Horsemen
by Roger Ley
The white ambulance pulled
into the hotel car park. A middle-aged man
wearing medical scrubs stepped out, a stethoscope
hung jauntily around his neck. He walked up the
steps and into the hotel, at the reception desk
the Manager looked up and smiled.
“Hello Dr White,”
he said, as he offered him the register. Dr White
filled in his name and address and wrote “Epidemiologist”
in the “occupation” column.
“Your private dining
room is ready Doctor; allow me to show you
through. We’ve provided a TV as you
requested, I hope you enjoy the Inauguration.”
The Doctor sat and waited.
A few minutes later a red Humvee arrived and a
man in a military uniform stepped out and entered
the hotel. He signed himself in and wrote “General,
US Army” in the requisite column. He noticed
the manager’s NRA lapel badge and pointed at
it. He winked, “Hope your dues are all paid
up,” he said.
The Manager smiled, “This
way General,” and showed him into the dining
room.
“Hey there Red,”
said the Doctor. They were obviously pleased to
see each other and after a hug and a handshake,
began talking of old times. The Manager left them
to their banter.
Soon a grey van arrived.
The driver wore a lab coat and, he signed himself
in as “Professor Grey, Crop Scientist.”
The manager showed him through to the dining room
and returned to his desk, just as a hearse pulled
into the car park. A tall, slender man in a black
suit got out and placed a top hat on his head, it
had a piece of black silk wrapped around it which
trailed down his back. He walked up the steps,
smiled thinly at the manager and wrote, “Mr
Black, Undertaker” in the register. The
manager showed him through to the dining room.
The four friends ate a
hearty meal and watched the Presidential
Inauguration. They proposed toasts with fine
Californian wines and talked animatedly, joking
about who had contributed the most to the
election fund. They reached the brandy and cigars
stage as the new President started his inaugural
address. The four men grinned and nodded at each
other as he made his promises for the future.
Finally, the speech ended,
Doctor White stood up. “Let’s hope that
this is it,” he said, ‘The Last Trump.’
” He walked towards the exit. The other
three stood up and pushed back their chairs. War,
Famine and Death followed Pestilence out to the
car park and on to their new jobs in Washington.
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