¡Frandere! (One)

“Without much further ado, but quite possibly some ado... My father.” I was honest. He’ll come onstage fashionably late. He cares about making an entrance. Actually, he devotes his entire life to making entrances.

Eathös stood at my right side, which would be Dad’s left. He won’t see us right away (remember). He’ll look down and wink at his loyal groupies in the front row before acknowledging anyone else in the audience. And he won’t be expecting me. He won’t notice me until his first dramatic pause, which is typically after his second spoken sentence. Anyway, Eathös was speaking.

“How many people does he really ‘have in his pocket’?” he asked, again quoting me. “It looks like there are only a hundred people here.” Oh, but this room is crowded, Eathös. There are 74 seats. One hundred and six in attendance. We’re here standing at the very back of the room.

I pointed all of these things out to him while I thought of them, I think. He understood me, I think. He nodded, at least. But Eathös always nods. Even at things he clearly does not understand. A detrimental habit.

“My dad doesn’t like to see an empty seat before him, so he always tries to choose smaller venues where tickets will more than sell out.” I then pointed up to the ceiling, which was quite immaculate for a ceiling. Not a single visible cobweb, smoke stain… It was shiny, woody. I like this ceiling. Why am I admiring the ceiling?

Apparently, I had been thinking aloud, and Eathös asked me the same question, “Yes, why are you admiring the ceiling?” He chuckled, obviously amused. He must find me so amusing. Him and Ariana both. They are so easily amused. But then he agreed, “This place is very clean, considering the neighborhood it’s in.” Oh, good. Thank you. I looked up again and noticed the reason why I had pointed at the ceiling in the first place.

“See those cameras? He’ll be broadcast to his other hundred million followers. Really, speaking in front of live people is not necessary, but…” Shrug. (I shrugged.) Hmm… I haven’t shrugged in a while. I’m typically a frequent shrugger…

“Ariana?” I looked at Eathös. He was on his comlink. Talking to his girlfriend. Hehe. (He would've glared at me if I had said that out loud.) “Ariana? Do you read me?” He paused for a response, then, “Oh.” He laughed, “Hahaha! I was just about to tell you that!” Another pause. “Seven languages?!” Pause. “Wow, even in Kofan?” Pause. “Uh-huh.” Pause. “Yeah… That’s what Frandere said.” I could hear a laugh on the other end. Eathös laughed, too, “No no, Junior.” Oh, I'm so glad they got that cleared up. I wish they would stop calling me Junior.

After another minute of banter, Eathös said goodbye. He had a smile. The smile that he only has when he talks to her. I wonder if she ever notices that smile. It was easy to guess what they talked about. I spoke my guess, “They’re already watching it, huh?”

“Well, technically, it hasn’t started yet.” (Obviously. Cheese Eathös, you’re obvious.) “Currently, they’re watching two commentators trying to predict what he’s going to announce in his upcoming speech.”

“That’s fine. I hope they’ll see straight through his cunning smile, though. I hope they'll see his true face…” I said that out loud. Damn.

Eathös responded (oh-so prudently), “You and your daddy issues. You know, you wouldn’t have suggested using your father if you didn’t think he was a good man.”

“He’s not a good man. He’s a good politician. And, besides–”

Noise exploded from the audience. He was now walking onstage. My eardrums suddenly felt like they were going to split open... Like peas. Why is everyone screaming? (Oh, look, his figure has improved. He’s definitely lost a few pounds.) His trademark sly grin came across his face like a fox. Sly, fox... Man, I am so clever.

“Here he is!” The announcer was drowned out by the happy screaming people. “The man who needs no introduction… Sir Frandere Thurion!” The crowd went wild-er. They were going to give themselves hernias. Seriously people, calm down. He's not royalty, either. Why the ridiculously unnecessary title?

When he reached the podium, the overjoyed public fell silent. No, they didn’t “fall silent”. “Fall” implies a sharp “drop” or even "tapering off" in noise level. No, this audience was cut into silence. Like they were muted. (No quick hushes or last-minute hoots and whistles, either.) They were ecstatic and very loud one second, and then in the very same second they were completely, utterly… Dead quiet. It was more than a little strange. I couldn’t even hear a single person breathing. Then:

“People of Gallamora… Of Vachi… Of Quirillia… Of Mactcha…” (He was so incredibly relaxed. I would have immediately trusted him if I hadn’t known better.) “…Vatta leos!” The crowd erupted again. Cheese, people, he just said “Good afternoon!”

They ate everything he said. They hung on every word. As a devout cult would. This was a religion. He didn’t have fans... He had sheep.

Frandere Senior! Too bad you don't actually get to see his speech, or even himself for that matter. Obviously, this is from Frandere's POV (Junior's, that is). I may post the actual speech sometime, but out of context, much of its significance would be lost.

This scene takes place in Part 3 of what will be my first book. It is the first and so far only written instance of Frandere's POV, which will be first introduced earlier in Part 3.