Australia We Didn’t See

By Satish Gupta

A reception is being held at the prime minister’s official residence, The Lodge, to celebrate democratic multiculturalism in Australia, when a young guests suddenly attacks the prime minister.

Walking through the parkland to a jeweller to buy his wife a birthday present, the prime minister meets several seniors enjoying the sunshine. He also meets a man from Iraq who has no job but has been offered one by a terrorist group.

The prime minister also meets a young man who has a brother living in Bradford, England, connected to a formidable terrorist group responsible for terrorist acts all over Europe.

Trying to get his motorcade through a large crowd of protesters, the prime minister walks out to plead for access to his next appointment. A lunatic shoots for fun and hits him in the shoulder.

The story involves ASIO, terrorist recruitment, spy agencies and international connections.

Will the terrorists prevail? Will the prime minister survive?

Will China cause trouble next to an American Naval Base and RAAF Base?

All this, and much more, is revealed in this gripping political thriller.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Jun 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9781528974158

Satish Gupta

Satish is a Scientist with a Doctor of Science Degree. He studied in Britain and the United States, specializing in Environment and City Planning. He has contributed his expertise in Europe, Asia, and Australia. He has also worked in British Hong Kong, assisting in planning two new cities. He had a passion to be a writer and took up courses in Journalism and Novel Writing at the London School of Journalism. Satish has already published three novels – Daughter with a Mission, The Land of Lost Contentment and The Moguls of India. Australia We Didn’t See is his fourth novel. He is an Australian national and lives in Adelaide, South Australia.

Book preview

One

With the general elections now over, counting of the votes had begun. Within hours, the election commission had started to declare names of the newly elected members of the Federal Parliament. Soon, it became clear that conservative side had won the majority seats in the House of Representatives, and the right to form a new Federal government.

After six long years in power, the other side of politics, by a popular vote, was now destined to sit on the opposition benches. No doubt, they were disappointed. Though late in the day now, they just realised that while in the government, they had failed to keep their promises they made to Australians six years ago.

This is the result of internal party strife and not being able to fulfil the promises we made to our electors. Let this be a lesson to Australia’s all future governments. Soon to be former prime minister of Australia declared. People sitting in the auditorium responded with ‘shame, shame’. Some were even seen wiping their tears for having lost the position of power and the influence they had in the former government of Australia.

At eight-thirty in the evening, the leader of the victorious party appeared on the tastefully decorated stage at the party head office to celebrate the occasion. He was greeted by cheering crowd, colourful fixtures, gigantic balloons and the National flags. With his head up and chin straight, he stepped on the stage, hand in hand with his young and beautiful wife. Their young son and a younger daughter walked behind them, all wearing a big toothy smile, happily and proudly waving at the party faithfuls sitting down below in the hall.

Very excited, they approached the lectern, continually smiling and waving at the crowd of some five hundred cheering and screaming supporters who were there to hear their leader accept his win and gloat, as much as he could without being arrogant about it.

After listening to the screaming and shouting for a five long minutes, the country’s soon to be prime minister unshackled his tightly gripped hand from that of his wife and raised both hands to quieten his party faithfuls. As soon as the crowd calmed down, he dropped his hands. He took out from his pocket a short one-page winning speech. In fact, I had been carrying two speeches in my two pockets. The winning speech in my right pocket and the other in the left, just in case.

The crowd responded with chants of victory, victory.

Well, thank you very much, our great supporters. This is a victory for you all, sitting here and watching at home, in fact for all of us. You must all congratulate yourselves, the volunteers and other party officials. I am grateful to you for leaving the comforts of your homes and going out to caste your votes to elect the new government of Australia, for all Australians. The people once again started to cheer, scream and wave their raised hands and Australian flags. Once again, the leader had to stall his speech.

Now that we all know we’ve won the election, I think you should calm down so that I could thank you and other men and women of our great country who are sitting at home in front of the television sets, watching this event.

They heeded his advice. Slowly, the calm returned into the hall. but still every bit happy with excitement written all over their faces.

Thank you so much. He and his wife held their hands and raised them again. Once again, there was cheering and screaming followed by an applause.

Now that we’ve been elected to lead our great and beloved country, we will take our nation and its entire people to greater heights. I can assure you of my resolve that my government would work for all Australians. He and his wife started to waive again first with one hand and then with both hands as people sitting as well as standing started to scream. Everyone present in the hall could see that there was a tremendous amount of goodwill and enthusiasm for him, as the party leader.

