When Casey arrived at his office he decided to send a request down to research and see if he could get some info on the Taj. He’d seen pictures before but never really looked at them. Now was the time for a closer look. Maybe he could see what the fuss was about.

This wasn’t the type of thing that his research department normally spent time on. Casey was a little curious what they’d think when they saw this memo. The looks on their faces would be interesting. Probably thought he was going mad or something.

A new thought struck him. What if they sent him a complete detailed report on that thing in New Jersey! He leaned back and let out a short laugh. The last thing he wanted to do was making something cheap looking.

He still didn’t want to make a palace though either. His sensibilities wouldn’t allow that. Ok, so it would be something polished and glittery. That was ok, he guessed. As long as it didn’t feel like he was throwing his status in anybody’s face.

He felt a little jealous of that old king. A tomb would be perfect. It had built in dignity. There was only one problem, but it was a fairly big one. Casey had no one to bury. He smiled at that. If only all of his problems were so pleasant.

Any word from Judith? A message. Maybe there was a breakthrough? No, she and Brent were heading to Chicago for some kind of architectural study. He hoped it was more fruitful than the last time. Well, he didn’t begrudge some trivial expense in the name of research.

His mood had improved. The talk with Naveep seemed to have done the trick. Something about the Taj really rang a bell. There was an idea, finally just off the tip of his mind.

He’d been a fool to not look at what was already out there. The world was full of readily accredited Wonders. They should serve as his guide. His years at the company had already taught him that improvement was often better than outright innovation.

Not that he would just go out and copy something. That would never do. Especially with something as recognizable as the Taj Mahal. He would build something new but in a similar spirit to those ancient Wonders.

He caught a glimpse of steel and glass. Something modern but with a very classic feel. He could almost picture…something. This feeling was both frustrating and exciting. There was a monumental discovery to be made. Something big would be decided. Not only that, it would be created.

He pulled up some pictures of the Taj through his office computer. It really was a beautiful place. Impossibly big, almost like someone’s mad fantasy come to life. The eye was drawn to the large dome. It seemed big enough to cover…something. The thought wouldn’t come to him.

All that and it was a tomb. Imagine creating something like that for your wife. He loved Judith, he really did, but if her plane went down on the way to Chicago he’d never dream of creating something like this for her. The king’s wife must have been a very special woman.

Was the actual tomb right under that big dome? Probably. The thought finally landed for him. That’s what it was big enough to cover! It covered an entire life.

Casey was surprised to notice that he’d stood up and was crouched over looking at the computer. He looked around guiltily to see if he’d been noticed. No, it didn’t look like it. At least he’d been spared that embarrassment. A quick smile and then he sat down again.

He didn’t have the full picture yet but he knew that it would include a dome. Maybe one made entirely out of glass. At least it would be good enough if it looked like it was just glass. How big could he go with that? Casey suddenly wondered if the island was big enough after all.

He needed to call someone and talk with them about this. Let’s see, probably his wife should be first. He’d try her cell phone first. No answer. They might be in the air. He left a voicemail.

On second thought, her flight should have landed hours ago. He looked for the message she’d sent to see if her hotel was listed. Yes it was, along with the phone number. A quick buzz to his secretary followed. He asked her to contact the hotel and get him in touch with his wife.

Back to the project while he waited. What other domes were out there? He didn’t want to avoid copying this one and end up with someone else’s. The Capitol building of course. Several of them if his memory was right. Most of them had a central spire at the top. He’d try to avoid that.

His secretary buzzed. His wife had checked in but wasn’t in her room currently. Casey thanked her and let the matter go. She must be out studying already. He would talk to someone else from creative. This idea can’t just wither away!

Out came a notepad and he started jotting things down. As soon as his ideas were in writing he felt much better. This would make it happen. He didn’t even know what the full shape would be but this was the first step.

Back on shore he switched over to his car. His driver, Naveep had seen the helicopter land and started the car. Casey got in the back and prepared for the ride home. Some days he wanted news from the radio, others he wanted quiet to collect his thoughts. Most days he chatted with his driver. He felt like this kept some contact with the regular world.

“Naveep, have you ever seen a Wonder of the World?”

“Yes, sir. When I was a boy I visited the Taj Mahal several times.”

“Really?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I hear it’s very nice.”

“Oh, yes, sir. It’s very beautiful.”

“Yes, I suppose. I’ve always meant to go to India. One of these days I’ll go over there and visit.”

“Very good, sir. May I suggest that you go during one of the cooler months.”

“That sounds very practical. Say, do a lot of Indians visit the Taj?”

“Yes, very many. It’s a part of our culture.”

“That makes sense.” A long pause. “Isn’t there…resentment about it? I mean there is so much poverty there and you have this enormous…palace there. Don’t people think the money could be better spent?”
”Well, it isn’t really a palace. It’s a tomb.”

“Really? A place to bury people?”

“One person. A wealthy king was distraught over the death of one of his wives. He built her the most magnificent tomb in the entire world.”

“Wow. What a waste.”

“I suppose it might seem that way, but if he hadn’t built it, the world would be robbed of it’s beauty.”

This was a new thought to Casey. “So it’s better that he spent a fortune on a dead woman rather than feeding starving subjects?”

“I don’t know the answer to that, sir.” Naveep sounded like he was trying to crawl into his shell.

“I didn’t mean to sound like I was accusing you of something. It’s just that…well, you know what we’re doing up here. I’m trying to decide what to build and I’m not getting any clear answers. Let me ask you something. If you could take a time machine back a thousand years and talk to this king, would you tell him to go ahead and build it or should he spend his money on his people?”

“That is a tough question.”

“I know it is, but please, take a swing at it.”

“Ok. I think I would tell him to go ahead and build it. He took his money and built something that would be admired forever. If he’d spent more on his people he might be remembered as a good man. That is a good thing in itself but by building it he has enriched many generations.”

“That’s a good point. It’s very beautiful?”

“Oh, yes sir. Very.”

“I’ll have to study up on it. It sounds very impressive.”

“Sir? If I may? You asked if the poor people resent the wealth of it. I can’t speak for everyone but I never did. It’s always more fun to look at riches and imagine them for yourself than it is to look at poverty and do the same.”

“So I should make something big and impressive?”

“I should think so. That’s what I would want to come and see.”

“Thank you, Naveep. You’ve given me lots of things to think about.”

Casey

The helicopter hovered near the hole in the lake. That’s what it looked like. As if someone had removed that puzzle piece from the picture. Casey knew that the explanation behind it was more complicated than that. He’d seen a lot of the work, more than he’d ever thought he would have.

