//------------------------------// // Doesn't Matter. He's Silver Platter // Story: Silver Spoon on the Moon, and Other Short Stories // by ocalhoun //------------------------------// I knocked on the big wooden door, watching the faint reflection of my hand in the dark, highly polished wood. Nothing happened. I knocked again, harder this time. The sound of approaching hoofsteps echoed dully from the hall behind. The door opened, revealing an elderly earth pony in a formal tuxedo. “May I help you, Sir?” “Ah, yes.” I smiled as warmly as I could manage. “I'm here to see Silver Platter.” The earth pony nodded. “I'll inform him.” I frowned as the heavy door shut back in my face, leaving me to stare at my reflection in the varnish. Cicadas buzzed in the background, and I wiped the thin sheen of sweat from my face. Glancing around at the huge homes neighboring this one, I couldn't help but feel out of place. Finally, without any sound from behind it, the door eased open again, gliding on its polished hinges. “Ah, Mister Ocalhoun, won't you come in?” Making a slight bow, I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. The cool air inside enveloped me in an almost shocking, yet refreshing cold. Even though his whole family was earth ponies, he'd obviously managed to obtain an air conditioning spell or two. A short hall led to an enormous room just inside. The polished stone floor gleamed and sparkled, and molding boards matching the deep shine of the door framed the pristine white walls. I followed Platter inside, lowering myself onto an overstuffed leather sofa as he gestured for me to sit. He sat in a recliner just across from me. Above him hung an enormous oil painting of an earth pony who shared his grey coat and shockingly white mane. It could only have been his father. “So nice of you to come, Ocalhoun. Can I offer you any refreshments?” he asked. “No, no.” I smiled. “I couldn't. I've just come from Penny Weather's, and I'm afraid I may have overindulged there.” “Of course. Of course.” He smiled back – a cold smile that never reached his eyes. “Did you happen to hear her daughter's singing? I must say she is exquisite, an absolute prodigy.” “I'm afraid not.” I shook my head. “She was away at the time.” I looked back up at him, meeting his frosty blue eyes. “But she's not who I came here to talk about.” The corner of his mouth twitched for a moment. Was he just grimacing about my grammatical faux pas of neglecting the word 'whom', or did he already know what I was getting at? He raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” I pursed my lips together, dreading his reaction. “I'm here to talk about your daughter.” He sat in silence for a moment, as his eyes narrowed. After a long pause, he jumped up to his feet. “Perhaps this conversation would be better suited to my office,” he said, the strain in his voice nearly breaking his civil tone. I nodded and rose to follow him. “Of course.” Leading me across the vast expanse of polished marble, he opened another solid wooden door, beckoning me inside. As soon as I stepped in, the heavy door slammed in place behind me, and the clear sound of a lock clicking into place followed. I gulped. He stepped around the wide mahogany desk and slipped into the big leather chair behind it, swiveling toward me. “Please, have a seat.” Remaining where I stood, I stared him down. His neutral face slowly sank into a deep frown. “Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?” “Your daughter.” “Ah, yes. Of course.” He nodded and smiled far too widely. “I do hope she hasn't been getting into any trouble.” “No, no. Nothing like that.” I glanced away. This was going to be difficult. “I'd like to talk about your relationship with her.” The smile melted away. “Yes?” I sighed. “Well, specifically, there have been some allegations of--” He shot up, slamming a hoof down on the desk hard enough to make the crystal paperweights rattle. “I have had enough of these vicious rumors! I would never do anything inappropriate to Silver Spoon!” I held my hands up. “Of course, of course. Still, I have to follow up on them.” He leaned in close to me. “You listen, and you listen well. I will not have my good name dragged through this kind of muck! I'll have you know, my wife is the best litigation lawyer in Ponyville, and slanderous statements will not be tolerated. Not in this office, not anywhere.” “Naturally.” I shrank back a little. “Still, I need to--” “You don't need to do anything. All you have is rumors. If you had any proof, you wouldn’t call them 'allegations'.” His eyes bored into me. “Now, who told you? Who's spreading rumors about me?” “I'm sorry, sir, but my sources are confidential.” Moments passed as he silently stared into my soul. “I really can't tell you.” I winced at the thought of what might happen to Silver Spoon if Platter decided the rumors must have started with her. He sneered. “Then you don't have anything else to say to me.” Waving at the door, he swiveled his chair away from me, hiding himself from me. “Good day, sir.” I heaved a deep sigh. “Goodbye.” Turning toward the door and reaching for the lock lever, I shook my head. This was going nowhere, and I wasn't helping anypony.