We are glad to be rid of the last six years of mismanagement of our country and its economy. My colleagues in my government and our new treasurer would attempt to fix all the mistakes our opponents made in the last six years. Together, we will take our country to greater heights. Yes sir, to greater heights—economic growth and more jobs. His audience started to roar. We will also stop people landing on our shores illegally. We will take firm action and stop them. We would not indulge in hanky-panky schemes, we will certainly stop these boats landing on our shores. Yes sir, we will do that. Hand in hand, the would be prime minister and his wife left the hall.

Both walked to the waiting car still holding hands. I must warn you what I have in mind when we reach home. She stared at him with anticipating looks, deep red, juicy lips. She protruded her tongue out and once again rubbed it on her lips to make them wet and juicy.

I cannot wait. She moved closer and whispered in his ear.

I will kiss you on your mouth, your breasts, your tummy, then inside of your thighs and…

She squeezed his hand tight in hope and anticipation. She started to giggle. Is that all you have in mind? I must say I expected much more from my dashing prime minister.

Then, I will turn you over and continue. He squeezed her curvaceous body closer to his own.

She hummed with an inquisitive glance at him. We will just have to wait till we reach home, have a shower and get into the bed and then get going into the land full of passions and dreams.

You mean, before or after? He looked at her in a special sort of way. I must warn you not to forget that I am now about to be the prime minister of Australia, the most powerful person in the country. I can now do anything that I desire.

It seems the power has already gone to your head, even before getting the job?

Say what you like now but I know what I want. Both laughed as the driver opened the rear doors and let both in.

It was the first Monday morning after the elections. It had been unbearably hot for the last couple of weeks. Today’s rain, however, broke the back of the heat.

Look, even the rain was dancing on the roof tops, possibly, in celebration of our victory and the beginning of the new Federal parliament in Canberra. Someone from the victorious party remarked, as she walked through the front door of the Parliament House. From the winning side, all newly elected members of the parliamentary party were to gather formally to elect the new party leader and the prime minister of Australia.

In honour of our victory, even the sky had opened up to receive its benevolence. Another member of parliament said as he passed through the front door.

When the rain first spilled from those egg-white foams of clouds that seemed too delicate to have burst forth in such a deluge, the members of parliament, especially those entering the House for the first time, enjoyed the heavy drops falling on them and the grass.

The air felt saturated with the smell of wet eucalyptus. It is just wonderful; I mean, the smells of a wide range of flowers around the parliament house. Another member entered the front door after strolling through the flowerbeds near the magnificent and majestically imposing entrance to the parliament house.

One by one, all party parliamentarians entered the House, some carrying in their hands the dark suits covered in plastic bags. Those who did not carry, were in them.

After a few pleasantries among those who knew each other from the previous Parliament, all walked straight to the party room. They were to meet and get to know their new colleagues as well as elect the new leadership team.

In the case of the winning side, their buoyant leader was wearing a dark suit over a black and white striped shirt and a bright red tie. He had suddenly developed a never-ending smile as the elected members of his party took their seats. The soon to be anointed the prime minister of Australia walked up to the lectern, with his smile still intact.

I know you are all excited, just as I am, at the prospect of serving this magnificent country of ours and its energetic people for the next three years and even longer, much longer. Now, let us calm down and proceed with the first and the most important order of the day. Once everyone was quiet and sitting down, he resumed.

Well, I must handout to you fellows; I mean boys and girls, for your hard work. Now that we have made it after six long wasteful years in opposition, we must deliver to our nation, to our people what we promised. By golly, the people of Australia deserve the very best, and the very best they shall have, nothing less. This is the solemn promise I made to all the people of Australia at the beginning of the election campaign, and I repeat the same promise once again. They have given us a mandate to govern our great country for the next three years, and possibly even beyond. We are here to work for all Australians: those who voted for us and those who didn’t.

A few press photographers were there but only for the early part of the get together. Once the introductory speeches were over, they were asked to leave as some important confidential official party business had to be conducted.

The would be prime minister, now beaming with a loud smile, was one of those members of Parliament who in his wildest dreams never thought of himself as prime minister of Australia, or even sought such a high political office. During his adult life, all he wanted was to get through his law degree. Once he achieved his goal, he started to develop a strong fascination for his church and Christianity. He would go for long walks along the river, the beach-fronts or in the parklands just to be himself with his deep thoughts.

Occasionally, during his sleeps at night and even naps during daytime, he started to have these funny puzzling encounters with people from all walks of life trying to talk to him about the religion. How they could improve the quality of their lives and what God would do for them if they were true to themselves and the teaching of the Almighty.