He had watched as they put in pilings and built up a wall. Then the very loud pumps came and moved most of the water out. Then the barges heaping with dredging leftovers and other earth. What had been just another piece of the lake was now an island.

There had been quite a bit of debate over the shape of it. In his mind it had always been a perfect circle but in the end it was much easier to use the natural shape of the land. There was a kind of underwater plateau that they followed. It was more irregular but maybe a bit more natural because of it.

The three natural islands were the backbone of the entire thing and you could still pick them out very easily. The rest of the ground just looked too…new. Landscaping would help but they didn’t want to do that until they’d built the Wonder.

That’s where they were stuck. Casey had given that part of the project to his wife, Lydia. She had been paired with the newest hot thing out of the creative department, some young guy named Brent. There had been meetings and presentations and loads of studying but no firm project. It was irritating.

He really thought they should circle back to his original idea. They should build something socially responsible. The worst thing would be if they made some kind of rich man’s playground. The people would hate him for that.

He really wanted something that would celebrate the simple life. The masses would flock to see that. Especially if they knew that they were helping to send all that money to worthy causes. Casey felt proud of himself. You really can do some good if you’re wealthy.

There was only one problem with his idea. He didn’t know what to build that would be any kind of ‘celebration of the simple life’. Should they make a tenement scene? Or maybe some kind of native village? That didn’t seem, well, big enough for what they were doing.

This idea just wouldn’t come for him. Well, that’s what he was paying the other people to do. He’d already thought of making a new island. He’d done his part.

Casey signaled the pilot to land. It was funny in a way, the whole project had been so lucky so far. All of the government groups quickly gave their approval. The nearby small towns all seemed happy with what was going on. He could almost see the dollar signs in their eyes!

There had been one small blemish. Environmental groups protested. They said that they were defacing Saginaw bay. There was picketing and some signs but nothing serious. The construction crews just walked on by smiling. Casey called a quiet meeting with the heads of some of the larger groups and explained that he had taken the utmost care to preserve what he could. He then reminded them of the donations he’d made in the past and would again in the future. The protests quieted and disappeared.

Everything had gone very well. His name had become famous across the state. There was some talk that he’d make a good governor once the current lady stepped down. He was flattered but didn’t take it too seriously.

It didn’t pay to worry too much. A good idea would turn up soon. A good enough one anyway.

The screen was blotchy with green and black with frightening pockmarks of white and violet. Worst of all, it was loading slowly. Sam shook his head again, it never failed. His first real vacation in years and all hell breaks loose back home.

His boat was calm, the water almost like glass. It should have been difficult to match the weather back home with the very placid setting he was in but he’d grown up on those plains. He knew what it was like when the sky kept getting impossibly darker and it looked like God himself would step down from heaven and start smiting things.

His beeper had gone off about an hour ago. He had left a list of reasons to contact him and possible tornadoes had been at the very top. With the aid of his laptop and a satellite connection, he was soon fully in the loop. The speaker in his ear tried to reassure him that no one could know where a twister would land, so they didn’t know if there was any danger.

The uncertainty didn’t help Sam at all. He could only watch the screen and listen for more details. They were doing the real work back home.

At the first warning of severe weather they cleared The Tower. The ramps were both set to go downwards and most people just walked their way down. The elevators did their bit, helping as much as they could. This had been practiced and drilled for and employee response had been very good.

Not long after the top level had been cleared, Sam guessed that Aeolid would come out to scan the skies for himself. What he’d be looking for was anyone’s guess. Well, the looking probably wasn’t as important as the listening. Or maybe it was the speaking that made the difference.

Sam gave up. He had no idea how he’d do it. He only knew that he’d entrusted his Tower to random fate and the skills of this young man.

The screen refreshed again. Like most of the really violent storms, this one was very fast moving. The good news was that it would be over soon. He wondered how up to date the pictures were. Why hadn’t he ever asked that question before?

The picture on his laptop had an ‘X’ to mark The Tower. The dark green had been brushing up against it before. Now there was a white blotch right over it. Sam’s heart jumped into his throat. Was he watching it all being destroyed? He furiously stabbed at the refresh button.

Back into the green. The speaker again, it looked like the leading edge had gone past without any bad news. There was hail and quite a bit of water but nothing damaging. They’d keep an eye out for awhile but it all looked good. Sam suddenly realized that he’d been holding his breath.

This had been the first real test of his ‘insurance policy’. It looked like everything was ok. The storm had been sung off course or something like that. He took another look around him. It was beautiful and calm. There was smooth sailing ahead.

The first thing to do was to get his security in the loop. They needed to know that this young man was up there. More importantly, they needed to know that it was ok that he was up there. That would take some doing but Sam held a pretty strong trump card. It was his Tower and he could damn well do whatever he wanted to with it. If that meant allowing hermits to take up residence, then so be it.

Sam chewed on the word ‘hermit’ for a minute and didn’t like it. Not one bit. It made Aeolid sound like some medieval monk. Who was it that lived on top of a column and wouldn’t even brush the lice away? It didn’t really matter. The important thing was to keep this quiet.

That meant limiting the number of people that knew. Security obviously would have to know. He should probably tell engineering so that they could make certain he wasn’t damaging anything. Maybe they could even rig him a better spot to sleep.

What else? Oh, since he’d thought about it, maybe Sam should see about getting a barber up there some night to trim the poor guy. Would it be possible to rig some kind of shower for him, too? Another mental note to talk to engineering.

Let’s see, he should probably give him some staples of some kind. Did the young man need blankets? Clothes? Books?

Sam suddenly remembered that he’d caught him when he was using the internet. He’d have to have a word with the lady who ran the café. They could arrange something where Aeolid could use her products at night. Reimbursement would be a simple matter.

Should he tell the other shop owners? He couldn’t think of a good reason why he would have to, but it was something to keep in mind.

That made at least half a dozen people that would know what was going. More likely ten. Was there any way of keeping this quiet? ‘Wealthy man goes crazy’ is an attractive headline and one he’d like to avoid if possible.

Sam leaned against the elevator wall and sighed. What was he doing taking on this kind of problem. And at this age! Still, he chuckled to himself, when was the last time he felt this alive?

It was a good question but one he knew the answer to immediately. The last time he felt this energetic and young was when they finally finished The Tower and he was able to go to the top. That had been a magical day and this felt like the same brand of magic. Imagine, he’d somehow found a young man who could actually talk to the wind. Life does throw some crazy things at you once in a while.

Sam suddenly remembered his trip up earlier that night. He’d been thinking about primitive man finding magic out of the purely natural. The joke was now on him, he had insisted on nature and almost missed out on the magic.

