|
|
|
It
|
|
was
|
|
nearing
|
|
midnight
|
|
and
|
|
the
|
|
Prime
|
|
Minister
|
|
was
|
|
sitting
|
|
alone
|
|
in
|
|
his
|
|
office,
|
|
reading
|
|
a
|
|
long
|
|
memo
|
|
that
|
|
was
|
|
slipping
|
|
through
|
|
his
|
|
brain
|
|
without
|
|
|
|
|
leaving
|
|
the
|
|
slightest
|
|
trace
|
|
of
|
|
meaning
|
|
behind.
|
|
He
|
|
was
|
|
waiting
|
|
for
|
|
a
|
|
call
|
|
from
|
|
the
|
|
President
|
|
of
|
|
a
|
|
far
|
|
distant
|
|
country,
|
|
and
|
|
between
|
|
wondering
|
|
when
|
|
|
|
|
the
|
|
wretched
|
|
man
|
|
woul
|
|
telephone,
|
|
and
|
|
trying
|
|
to
|
|
suppress
|
|
unpleasant
|
|
memories
|
|
of
|
|
what
|
|
had
|
|
been
|
|
a
|
|
very
|
|
long,
|
|
tiring,
|
|
and
|
|
difficult
|
|
week,
|
|
there
|
|
was
|
|
not
|
|
|
|
|
much
|
|
space
|
|
in
|
|
his
|
|
head
|
|
for
|
|
anything
|
|
else.
|
|
The
|
|
more
|
|
he
|
|
attempted
|
|
to
|
|
focus
|
|
on
|
|
the
|
|
print
|
|
on
|
|
the
|
|
page
|
|
before
|
|
him,
|
|
the
|
|
more
|
|
clearly
|
|
|
|
|
the
|
|
Prime
|
|
Minister
|
|
could
|
|
see
|
|
the
|
|
gloating
|
|
face
|
|
of
|
|
one
|
|
of
|
|
his
|
|
political
|
|
opponents.
|
|
This
|
|
particular
|
|
opponent
|
|
had
|
|
appeared
|
|
on
|
|
the
|
|
news
|
|
that
|
|
very
|
|
day,
|
|
|
|
|
not
|
|
only
|
|
to
|
|
enumerate
|
|
all
|
|
the
|
|
terrible
|
|
things
|
|
that
|
|
had
|
|
happened
|
|
in
|
|
the
|
|
last
|
|
week
|
|
(as
|
|
though
|
|
anyone
|
|
needed
|
|
reminding)
|
|
but
|
|
also
|
|
to
|
|
explain
|
|
why
|
|
|
|
|
each
|
|
and
|
|
every
|
|
one
|
|
of
|
|
them
|
|
was
|
|
the
|
|
government's
|
|
fault.
|
|
The
|
|
Prime
|
|
Minister's
|
|
pulse
|
|
quickened
|
|
at
|
|
the
|
|
very
|
|
thought
|
|
of
|
|
these
|
|
accusations,
|
|
for
|
|
they
|
|
were
|
|
|
|
|
neither
|
|
fair
|
|
nor
|
|
true.
|
|
How
|
|
on
|
|
earth
|
|
was
|
|
his
|
|
government
|
|
supposed
|
|
to
|
|
have
|
|
stopped
|
|
that
|
|
bridge
|
|
collapsing?
|
|
It
|
|
was
|
|
outrageous
|
|
for
|
|
anybody
|
|
to
|
|
suggest
|
|
that...
|
|