowed people to worship The One.

"I, President Norman Bush, do solemnly swear that I praise the name of The One, who is True and Just. The One is able to bring low those who are filled with pride."

President Bush served with distinction after he was reinstalled in office, but he died in office. The President's son had been installed as Vice President. And so Vice President Bishop Brandon Bush became President of the United States.