The Armageddon Boy part I: A Very Important Delivery (standard:fantasy, 985 words) [1/3] show all parts
Author: Frank N. Stine	Updated: Jun 28 2002	Views/Reads: 3389/2247	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A first class stork delivers what could be the most important package in history, and may well trigger the final apocalyptic war.

The Armageddon Boy Part One: A Very Special Delivery 

Those who saw the brilliant light in the sky would describe how night
turned into day.  Like a second sun was rising after the first had long 
since dozed off in its own bed, somewhere off the edge of the world 
where the dragons lay.  Some would believe it was a comet that ripped 
across the starry sky, others that it was a visitor from another world 
perhaps assessing Earth as a possible new home, and others that it 
could be a sign that the world would end that night.  Nobody could have 
imagined that the light that drifted towards London that night was the 
result of moonlight reflecting off the fine white feathers of  a giant 
stork with a wingspan of eighty metres. 

The stork knew that the tiny package it was carrying in its enormous
bill was valuable.  Not just because he was a first class stork, and 
therefore only ever delivered important packages.  Also because the 
rumours had been flying around the stork delivery depot for weeks.  
Some of his stork colleagues had started betting over who the package 
was intended for.  Would this child be the son of the British Prime 
Minister?  Or some other high ranking diplomat?  Perhaps a famous pop 
star couple, or film star.  He would soon know, the stork thought as he 
dipped his wings and soared past the large clock face of Big Ben. 

His first surprise was the address, indeed he checked his instructions
written inside his wing three times when he saw the place.  It was not 
a hospital, nor a luxurious mansion like he was accustomed to 
delivering to. 

It was a garage. 

Uncertain, the stork decided he would leave the bundle on the grimey
concrete floor, outside the rusted garage door, and hover a little way 
away to make sure the baby was picked up. 

Soon the garage door rose noisily and a man dressed as a mechanic, and
wiping his hands on what looked like a dirty rag to the stork's keen 
eyes, stood in the doorway and gazed down at the child. 

'It's a boy I think!' he heard the man say before watching him hobble
towards the bundle on the ground. 

It was obvious to the stork that at least one of this man's legs did not
work very well.  It was also clear that he - the stork - was not yet 
ready to leave the child in this man's care.  He decided to wait a 
little longer, aware that the sun would soon be rising and he would 
have to get back to the depot before it did. 

After an hour, the great stork stretched its wings - satisfied with the
sounds of happiness it had been hearing from inside the garage - and 
prepared to take flight. 

Screeeeech! 

The stork folded its wings once again as it saw two cars pull into the
garage. 

Out of the first car came one woman and two men - one the stork
recognised as a policeman.  The non-policeman banged on the garage 
door, rattling the metal shutters. 

When the man with the gangly leg answered, he looked suddenly sad. 

'Mary,' he said over his shoulder, 'it's Mister Wise.' 

Then Mr. Wise, the policeman and the woman entered.  There was much
unhappy noise that came from inside the garage for the next couple of 
minutes.  Then the three from the first car emerged, the woman holding 
the baby. 

A woman stepped out of the second car as they approached. 

'Mrs. Shephard,' said the woman with the baby, 'it's a boy.'  Then she
gently handed the child over. 

The Shephards! thought the stork.  He had never delivered to the


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