First things first. He could round up a blanket and some clothes without any problem. The head of security would know how to stay silent. He’d better or he’d be looking for a new job. Keeping their bosses secrets was an ancient role for protectors. That’s where he’d start tomorrow. Sam now had a checklist in his head and he felt much better.

Sam looked at the elevator controls. A full day had passed and he’d thought and thought about what to do with Aeolid. Every rational fiber in him knew that he should kick him out. He knew where the boy stayed. Security could roust him in just a few minutes. He’d be well within his rights. As the owner of the tower, he might be well within his responsibility as well.

But…he seemed to understand a part of the madness that made the whole thing work. The Tower had been built because an old man wanted to look at the clouds from up above. It made sense that someone else would have some similar silly reason to want to stay there. ‘Communing’ with the wind fit that category perfectly.

He had doubts about that, though. Everyone has heard the wind roar and shriek before. More accurately they’ve heard the sound it makes as it moves past other things. Sam remembered back to a house he’d lived in when he was younger. If it was windy and the angle hit the front door just right it made an awful noise. It sounded like a cross between a car alarm and a duck. If you weren’t ready, it was one of the most frightening things you could ever hear as a homeowner. Put one in mind of an air raid siren.

But it didn’t mean anything. There was no connection to bombings or haunted waterfowl. It only meant that the angle was just right, or that the door had a certain peculiar gap. Nothing more.

It’s human nature to try and put meaning and motivation towards random things that happen in life. This phenomenon had a long history. Sam suspected that the earliest religions were all based on this very thing. It was natural but not very pretty and he really didn’t think he should encourage more of it.

It was obvious what had happened with this young man. Sometime in his youth he’d heard the wind some night and decided that it’s similarity to actual human sounds meant that it was trying to talk to him. All that he needed was a too open mind and the gullibility of youth and suddenly he was communicating with it. From there to actual worship was a single step and a small one at that.

Still…there was something of a kindred spirit thing happening here too. Aeolid really had understood what he was talking about last night. Turning his back on that would be an easy thing to do, but would it be right?

There was also a small part of him that wondered if the boy could possibly be right. There was a chance, admittedly a small one, that he really was providing tornado insurance. It’s not like the cost of his stay was high. Sam chuckled at that.

Could he really allow Aeolid to stay up there just in case he actually had some power over the wind? If he did, it would certainly be useful. But he didn’t, did he. No one did.

With a small bump the elevator arrived at the top. The door slowly opened and Sam carefully stepped out. No one was in sight. Funny, he’d been up here late at night many times and never worried about anything. Now that he knew there was someone else living up here, it was no longer private. It seemed dangerous somehow. He shook the thought off. He’d spent plenty of time with him last night and was never threatened.

“Hello?” No answer. He walked out to the wide open deck so that he could see anyone approaching him. A quick thought and he positioned himself with the moon at his back so he could see more clearly. “Aeolid?” Still nothing. The boy couldn’t have left, could he? Sam suddenly had a vision of himself going into the machine room to try and find him. No, he’d go back down for help before he’d do that.

Then the door to the bathroom opened, spilling light across the flooring. A ‘click’ and it went back to darkness. “Aeolid?”

“Yes. Sorry, didn’t know you were up here. Just finishing up washing.”

“Oh.” Sam felt deeply embarrassed.

“Did you think about it?”

“Of course.”

“And?”

“Well, before I say anything let me ask you a few more questions. Did you think of any way to prove this interaction with the wind thing?”

Aeolid hesitated. Being asked to prove your religion is never an easy thing. “We have discussed this today and we think we know how to prove it. Tonight is a gusty night,” and with this he gestured towards the sky. “If I can tell you when the gusts are going to come, will you believe us?”

Sam paused for a moment. This seemed like a reasonable request but he wanted to test something himself before committing. He wanted to see if it was easy to do. He concentrated and a sudden wind caught him by surprise. No, it wasn’t something simple.

“Yes, that would help me out quite a bit.”

Aeolid closed his eyes and raised his head slightly. He brought his arms up, like he was going to start conducting. “Ok, coming one…two…three…” and a breeze sprung up. “And ending …two…three,” and it died down. “And another one…two….three,” and it was there again. “And intensifying…and dying down.”

Sam felt like he was swimming in some invisible ocean. He became aware of currents that he never suspected before. He’d thought of the young man as a conductor and now he wondered if that wasn’t true. It felt like this was being controlled somehow. The two of them swayed slightly in the wind.

After some time passed, Aeolid opened his eyes and dropped his hands. “Well? Did you feel that? They think you did.”

Sam was faintly embarrassed by the whole thing but he had to admit that there was something there. “That was…incredible. Still. I need more before I can let you stay here.” Time to switch tracks. “You’ve said that you can communicate with the wind, that it talks to you.”

“Yes, it does.”

“Ok, then I have a question for you to ask it. Will it answer a question for me?”
The young man thought about it for a moment and then said, “I can at least ask them.”

“Fair enough. Today we learned that one of our windmills here isn’t operating at peak efficiency. It seems to be dragging when it should spin. I want to know if the wind can tell which one it is.”

Even in the dark, Sam could see Aeolid smile. “I will listen for their answer.” They stood there for a moment, the older man watching the younger one. Finally he answered, “They say that it’s harder to dance with…that one” and he pointed.

Sam was faintly amazed. That was the right answer.

“They also say that there is another that is giving them some difficulty. Nothing too hard, but it is also slow to dance. It’s over here.” And he began to walk to the other side of The Tower. When the were about two thirds around he stopped and pointed at a different windmill. “Is that right, too?”

After some quick mental calculations, Sam decided that it probably was. There had been a second windmill that had been slow today. Not badly enough to warrant anything but attention but this young man had been able to pick it out.

“That is right.”

“And?”

Sam was a little stunned. “Ok, I don’t know how it works but I believe you. You really must be talking with the wind.”

“So I can stay?”

“I… Is there really going to be a tornado?”

“Oh, yes. They aren’t certain when but it will come.”

“And you can keep it from coming right here?”

“They tell me that I can.”

“Ok, then. You can stay.”

The young man hesitated again. He clearly thought this was some kind of trap. “My name is…Aeolid.”

“Excuse me?”

“Aeolid. Ay-ee-oh-lid. It means I’m a follower of Aeolus, the wind god.”

“There’s a wind god, too?”

“No. Or at least not one that I’ve ever met. And I guess that the wind hasn’t ever mentioned him either. It just seemed to fit.”

“Oh.”

“You see, I’ve come to worship the wind. That’s why I’m here. Here in this shrine.”

“Shrine?”

“Yes! You’ve used the wind to make this Tower.” He pointed towards the windmills. “The wind has helped you and they don’t feel bad about it. In fact, they like this place because it gives them a place to dance and sing.”

