Below is the first paragraph of Chapter 16 of my latest science fiction/fantasy novel entitled "M". It's going to be an extremely important chapter in the book.
The nervous tapping of the pencil, to anyone other than the man sitting at the massive wooden desk, would have been insignificant and virtually unnoticeable compared to the voluminous size of the opulent room, the wooden inlaid floor of intricate and beautiful design, the elegant Persian rug, the dark glass-fronted cabinets full of legalities and policies of government, the white and gold embellished and vaulted ceiling, and the extravagant crystalline chandelier that hung just above his head. But to him, the sound and sense of the instrument in his hand as it struck the polished surface over and over and over again, gave voice to his fears, doubts, and uncertainties; and he was a man not used to such. He was the leader of a great and powerful nation and had achieved that role through strength, confidence, and an undying belief in his abilities; but here he sat, immovable and completely at odds with himself. He could find no direction, no choice that would satisfy both his needs and the needs of his country. It was an impossible quandary that required a decision that only he could make.
