Elizabeth began, shaking her dark, meticulously tousled hair in a prelude to her address. ‘My second term officially begins today and I intend to make some big waves in Corporate City over the next six years. I need men of vision to accompany me on my journey. That is why Damien is here today. And that is why I am honoured to have been blessed with such capable men as you, Nicholas and you, Leslie.’
Leslie was flattered but Nicholas didn’t look all that happy. Damien Hill was impassive.
Elizabeth continued, ‘So here is my proposal. Nicholas and I will oversee the day to day running of government for the foreseeable future. We’ll run any new ideas past you, of course Leslie, but essentially we will embark upon a transformation of the bureaucracy of this city and a cleansing of some troublesome criminal factions whilst you two,’ she pointed towards Damien and Leslie, ‘will be given full reign to conceive of and execute some more inventive and far reaching plans.’
Leslie and Damien sat forward in their chairs. Damien’s handsome face was radiant with interest. Leslie pushed back his thinning fringe and listened.
‘What we need in this city is a firm hand,’ Elizabeth stated forcefully. ‘The rich would seek to draw us under their spell with promises of gold and reward. The minority groups would woo us with their promises of electoral support and the street dwellers would have us quiver in our boots by rattling their empty scabbards in the streets. But we will not be swayed, consuls. Over the next six years, free of the cancer of election, Nicholas and I will embark upon a radical transformation of the ground conditions in the city while you two visionaries will map out any new inventions that may take us into a wider world. Everything you need will be at your disposal. Whatever machinery and resources you require will be granted. All you have to do is ask and it will be supplied, if humanly possible. What do you say?’
Damien cast a glance towards Leslie, to whom he had never spoken. Leslie didn’t return that gaze. Instead, he looked forward, thinking, with his head slightly down, his eyes wide open and his pupils turned upward as if seeking the top eyelashes. It was a picture of deep concern.
‘Problem?’ enquired Elizabeth.
After a long while Leslie asked, ‘Are you trying to squeeze me out?’
‘No. No. Of course not,’ replied Elizabeth with an expansive waving of her hands. ‘Nothing could be further from the truth.’
‘Well, it seems like it.’
‘How do you figure that?’ asked Elizabeth. She appeared to be truly bemused by Leslie’s response.
‘First of all, I’m the first scientist elected for three decades and when I arrive all the scientific papers have suddenly disappeared. Now I find myself being sidelined with another man, unelected I might add, no offence intended,’ he nodded towards Damien who looked back at him without expression, ‘and told that the president and the other consul, both of whom represent, and come directly from the higher scrapers, are to make policy in my absence.’
Damien added, ‘Excuse me ma’am,’ in his pleasant Australian country twang, ‘I must admit, he does have a point. It’s true I’m not an elected representative.’
Elizabeth replied vehemently, ‘That is a ridiculous misconstruction. That is not my intention at all!’
Her stormy outburst stopped all movement at the table. Realising that she had vented rather more of her emotion than she had intended, Elizabeth iterated, much more calmly, ‘That was not my intention at all.’ She gathered herself in, as if to do so physically was to do so mentally as well. ‘What you have to understand,’ she continued, now in a measured tone, ‘is that voting is not compulsory, so we rely greatly on the votes from the scraper dwellers and those of the growing middle class represented by minority groups. It is they who elect us and ensure at least some measure of consistency in
Leslie was flattered but Nicholas didn’t look all that happy. Damien Hill was impassive.
Elizabeth continued, ‘So here is my proposal. Nicholas and I will oversee the day to day running of government for the foreseeable future. We’ll run any new ideas past you, of course Leslie, but essentially we will embark upon a transformation of the bureaucracy of this city and a cleansing of some troublesome criminal factions whilst you two,’ she pointed towards Damien and Leslie, ‘will be given full reign to conceive of and execute some more inventive and far reaching plans.’
Leslie and Damien sat forward in their chairs. Damien’s handsome face was radiant with interest. Leslie pushed back his thinning fringe and listened.
‘What we need in this city is a firm hand,’ Elizabeth stated forcefully. ‘The rich would seek to draw us under their spell with promises of gold and reward. The minority groups would woo us with their promises of electoral support and the street dwellers would have us quiver in our boots by rattling their empty scabbards in the streets. But we will not be swayed, consuls. Over the next six years, free of the cancer of election, Nicholas and I will embark upon a radical transformation of the ground conditions in the city while you two visionaries will map out any new inventions that may take us into a wider world. Everything you need will be at your disposal. Whatever machinery and resources you require will be granted. All you have to do is ask and it will be supplied, if humanly possible. What do you say?’
Damien cast a glance towards Leslie, to whom he had never spoken. Leslie didn’t return that gaze. Instead, he looked forward, thinking, with his head slightly down, his eyes wide open and his pupils turned upward as if seeking the top eyelashes. It was a picture of deep concern.
‘Problem?’ enquired Elizabeth.
After a long while Leslie asked, ‘Are you trying to squeeze me out?’
‘No. No. Of course not,’ replied Elizabeth with an expansive waving of her hands. ‘Nothing could be further from the truth.’
‘Well, it seems like it.’
‘How do you figure that?’ asked Elizabeth. She appeared to be truly bemused by Leslie’s response.
‘First of all, I’m the first scientist elected for three decades and when I arrive all the scientific papers have suddenly disappeared. Now I find myself being sidelined with another man, unelected I might add, no offence intended,’ he nodded towards Damien who looked back at him without expression, ‘and told that the president and the other consul, both of whom represent, and come directly from the higher scrapers, are to make policy in my absence.’
Damien added, ‘Excuse me ma’am,’ in his pleasant Australian country twang, ‘I must admit, he does have a point. It’s true I’m not an elected representative.’
Elizabeth replied vehemently, ‘That is a ridiculous misconstruction. That is not my intention at all!’
Her stormy outburst stopped all movement at the table. Realising that she had vented rather more of her emotion than she had intended, Elizabeth iterated, much more calmly, ‘That was not my intention at all.’ She gathered herself in, as if to do so physically was to do so mentally as well. ‘What you have to understand,’ she continued, now in a measured tone, ‘is that voting is not compulsory, so we rely greatly on the votes from the scraper dwellers and those of the growing middle class represented by minority groups. It is they who elect us and ensure at least some measure of consistency in
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