Over the breakfast one morning, he mentioned to his family what he was going through night after night and day after day. After several breakfasts and discussions, one morning he shocked the family by telling them that he could not go on like this any longer. He was unable to follow in his brothers’ footsteps and join the family business. He declared his innermost thoughts to his family members that he had the inclination to become a priest. I am in discussion with the right people to help me pursue that goal.

Whenever the family sat together for a formal dinner around the dining table or gathered around a barbeque, his older brother, who had so far managed to run the family engineering business on his own, would always bring up this matter of his younger brother joining him to keep the business going, against his own declared wishes.

Keep that in mind. He also offered him a senior position on the board of directors, now that he had finished his law degree. We needed a lawyer on the board so that our competitors do not threaten us with lawsuits or legal actions every now and then, even for the flimsiest of reasons.

Ralph happily but reluctantly accepted the position on the board, though this was against his own innermost wishes. As weeks and months passed, his fascination for the clergy grew even stronger. In fact continued to haunt him wherever he went.

He continued to meet secretly with the senior church people and attended several of their meetings at different homes. For obvious reasons, he was reluctant to invite others to meet at his own home.

Then he started to miss the board meetings of the family firm. First he missed just one a month, then two and after a while three. Finally, he started to give excuses for not being able to attend meetings at all. Naturally, his family was worried about him, especially, when their acquaintances and friends advised the elder brother that his younger brother was seen entering and leaving the church, sometime very late in the nights. He will also try to hide away all those papers and booklets that he was given at the church meetings to take home to read.

One evening, it began to rain and the group decided to have coffee and sandwich/cake super there until the rain stopped. They started to talk about general areas other than just the religion. In between, they also asked each other what they did for living. It was at one of such group meetings that a young woman, in her late twenties, with a cup of coffee in her hands, moved closer to him.

My name is Julia, Julia McPherson. I am member of a political party of Australia. I am an active party worker, convener and a close friend and a confidant of the chairperson of the local West Sydney branch. She lifted her hands and moved back the hair from her face. I understand you are a law graduate. She continued to maintain her eye contact with him.

As a keen listener and an attentive person by inclination and by training, he felt instantly mesmerised by her young looks and charm, but mostly by her figure. Besides, not accustomed to having long conversations with women that he was not acquainted with, he did not contribute anything to their conversation, simply listened attentively and nodded in the affirmative.

Did you ever consider politics as a vocation, and as a first step join a political party? She leaned sideway to be a little closer to him. Actually, you will be quite at home with us as several members of the party practice law. A number of our members of Parliament are lawyers and some even in the Federal shadow cabinet, including soon to be the prime minister of Australia. She lifted the cup to her red shining lips and took a long sip of coffee. As a matter of fact, as we speak, a vacancy has just occurred in the Federal Parliament. She raised her right hand. We need to move quickly to fill that position. It is critical to maintain our majority in the Lower House. As you know, that is where the governments are made. She took another sip.

The young law graduate confessed that he had never given any thought to becoming a politician or even joining a political party. He, however, promised Julia McPherson that he would give it a serious consideration and get back to her soon with his decision.

I could give you only up to this weekend to consider my proposition. Both left the matter there and said good-byes.

Julia also advised him that the locals would not like some party bigwig coming from outside the electorate to have a go at the vacant seat at our expense. They would very much like someone from amongst us to replace the retiring member.

Douglas Marshal, the retiring member of Parliament from this electorate, gently warned Julia, and asked that she take this message to the branch chairperson. My replacement must be from our own electorate by someone who knows this area and its people like the back of his or her hand, and also understood the issues affecting the people here in their daily lives. This should be impressed upon the party hierarchy in no uncertain terms.

Well said, Dougy. You are a true serving local politician. You have represented your constituents well over fifteen years, and you have been active around the place long before that. Once again, she pushed back hair from her face. I shall definitely pass your strongly worded message to the people in the Sydney head office. You can be rest assured.

The following night, they finished their dinner and children went to watch their favourite programs on television. In a casual manner, the law graduate brought up this subject before his wife and passed on to her the message from Julia. Without any hesitation, she smiled and hummed a little but she offered him her full support. If you really want to do this, go into the murky business of Australian politics, I am hundred per cent behind you. she lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip. I am your wife. She leaned closer and kissed him gently on the lips. It is my duty to support you in every way that I possibly can. I am not just going to stand behind you as your little woman. I am going to be there standing beside you all the way. She took another sip from the cup and returned it on the table.

He was more than happy with her response. She smiled and kept looking at him with great pride. As her reward, at least he considered it that way, he protruded his lips, leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on her lips.