Back to this again. “Yes, so you tell me. But let’s not lose the question I asked you. Where do you stay up here?”

Aeolid looked sheepish. “Up there.” He pointed towards the tower that housed the elevator equipment and the North Star. “Come, I’ll show you,” and he walked over towards one of the equipment doors. A few quick movements and the locked door sprung open. He ducked inside.

This was a moment of truth for Sam. Should he follow this strange young man into the darkness? The boy seemed utterly at home up here and the danger was obvious. Wait a minute, here was the light switch. Everything was lit up and the danger seemed to retreat.

Up some steps they went. Then through another door and they were near the elevator housings. Aeolid pointed upwards and then jumped up and grabbed a bar. A quick swing and he disappeared somewhere up above. Sam wasn’t sure what to do until his face peered down at him. There was some kind of ledge up there. There was no way that an older man could possibly have followed him up there. Another swing and a drop and the boy was back down.

“Very clever, but there can’t be much room up there.”

“No, not very much but enough for my needs.”

“Don’t the techs ever go up there?”

“Only for the maintenance and I know their schedule better than they do.”

“And then you find some other place to hide?”

“Yes. There are several places. That’s the only one with enough room to sleep in though.”

“I see. Doesn’t it get noisy up here?”

“Not too badly.”

“And during the thunderstorms?”

“Oh. I use the stone for that.”

“The stone?”

“Yes. With all of the wires.”

That explained it. The equipment for the North Star was very sensitive and there had been some fear that lightning would hurt it. They had made a ceramic housing to put it in. The boy must mean somehow use that for shelter.

“And no one has ever seen you up here?”

“Never. I’m certain of that.”

“What about food?”

“Well, I’m not proud of this but the wind always provides for me.”

“How does it do that?”

“It…leaves extra food in the garbage for me.”

“Oh. And what happens if we clear the garbage at night?”

“I get by. I’ve been up here for six months and I haven’t starved, have I?”

Sam had to admit that much. Water was easy, it was readily available in the bathroom sinks. He supposed that he must wash himself there too. The six months thing was a pretty strong argument. Whatever safety hazard he could think of the boy could just respond that he’d gotten through it before.

“What about winter?”

“It was very cold when I first stayed. Some of the machines give off heat. I’m confident that I can stay up here all year round.”

“I’m still not sure it’s a good idea.”

“I can help you!”

“Yes, you said something about that before. How can you help me?”

The boy looked somber. He appeared to be thinking. Sam wondered if he was stalling until an idea came. Finally he spoke.

“There will be a time of great wind. A tornado. It will destroy your Tower if it can. I can prevent that from happening.”

That was pretty much the greatest risk that this Tower ran. There were tornadoes through here every so often. There was nothing that could really be done about it. Sam had insurance and that would just have to do. Other structures ran the same risk. At least he didn’t have to worry about the force that killed most of the original Wonders, earthquakes. In fact, his Tower was relatively fireproof too. But a good tornado, that could destroy it.

“Wait a minute. You know when this tornado will come?”

“Well, no, I don’t know. I’ve heard whispers of it but they are not certain.”

This seemed like bluffing but Sam didn’t know what he could do about it. “Will you…be more certain when the time comes?”

“Oh, yes! They can’t help but talk about these types of things when they happen. Nothing is more exciting to the wind!”

“Ok. And you said you could help me when it happens?”

“Yes. I certainly can and I’m the only one that can. Every night I sit here and commune with the wind. They have accepted me and they recognize the honor that I give them. They will turn aside the tornado rather than let it harm me.”

This was quite a bit to swallow. Probably too much. Still the earnestness in the young man’s eyes were hard to deny. Maybe he should sleep on it.

“Aeolid. Did I get it right?”

“Yes.”

“I will…have to think about this. I didn’t expect anything like this to happen when I built The Tower.”

“Yes, I understand but I really want to know this. Why did you build it?”

Sam had gotten this question many times since the plans were unveiled. He had dodged it every time. His favorite answer being a play off the Everest thing, “because it will be there”. The truth was complicated and he was a little embarrassed by it.

There had been playful suggestions that it had been built as sheer compensation for…other things. Others said it was merely vanity. That old poem about Ozymandias had been brought up time and time again. He even had accusations about the Tower of Babel thrown at him. Here in an age of satellite communications, he was accused of trying to reach the heavens. The absurdity of it all amused him.

He decided that here in the middle of the night with some crazy vagabond he could afford to tell the truth once and for all.

“Why did I build it? It’s simple. I missed the mountains.” He looked for recognition but Aeolid only looked more intently at him. “Do you know, when you get up there above the clouds, there is a special coolness. There is a very wet cold feeling. It has a special bite to it that makes you feel very alive. That’s why I built this place. So I could come up here and touch the clouds.”

The young man slowly grinned at him and then clapped him on the shoulder. “I think you do understand me. I can see why the wind likes you so much.”

“The wind likes me? Well, that is nice to know. You can tell them that I like them too.” Their madness seemed to match for a moment and Sam felt like it would be very difficult indeed to kick him out now.

“Ok, I’ll think about it. Now it’s time for me to go home and sleep in my own bed.” A thought occurred to him. He would never in a million years have guessed that he’d be asking this question to the intruder. “I have a spare bedroom. I could put you up for the night.”

“No!”, Aeolid almost shouted at him. “It’s just… That’s a very kind offer but you have to understand. I cannot leave here. The wind would know and it might reject me.”

That seemed to make as much sense as anything else had that night. “Do as you wish then. I’ll meet you up here again, tomorrow.”

A note of fright. “Will you be alone?”

Sam recognized that this was a moment of truth. He gave it one long hard thought and then answered, “Yes. I’ll be alone.”

And with that he got in the elevator and departed.

He didn’t need to worry as they stopped well short. The man pointed into the gloom and Sam could see the moonlight glinting off of the windmills. It was beautiful in its way.

“Do you see that?”

“The windmills?”

“Yes. They dance with the wind. They dance in the moon. The wind and the moon dance together.”

Sam didn’t understand any of this but he thought his best chance was to agree with him. “Yes. I never really thought of it like that before.” Pause. “Do you like to watch them at night?”

“Of course. It’s very beautiful. I prefer it when they sing though.”

“Yes, of course.”

“You can hear that then?”

“Well, I mean yes, I hear the wind when it blows.”

“But do you hear it, or do you hear it sing?”
Time to admit the truth. ”I don’t really know what you mean.”

The young man’s shoulders sagged. There had been hope in his voice but all that hope had been dashed. Sam got a sense of immense loneliness.

