BramP's Stuff

Uhuh-Topia - Arcadian Imperial Palace

From a balcony at the 12th floor, Emperor James the Second looked down at an angry mass of humans. James grinned, even though several of the people were carrying banners calling for government action against Casari, or even to nuke the city of Tyrellia, for transmitting two football matches everyone would rather forget all over the world. Personally James didn't give a damn about the sport, it was just a game just like all others, but he was smart enough not to mention that in public. He wouldn't be the first Emperor to be beheaded by an angry mob if he did.

He grinned because at a time like this, the people wouldn't mind a tax increase at all, as long as they were being told it would be going to the military, and in a few weeks time, they would all have forgotten about the Ylompics, and the tax increase.

James walked back inside and switched on the ultra-absurdly-large widescreen TV to catch the latest news on the Ylompics. Apparently swimmer Ireen Arcadia had finished last in the finals of the four hundred meters freestyle, so today would be another day for the Ropa-Topian Alliance without any medals. The Ropa-Topian athletes deserved better of course, but with the current situation in the streets, it was probably for the best. Too many medals might just make people forget they were angry at Casari, and sadly happy people didn't stay happy long if they were asked to pay more taxes.

The semi-finals of the 4x100 meter freestyle for men was about to start when James realized he didn't actually enjoy watching half-naked men in a swimming pool. He started changing channels until he reached one that was showing a rerun of the women's beach volleyball match of Spruitland against Algal States. That's what all Ylompic sports should be like, James thought.

Several repeats later, James decided to check how the men had done. They hadn't really done very well, finishing in a 7th place, but at least they had qualified themselves for the final tomorrow. And apparently, the heats and semi-finals of the 50m freestyle were already over too, Lars Sepers being the only one to qualify for the finals.

James was disappointed to hear the women's 4x100m semi-finals were cancelled and the athletes would move immediately to the finals, and he had to watch at least one more rerun of the volleyball match before the women's 50 meters freestyle would be on.

While he watched how only one of the three Ropa-Topian swimmers qualified herself for the finals, he pondered about reinstating the law that made being nude compulsory, but then the image of his mother on the last day that the law had been in effect returned to his mind. Maybe there should be age restrictions, James thought, but then they will probably whine about age discrimination.

James couldn't be bothered to watch judo. If it was up to him, it wouldn't be even a sport in Uhuh-Topia. Wait a minute, I am the emperor. It is up to me. He walked to his desk to get a piece of paper and write down a new law that would outlaw judo, but forgot about it when a reporter on TV announced both Ropa-Topian table tennis players would be playing each other today. That's got to be interesting to watch.

After six sets, Corneel Marsman defeated Koos Walker, and although he didn't look very happy that he had had to play against a fellow Ropa-Topian athlete, it had been a good match. A good match that was over now, and James reached for the remote again. Time for beach volleyball.