At the Blackboard

I am of royal blood and stand at the blackboard with a piece of chalk. The blue faction expects a poem in the Aeolic style. Their lives, their silver treasures and the skin of their daughters are at stake if they put me on the throne. Strategic talent is required too. One wrong move in dealing with the Great Empire could destroy our world. Nobody caresses hapless kings. A tickling between my shoulder blades would mean something else. Perhaps the impact of a sword.









Rupprecht Mayer was born near Berchtesgaden. After some 20 years living and working in Taiwan, Beijing, and Shanghai, he resettled in SE Bavaria. He translates Chinese literature and writes short prose. English versions appeared in AGNI Online, Flash (UK), Hobart, Mad Hatters’ Review, Nano Fiction, New World Writing, Ninth Letter, Postcard Shorts and elsewhere. chinablaetter.info/rupprechtmayer/

See more of his work in 3.4 here.