“Maybe you could explain it to me.”

That didn’t really help at all. “I’ll try but…it seems as if I’m the only one. The only one they talk to.”

“Who?”

“Isn’t it obvious? The wind!”

Sam paused while letting this sink in. “The…wind talks to you?”

Bitterly, “Yes.”

“And what does it say?”

That brought him up short. “It depends. They often talk about their joy of freedom. They sing of it!”

“I guess that makes sense.” Sam was worried that the young man wasn’t all there. He started to wonder if he was dangerous. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to order security to let him handle everything.

“You don’t believe me do you? Just because something is new or different you can’t believe in it!” The moonlight showed two tracks of tears down his face.

“Look, you seem like a good young man so of course I want to believe you. It’s just that I’ve learned to distrust out of the ordinary things. That’s just the way I am. You shouldn’t take it personally.”

“Don’t take it personally? You’re calling me crazy!”

“No. No, I’m not. I just think that you’ve had some experiences that are completely different than anything I’ve ever had. I prefer to go it a little slowly in the belief section.”

Sam hoped that the young man would be mollified by that. It seemed to help a little but not very much.

“You’ll never believe me will you? Especially when I can help you?”

“I wouldn’t say ‘never’. I’m an open minded person. I don’t suppose there is any way to prove this to me, is there?”

“I…don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.”

“Fine. Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll let you think about it and see if there is any way to help me hear the wind as you do.”

That definitely helped. The subject was completely set aside for the moment. There were other important and obvious things that still needed to be hammered out. After the silence dragged on for a moment, Sam continued.

“So…you live up here then?”

The boys guard immediately came back up. “Yes. You’re not going to force me out are you? This is where I can hear them the best! Nowhere else has such…communion!”

“Well, I certainly don’t want to force you down but I have a bigger picture to think of here. I can’t have you lurking about scaring the tourists, can I?”

“I’d never do that! I’ve been up here almost six months and no one else has ever seen me. I can keep doing that forever if I have to!”

“Maybe that’s true. It’s not safe though. What would you do if a thunderstorm came through? In fact, what do you do?”

“I know a safe place. It does tickle when the lightning strikes though. Are you really going to kick me out? Are you going to send me into exile?”

Sam knew that this was the smart thing to do. He just didn’t want to be the bad guy here. How could he tell him that he had to go? This obviously meant so much to him. Maybe he should find out more about where he’d been living. Maybe something would give him an ironclad reason to oust him.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to let you stay up here. Maybe you should tell me more about your living arrangements. Tell me why you’re safe up here and out of the way. Convince me.” That put the ball back in the other court very nicely. “Actually, before you tell me anything else, how about telling me your name?”

He quietly approached the door with his small bit of metal. His ears were tuned to the slightest noise. He knew that they were after him but he had eluded them so far and was confident that he could continue to. He stopped suddenly. Was that someone? A long wait and he didn’t move a muscle. No, just the wind. He smiled and continued on.

The door was simple to open by now. He’d done so enough times that he could almost do it in his sleep. A simple shift and a pop and it was open. Another pause while he listened to see if this small noise brought about any change. Nothing.

He lived a tough life and this was the one luxury that he afforded himself. To be able to relax and catch up with the outside world. A quick note to his family to let them know that everything was ok.

He went to ‘his’ computer and sat down. A quick fleeting bit of guilt shot through him but he reminded himself that the owner’s internet bill would be the same whether he was doing this or not. Yes, he was using some power but it was a drop in the bucket. He’d love to compensate her with the change he’d been collecting but announcing his presence that loudly wasn’t smart.

Nothing new from his family. A few emails of small talk and again his mother wanted to know when he was coming home. Some brief replies and then onto the newspapers.

And then a noise from behind him. A chair moved! He spun around and crouched ready to meet his attacker. It was just an older man sitting in a chair.

“Easy, son,” said Sam. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to know why you’re up here.”

He’d been found! It was all over. Had he been careless? What mistakes had he made? His mind raced and raced but it couldn’t seem solid ground anywhere. He took a step toward the door.

“There’s no reason to run. And besides, now that we know that you’re up here, we’ll be certain to find you.” The young man’s shoulders slumped a bit. “Have a seat and talk with me.” The man just stood there, looking at him. “You do speak English, don’t you? Should I try a different language?”

Finally, he spoke, “Yes, I speak English.”

“Ah, wonderful!” Sam again motioned for him to have a seat. “Please, I really just want to talk.”

“You’re not going to take me away?”

“Well, I don’t really want to. Don’t think that I can have you haunting my Tower though. Can you tell me why you’re here?”

The young man dropped his eyes and stared at his feet for a moment. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“You’d be surprised, maybe. I can understand quite a bit. My name is Sam, by the way. Yours?”

“Sam? The…builder of this place?”

“Yes. You’re standing on my Tower. Probably living in it if I’m not mistaken.”

“Then maybe you will understand. You built this place. You must know.”

“Know what?”

The young man looked at him with suspicion in his eyes. “You really don’t know? Was it all an accident then?”
”I really don’t know what you’re talking about. Can you give me a hint?”

“You’re…an unbeliever then.” The hurt in his eyes stabbed at Sam.

“I believe in lots of things but I don’t know what you’re referring to just now.”

The young man was defiant. He stood up straight and the pride of knowledge filled him. Then he glanced over his shoulder, out the window and to the sky. Sam followed his gaze but didn’t see anything. Finally the man said to him, “Come with me.”

Sam agreed and they went outside. The Tower had been designed so that the elevators would be on the north side of the tower. The shops and arcade stretched to the center. Over all of this was the roof that housed the electronics and the elevator equipment. Surrounding this was a wide space, open to the wind. Sam designed this to give the fullest range of vision for the star parties. Now he was led out into this and towards the rail. Sam decided that whatever happened, he wouldn’t get between this unpredictable stranger and the side.

The trouble started, as it often does, with the internet. Or in this case the internet café on the top level. One morning the staff opened it up and found that one of the computers had been left on. This was a curiosity but nothing to be alarmed about.

A few days later it was on again. And then the next three days running. Nothing else had been taken and the door was still locked. The only thing out of place was a single monitor glowing by itself.

A search of the history showed some browsing through newspapers and a free email site. There were no clues as to who had used it. The staff started to whisper about a ghost. Maybe someone had been killed during construction and now he was doomed to stay with the tower for eternity. There was ghoulish speculation about who he could be emailing. Just imagine logging on in the morning and getting a message from the grave!

The manager was a tough lady and she didn’t think for one moment that anything supernatural was happening. She quietly rigged a security cam to watch her store overnight. She’d catch this ‘ghost’.

