Former White House Press Secretary Thomas Snow had his office and residence in a massive Stalinist Gothic building near the center of downtown. The building was very imposing as it was completely different from all the other buildings around it. Landsman stood at the foot of the steps to the main door and hesitated walking up and confronting something he didn't really want to know.
Landsman turned at looked at a nearby clock tower. 2:55 P.M. Landsman inhaled deeply and starting walking up the stairs. He knocked on the door leading to Snow's massive office exactly at three. A muffled "come in" came from the other side of the door and Landsman cautiously opened the white painted amazingly decorated door.
"Mr. Landsman, I assume?" Snow said from a huge mahogany desk.
"Yes, sir," Landsman quietly said and approached the desk.
Thomas Snow was a tall man with a head full of powder white hair. His face was slightly wrinkled but those, the hair and the fancy suit made him look like a distinguished grandfather. Snow was White House Press Secretary from 1986 to 1993, helping three presidents deal with the fast balls the media threw.
Snow was known as a man who never let politics stand in the way of educating his country. Snow was a good man and an honest man.
"Please have a seat," Snow directed and stood. "I feel bad for Senator Collyer and hope all this can be fixed and it can all be put behind him. He doesn't deserve this, Mr. Landsman. The people who have died either protecting the secret or trying to reveal it didn't deserve it either. Great people have been knocked down because of this secret."
"That the world is flat, right?" Landsman confirmed.
"Oh, yes. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, the Earth is round like a table, not round like a ball. He knew it. Revealed it to everyone in his own way," Snow smiled.
"You'll have to start from the beginning, Mr. Snow. I am finding it all hard to believe. Granted, I only heard about it yesterday but it's hard to go back on 32 years of conditioning."
"All right, from the beginning..."
"Origins of the Flat Earth"
"The Earth was always flat. Cavemen believed the Earth was flat because that was all they knew. When religion is brought about, those in charge thought that since heathens and non-believers believed the world was flat then obviously the world is round. Some challenged authority, people died because of it," Snow explained while Landsman listened intently. "The conspiracy was just really a hodge-podge up until the last couple of centuries when people actually started solidifying what the general public deserved to know."
"Do you know who the first person to die because of this conspiracy was?" Landsman asked.
"Some say it was Jesus but I'm sure that's just more fuel for the conspiracy fire. Now, not everyone who threatens to expose the secret gets killed. Most have their lives ruined or is injured in some way. George W. Bush? He was made to look like the worst president in history. Although some people would say he was the best. It's a weird world," Snow said.
"The world is flat?" Landsman asked.
"Yes, Mr. Landsman. The world is flat."
"How is that possible? How did we find out?"
"We never found out, per se. So far it is all just theory because, well, who would really want to go to the edge of the world and see if you fall off?" Snow chuckled.
"Wouldn't gravity keep you from falling? Or would you just fall into space?"
"We don't know. We want to know. We need to know. That's one of the major flaws of this conspiracy. We have no proof that the Earth is flat. We're just assuming. Everything that could prove it, we've never done. We never went to the moon, it was filmed on a sound stage. We're faking everything NASA is revealing. Since I left being White House Press Secretary, I have devoted myself to revealing the conspiracy to the world. I've interviewed countless world leaders to get the full story. The book is over 3,000 pages and details centuries of lies starting as far back as possible. Thing is, I don't know if a book like this would ever see print," Snow said.
"Yeah, it would be unbelievable and pretty long," Landsman acknowledged. "Wouldn't there be an easier way to tell the world?"
"I'm sure there would be but every other way those in charge could use it against you and ruin your life. The book will be published after my death so I can't be hurt. As for my family, I've explained it to them and they can handle any backlash anyone gives them."
"Well, I hope everything goes all right for you. I have to get back to my office and figure out how to deal with Senator Collyer's case. Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Snow," Landsman stood and shook Snow's hand.
"Not a problem, Mr. Landsman."
Landsman left the huge building and headed back to his office. Thomas Snow returned to his desk and continued writing. Suddenly, a knock was heard was heard on his door.
"Come in?" Snow answered.
Next Week
Landsman is accused of murder as he gets a mysterious phone call.
