JonDLundyn Parker 2 #13/2
February 22nd 2007 04:02
The Prime Minister of Australia was in conference with his advisers. He was haggard looking with dark rings under his eyes from lack of sleep and most of his advisers looked much the same. The crisis was into its eighth week and apart from the good news on the chemical finds little was there to cheer him except for the incredible attitude of the population. He knew his country men had a tough streak but never had he imagined in his wildest dreams the pulling together of the masses and the way that they had organised themselves with little or no prodding from him or his ministers. It was an opportunity to make political hay while the sun shone but he was too willy a politician to take direct advantage of this. Yes he was seen at the face of the fires and even wading waist deep amongst the carcasses of the whales and dolphins. He was seen at the burial of the six SAS troopers and wore a black mourning armband for his whole country.
His main aim now was to stop the tanker tragedy from happening.
“Ben-Artim has been sending his text messages again” said the head of ASIO. “He is upping the demands to twenty billion dollars and all Australian troops to be bought home form international zones, including peace keeping troops from the Pacific Islands and all aid workers from all countries.”
“All aid workers?” Queried the Prime Minister. “That will not get him any points with the countries we are helping.”
“He is not chasing points any more, he is just chasing news coverage” offered the Foreign Minister. “He copies all his texts to Reuters News and also puts some small amount of video out there as well.”
The Prime Minister was sitting at a coffee table with his legs stretched out in front of him when an aid entered carrying a mobile house phone.
“Mr Prime Minister, it’s the President of the United States”
The Prime Minister looked at his aids and reached for the phone. He was not on for long and only passed the briefest of compliments with the most powerful man on the planet. His words, loud enough to get the attention of every ear in the room, were, “get it done and see if you can get some good video of it as well. We could use some good news”
He turned to his advisers and said. “That was the President of the United States. They have tracked down a privately chartered jet, said to be carrying the sonar weapon that is being used on the whales and dolphins. He wanted our permission to shoot it down. I said yes!”
“Ben-Artim has been sending his text messages again” said the head of ASIO. “He is upping the demands to twenty billion dollars and all Australian troops to be bought home form international zones, including peace keeping troops from the Pacific Islands and all aid workers from all countries.”
“All aid workers?” Queried the Prime Minister. “That will not get him any points with the countries we are helping.”
“He is not chasing points any more, he is just chasing news coverage” offered the Foreign Minister. “He copies all his texts to Reuters News and also puts some small amount of video out there as well.”
The Prime Minister was sitting at a coffee table with his legs stretched out in front of him when an aid entered carrying a mobile house phone.
“Mr Prime Minister, it’s the President of the United States”
The Prime Minister looked at his aids and reached for the phone. He was not on for long and only passed the briefest of compliments with the most powerful man on the planet. His words, loud enough to get the attention of every ear in the room, were, “get it done and see if you can get some good video of it as well. We could use some good news”
He turned to his advisers and said. “That was the President of the United States. They have tracked down a privately chartered jet, said to be carrying the sonar weapon that is being used on the whales and dolphins. He wanted our permission to shoot it down. I said yes!”
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