The next morning the monitor was on again. She quietly took the camera and watched the film. It showed a slight young man approach the door. He bent down and did something with the lock. Then he slipped inside and went to the computer and started surfing. Hours later he left and slipped out of view.

He certainly didn’t look like a ghost. He did present a mystery though. Why was someone up there at night when everything was locked down? The closing routine was specifically designed to make sure everyone left.

The security people started at the top level and moved people down, level by level. The elevators would be locked off after each level was cleared. Gates would drop to close the loops. The sweep would continue until they reached the park. Extra help would make certain that no one was hiding behind bushes or up in a tree.

Either someone was getting past all of these measures. Or…they were still up here somehow! The manager quickly called security and had a hurried discussion over the phone. They quietly put up signs and closed off access to the top level. They’d search until the found the man.

They looked through the arcade and found nothing. He wasn’t in the gift shop or the internet café. The ice cream stand was all clear. They couldn’t find him anywhere. He must have gone down at some point.

There was nothing to do but reopen the top level. It had been early enough that the public hadn’t really noticed that anything was different. Finally, they called Sam. He was as surprised as any of them. A meeting was called down at his office.

Sam was anxious to see the video of this intruder. He wanted to see if he recognized him. No dice. A copy of the video was made and sent out for reproduction. Sam spared no expense here, also having the image cleaned up. Pictures were made so that the security people would recognize him if the say him.

The chief of security wanted to put a guard on the top level that night to wait for him. He volunteered to do it himself. Sam would have none of it. The last thing they wanted to do was to let him know that they were on to him, he argued. They’d catch him in due time. Besides, he didn’t really seem dangerous. More lonely than anything.

They filmed again that night but nothing happened. The next night was more of the same and Sam was afraid that they had tripped up somewhere and let the cat out of the bag. A full week passed and he didn’t return. Sam had gone from outrage to admiration. Now he was at frustration and closing in on boredom.

And then the man returned. More cautiously this time, taking his time with the lock. At the end he cleared the memory of the computer and made certain to turn it off. They had definitely spooked him.

The security team quietly dusted for prints. The got several but there weren’t in any databank. They thought of setting up other cameras but there weren’t any good spots to hide them. Above all, they didn’t want their prey to know that he was being hunted. Sam wanted caution and that’s the way they would play it.

During the summer The Tower had a continuous stream of people waiting to climb it. Some opted for the elevator but long lines made it impossible for everyone. Most started the long walk up. This meant a long but steady incline. You could stop at each level and rest if you wanted. The park was just two long loops up and that’s as far as most people went.

Sam was proud of the park. It was 100 feet above the ground yet grew on it’s own. The open spaces above it allowed plenty of sunshine. Some rain blew in from the sides but the middle was irrigated. The trees were small but there was plenty of space for them to grow.

There had been an argument as to whether they should add rabbits and squirrels but in the end they decided against it. The park would support them but it would be hard for the little critters to get away from the patrons if they had to. Birds flew in and out on their own and no attempt was made to keep them away.

The trail became less crowded above this level. The next stop that had any attraction of it’s own was three more loops up. That’s where the restaurants were. Their patrons were much more likely to use the elevator to get there.

Elevators were common for usual visitors to the next level or Plaza level, as it became known. A church had requested the space there for Sunday morning worship. Sam hadn’t expected this but he gave them permission. The congregation would probably close down for many months of the year due to weather.

A scattering of weddings were booked for the Plaza on Saturdays. The first few went off flawlessly and the calendar soon became filled. People would fly in from other states to be wed there. Weekdays began to fill up, too. Sam was again surprised. He hadn’t intended to steal any thunder from Las Vegas.

One of his favorites were the star parties. They occurred once every few months and he made certain to attend them. They’d stake out the top floor and sprawl out there watching the heavens revolve around them. Sam had a special skirt made to shield the stargazers from the glowing North Star above them.

All in all it was amazingly popular and he couldn’t have been prouder of it. Yes, there were problems with the aquarium level. It seemed it was very tricky to regulate the water exactly right for the more exotic fish. The added burden of crowded elevators made their support difficult. He still liked the idea so they’d keep at it until they got it right.

There were many questions about the name of his arcade at the top. Why was it called ‘The Underworld’ when it was high up in the clouds? He simply smiled and said that he had his reasons.

There were two secrets to the tower. The first was Sam’s private entrance. He had quietly had a tunnel put in from his property to his office inside the ground level complex of The Tower. It was nothing special, hardly more than bare concrete and lights. He kept a bicycle down there to get back and forth. This was installed so he could visit late at night if he wished.

He couldn’t have been happier with the place. Almost everyday he found some excuse to go over to The Tower. This was especially true when the weather was doing something crazy. The restaurants gave you a rather unique view of the inside of a thunderstorm. Even blizzards created wonderful designs amongst the loops and in the parks.

He clearly remembered his favorite time. It was one of those spring mornings when the clouds don’t know quite where to rest. He’d woken early and saw fog outside of his window. He rushed over to the tower and took the elevator all the way up. Down below him was an endless ocean of clouds. This was the view that one could only get from an airplane but he wasn’t moving. It was breathtaking.

The second secret was one that even Sam didn’t know about.

Sam

He’d been smart enough to buy the farmhouse that was directly south of The Tower. During construction he realized that it would become something of a giant sundial. Various other farms would be in shadow at predictable times each day. Sam had also been smart enough to buy out this farm before the project had become public. As soon as that happened, the rest was snapped up for commercial uses.

The Tower dominated the center of the plot. There were parking lots around the edges. Between the cars and The Tower were grassy areas perfect for picnicking. Large windmills dotted the area, their giant blades nearly reaching the top of The Tower.

There was even a water park being planned. He smiled to himself at this. The thing would only be open for half the year. The easy prediction is that the park would be out of business quickly.

Still, the hotels would do very good business. This had become a destination. For some it had become something of a pilgrimage.

It was no secret that Sam had made his money out of wind power. This was back when there were no profits to be had. He’d been able to improve some of the technology both in generation and in storage. This caused his wonder to be called ‘The Tower that Wind Built’.

At first he fought against this description. The wind was useful but he felt that it shortchanged the ingenuity and sweat that had gone into the Tower. The wind had been helpful to his cause, but it was impersonal and didn’t care what he built. His marketing people pointed out that there was quite a bit of goodwill that would come there way if people tied there Tower into environmentalism as a whole.

That was an argument that he could understand and he stopped protesting. He wouldn’t let them call it ‘Wind Tower’ or anything like that though. A naming contest was proposed but he put his foot down. It wouldn’t be given any random name.

Selling naming rights or letting his company attach itself to it was also unthinkable. There were bitter fights in the boardroom because of this. He finally had to point out that he’d bought the property himself and funded the project through his own means. The name would be his and his alone. The resulting acrimony helped his decision to retire.

It wasn’t that he had a great name in mind. It was more his pride that the entire thing was his and his alone. He wouldn’t give that up to anyone. Sam made a firm choice. It would simply be called ‘The Tower’.

There were complaints from Paris and Pisa but he stood firm. It made news and that helped him as well. A popular columnist made the point that he was an American standing up against snotty Europeans. Privately, Sam thought that was nonsense but he could only admit that it probably helped sales.

Not that he needed help. The thing was a statewide wonder. More than that, it meant something to the entire upper Midwest. People would drive for hundreds of miles to see it. On the average day you could find forty or more different state license plates and a good half dozen Canadian provinces would be represented as well.

The kickoff had gone perfectly. He’d sponsored a concert with several well know but older groups. They played from the second level balconies while crowds watched from the parking lots and the gardens. Quite a bit was riding on this because if they could pull it off, it would immediately make them a must stop for the popular bands. There were no problems and the offers started coming in.

Reports came out and the publicity was fantastic. Features were written about each site. Even James’s mystery was covered. In fact, his project became the source of much speculation.

Comparisons were made with the Seven Wonder’s of the Ancient world. Scholars were booked for television to talk about them. Coffee table books were quickly produced with gorgeous color pictures and clever diagrams.

This led to the celebration of other obvious Wonders. The Great Wall of China came in for praise as did the Taj Mahal and Chichen Itza. Modern structures such as the Eiffel Tower and the Three Gorges dam were brought up to show that mankind was still producing great things.

Not all of the reaction was positive. There was condemnation that such rich people would build great playthings while there was still poverty and suffering going on. Various newspaper editorialists suggested that the rich should play more quietly with their toys. There were suggestions that they were trying to steal the thunder of the rest of the world by topping their Wonders.

Environmental activists protested at Casey’s island building project. Other protestors tried to get to James’s mine but they found the security too difficult. There were small protests at the Tower and the Labyrinth but it’s harder to argue that farmland must be kept pristine. The other sites were too urban for them to care about.

The bet became a subject of late night talk show fodder. Cartoonists did long riffs on vanity projects. Even popular musicians and sit-coms made references to what they were doing. A popular coining mint readied a special run to commemorate the entire event.

Unexpectedly, donations started coming into each of the non-profit organizations. Some people became excited enough that they wanted to contribute on their own. State legislators offered to help but they were forbidden by the rules of the bet.

Property around the rural sites was quickly bought up by speculators. Each one expected a boom of hotels and theme parks. Some of the contestants had expected this and got in on the action themselves. Others were caught flat-footed and missed out.

Tourism boards planned wide ranging ads to celebrate their own local sites and to try and draw in people from out of state. Travel agencies started planning Seven New Wonder tours, designed so that savvy travelers could see all seven. Airlines started planning new routes to the nearest airports. They didn’t want to miss out.

The names of the board of judges leaked out. They were mostly history professors and art experts from various state universities. Each one was profiled in newspapers. They were asked to judge the ancient wonders so that everyone would have an idea what the final round of judging would look like.

Betting lines sprung up around the world. People could bet on who would have the most tourists or who would win the history portion. The Temple of Beauty was the odds on favorite for the tourist bet simply because of it’s location. Fans of the other sites vowed that they wouldn’t let this happen. Each Wonder quickly had a fan club of people ready to organize support.

A few of the contestants loved every second of the publicity. Most just ignored it or wished it would go away.

Everyone had finally settled on a Wonder. All seven sites had been chosen. Each contestant placed their five million bond in place. The contest had well and truly begun.

They would each have a year to build what they wanted. This was plenty of time for some of them and not nearly enough for others. Still, it was what they agreed upon and that was the timeframe they would use.

They called a face to face meeting in Chicago so that they could go over all the details. This would give everyone a chance to bring up any last questions. It also let them plan out the media coverage.

The seven decided to put Lydia in charge. She knew the industry and had the right connections. They’d each send a representative to make certain they got even coverage. No one anticipated this would be a problem.

Sam flatly refused to be interviewed. He didn’t want any individual publicity. If they wanted to cover his Tower, that was fine but he wouldn’t put up with any snooping. This surprised everyone, not because they didn’t think of him as being private but because they hadn’t thought of this as an option.

Xian asked for the same treatment. It was difficult if not impossible to refuse her request. They’d all sent flowers and condolences to her mother’s funeral. Her severe black outfit and blank expression spoke to her obvious mourning.

There was general assent. There was even more general understanding. Privately Lydia thought that they were giving away something precious here. The public would cheer more for people that they knew. Even more if they came to love them. The worst thing you could do was hide yourself away. Who could love a recluse? Still, anything that worked to her advantage was fine with her.

The coverage would be widespread. Frankly, it was an easy sell. Seven very rich people building seven wonderful things. The bet would be the easy hook. Newsmagazines and cable programs would follow the construction phase at every turn. Regular updates on tourist levels would follow. It was a competition the whole country could get involved in!

The panel of experts would be even easier. Each of them would select three people to represent them. The Seven Wonders would all be judged and ranked. Their findings would bind them and the winner would be praised loudly and publicly.

All seven were asked to give a brief description of their Wonder. Sam spoke briefly about his Tower. Xian simply said that her’s would be a Wind Chime Garden. Roger was building a clockwork machine that would show the horrors of war. Lydia proudly described her Temple of Beauty. Rex spoke mysteriously of his shifting Labyrinth. Casey said that his involved a new island and it was clear to everyone that parts of his were still up in the air.

Finally it was James turn. He simply told them that he wasn’t ready to reveal his yet. Upon questioning he said that it would be ready for opening by the deadline and he wasn’t go to say anything more than that. When they challenged him, he said there was nothing in the rules to stop him. This was true, but they all thought it poor sportsmanship.

He then told Lydia that the media account of his project could focus on the mystery if they wanted to. He had no problem with some investigative reporter digging in to find out what was going on. He’d simply say that it was located in Georgia and involved an abandoned mine.

Casey double checked the map. It looked like the boat was just about in the right place. They were in the middle of three small islands. Two of them were little more than a small patch of dirt and a tree or two. The third was a bit larger but not much. None of them were big enough to put a building on and that made them just perfect.

The records showed no claim on them. He’d already talked with the relevant authorities and he’d be allowed to buy them for a very manageable sum. Their value lay not in the their actual size but in the shallow waters between them.

They were using radar or sonar or something like that to get a detailed topographical map of the lake bed. So far there were no surprises. Well, the one thing but that just turned out to be a small rowboat that must have sunk there.

Equally important was the Natural Resources surveyor that was on board. She was on the lookout for any special bit of nature that might have taken residence there. No one expected anything but Casey wanted to make sure that all the ‘i’s’ were dotted and the ‘t’s’ crossed.

The environmental impact study would take a couple of weeks to be finished. The engineering one would only take a few days. Most of it had been worked out ahead of time. All that was left was to make sure that this particular spot was good enough. A nice flat bit of lake bottom was the preferred. Some ups and downs could be dealt with. The only really fatal thing would have been a deep hole or rift of some sort.

Come to think of it, that would almost certainly wipe out the environmental impact study, too. Casey hoped against hope that no family of fish or previously unseen mollusk would get in his way. This spot really was the best that they’d seen anywhere.

He turned to shore. It was maybe a quarter of a mile away. They could easily bridge it with an extended dock or something like that. Even the shoreline there was undeveloped. It might be the true moneymaker of the whole thing.

The key was the islands though. Or rather the larger island that they would become. He’d already contacted some firms that worked on dredging various Great Lakes ports. Shipping material here would be very easy and not that expensive. If he caught some breaks he’d have his own island to play with in just a few months.

Of course that was only the beginning but he had to admit it was the part that interested him most. His wife, Judith, had really taken the idea and run with it. He still remembered the conversation well.

He’d just gotten back from the card game and she met him to talk about his trip. At his first mention of the bet she looked disgusted. She told him that she hoped he wouldn’t participate in anything so vulgar. On the contrary, my dear. I thought I’d put you in charge of it.

That was the key moment and he knew the risk that sat on top of it. He’d given the power over to her. All that it would take was for her to wave it away and they’d be out of it. He wasn’t interested enough to do something of this magnitude if she was actively opposing it. But if she were the one taking the lead?

She sat for a moment and then asked what he meant? Casey knew at that very moment, even before he answered, that she would agree and they’d move on with it. A quick outline of the bet followed. He threw out some quick thoughts on what he hoped it would accomplish and then added that he was sure she could do much better.

At once, a trance seemed to fall over her. Her eyes became distant and he could tell that her mind was somewhere else completely. He offered to let her sleep on it and let the matter drop. It took some great effort on his part not to smile knowingly.

The next morning at breakfast she told him that she thought it might, just might be a good idea after all. She’d dreamt of islands or something and thought of working with that. Casey called into the office and had people from Creative and Design come to the house. He’d introduce them and let them go on their own way.

Early ideas called for something on an island surrounded by water. There was nothing big enough available for sale. Could they create something like that? He knew that some work like that was taking place in other parts of the world. He checked some contacts and they assured him that they could figure out something that would work. Some quick surveying in Lake Huron had led them to this spot.

They’d work with the existing terrain as much as they could but in the end, they’d tailor what they could for what they wanted. The final design of the structure was still up in the air. As a rule of thumb they decided that the more space, the better.

Bigger here really wasn’t that difficult either. There was always more material being dredged out somewhere or other. Shoring up the new design was merely an engineering question. It might be hard work but at least it was straightforward.

Casey took a look around him. Everyone else was hard at work at their trades. Either sailing or surveying or caring for the wildlife. He suddenly had a feeling that it would all click. Luck was on his side. He wasn’t quite sure what he’d end up with but this was the place!

The creep just didn’t understand. No sense of art whatsoever. He just wanted to ogle the girls. Surprised that he didn’t force one into a closet or something. She couldn’t believe the man, more hands than a tank of octopi.

Lydia sat back and fumed. Out came a cigarette and soon she joined smoke from her mouth to the steam pouring out of her ears. She reached back to her lessons and went through the steps to calm herself.

After a short time in her happy place she was ready to think straight. Ok, so this pitch had failed. Well, he hadn’t given a definite ‘no’ but he would if she pushed him. You’d think if anyone would be on her side, it would be such a devoted lover of beauty.

Even in his official capacity as Mayor he didn’t see the big picture. One of the things that made New York special was it’s ability to always offer new and wonderful things. With his help, they could have added one more beautiful thing.

Really, was her proposal that absurd? One little corner of Central Park, that’s all she needed. They could put the Temple there and everyone would be able to visit it. The people of the city could have made it a daily landmark. It would become the absolute holiest place on the fashion circuit. She could list three different former models that would kill to broadcast on remote from it’s steps.

She leaned back and gave an extra long puff of smoke. If that fool couldn’t help her, she’d have to go to plan B. Not that she would have to change her plans too much. It was almost literally across the street from the park. The spot was expensive but the location really was prime.

She buzzed the driver and told him the address. She should go and look at it one more time. This time at night. Years of publishing had taught her that you never really knew a location until you saw it from all different angles and lights. Maybe some flaw would pop up at night that was hidden during the day.

While the car made it’s way through traffic she picked up the portfolios and started leafing through the design options. Lydia had toyed with the idea of using this design to create some kind of open contest. She still could picture the final eleven contestants, all eager. Each one being voted off until only the best was left. The ratings would have been phenomenal. Well, it was still an option if nothing here caught her eye.

Let’s see. No, too Gothic. Too plain. No, this wouldn’t do at all. Didn’t they know that nothing looks dated faster than something contemporary. What she really wanted was something that was both timeless and alien. She wanted to shock people with something extraordinary. She also wanted something that looked classic from the first day.

Perhaps the designers had been too confused with the word ‘Temple’. True, it would be a place of worship but it was also important that it wasn’t mistaken for some mega church or something like that. That was very important.

Wait. That was arresting. There was a picture of a low dome with a very high central spire. The artist had it designed with gold all over it. At each corner was a small tower, possibly a minaret. There was an imagining of the inside. Marble of course, with room for statuary. On the walls would be paintings from ages past. The ceiling looked vaguely like the one at that church in Italy. You know, the one with the two guys reaching for each other?

This might be exactly what she needed. It was truly different than anything else that she’d seen in New York. Arresting. Maybe even breathtaking. Those were the words she wanted to keep in mind. Lydia decided to have some of her design friends look at it and see what they thought.

The car slowly made it’s way past the park. She leaned forward to try and catch the spot with her eye. Every approach was important. She needed to know if there was some small thing, anything at all, that would ruin the view. The car continued forward. Everything looked fine so far. It was the best news she’d had all day. Well, second best after this wonderful design.

In her mind, it was already there. She could picture the spotlights on the gold. It would glitter and gleam every night. Lydia wondered if maybe it would help those miscreants she always heard about in the park. Maybe this would convince some of them to improve their lives. Of course it would. Was there any limit to what true beauty could do?