I have no doubt that the children would also be behind you. She extended her arm around his shoulder and brought him closer. It could even be exciting, you never can tell. She lifted herself from the seat and walked to the kitchen.

The next day was Sunday, the last day for him to respond. After a slow breakfast of barbequed sausages and a couple of fried eggs with roasted tomatoes, he sat down with a second cup of coffee to read The Australian. After quickly glancing through the pages, he picked up The Sydney Morning Herald. He spread the paper on the breakfast table and started to shuffle through the pages after a quick glance at the headlines. While munching at the mouthful, he also managed to look through the large sliding glass door at the wall clock that hung above the door right in front of him.

As it approached ten, he left the breakfast table and slowly walked over to his office. He lifted his mobile phone and keyed Julia McPherson’s number.

Hi Julia, this is Ralphy, Ralph Richardson. This was an unknown territory for both him and his wife. He was visibly nervous.

Hi Ralphy, good to hear from you.

Following our chat yesterday and your powerful persuasion, my darling wife, Fiona and I gave your advice a serious consideration last night, and even slept on the idea of entering the Australian federal political scene. He moved the phone from his right hand and placed it on the desk then pushed in the speaker button. How are you placed this afternoon? He adjusted himself on the seat to be comfortable. I mean if you are free, I could come over and drive together with you to meet with the party branch chair, Katy Thompson. You may like to clear it with her first so that she is also free.

I’ll be happy to, thanks for the call so soon after we met and spoke about it. I don’t mind telling you that I am already getting the right sort of vibrations about it all—you in the politics and our local MP. She switched her phone off and continued with The Financial Times.

Later in the day, he picked up Julia and drove over to Katy’s in his dark blue eighties model series 500 BMW. After talking it over for thirty minutes, both Katy and Julia were pleased that he gave them his consent to put his name forward for consideration as a parliamentary candidate from the West Sydney federal electorate.

The final short list included only three candidates. Two out of three were lightweights in the West Sydney party branch. This almost assured Ralph’s success as a new member of federal parliament.

The branch chair, Katy Thompson announced the committee’s decision to the press. It would be improper to reveal how many votes each candidate had polled. In fact, she informed only the committee members that Ralph Richardson had comfortably outpolled his other two rivals put together.

Six months later, the prime minister called for general elections, and following a lively four-week campaign, Ralph Richardson became the member of the Australian Federal Parliament from West Sydney constituency with a majority of eleven thousand and fifty-seven votes.

As a member of federal Parliament, he started to work hard with his Parliamentary colleagues as well as for his constituents. No amount of work was too big for him and no issue was less important for his personal consideration. He let it be known to his family and friends that he never had it so good and he was enjoying immensely every minute of his being a member of Parliament.

Ralph quickly became popular among members on both sides of the aisle. As weeks and months passed, due to hard work in his electorate as well as with parliamentary colleagues, his popularity edged ahead by the year. He increased his majority with each general election. He won three successive elections to the Federal Parliament. During hard work at both national as well as electorate level, he came across as a leadership material. More and more of his colleagues also started to believe in him and began to consider him as such. Soon, he became known in the senior circles in the party hierarchy as the current leader’s protégé. When the party leader resigned due to advanced years, Ralph Richardson was unanimously elected to replace the retiring leader of the party as the leader of the opposition.

Within few months, there were general elections and the conservatives won the majority. The leader of the opposition was then invited by the Governor-General to form the next Federal government of Australia.

Two

The newly elected prime minister was an early riser, left his bed early morning. After a few sit-ups, walked over to the half-opened window. He felt a strong smell of the eucalyptus bark entering his room. The bold sunlight of the early morning sun was so sharp that he had to squint hard to stop it slicing his eyes. He felt the heat of the sun on his taught skin, the hard, short shadows of tall trees, the sense of standing on a threshold of greatness, of joyfully entering a new universe while still holding onto the old.

He felt awed and amazed at himself for being in the company of those presidents and prime ministers holding power of nations in their hands. Suddenly, he heard a few lorries bringing in a number of people to pack their household goods and take them to the Lodge, Australian prime minister’s official residence in Canberra, a new and modern city planned and built as the national capital.

After only a few minutes, his wife joined him and stood at the window beside him. She hugged him tight and then kissed him on lips. Carrying a strong smile of satisfaction with them, both stepped into the kitchen for their last breakfast in their own family home, where they had lived a long time, first as a married couple, then with their two children.

When they finished their breakfast, prime minister walked into his dressing room, put on a white shirt, a dark blue suit and a red tie. He had just finished putting on his tie when his wife walked in. First, looking over every bit of him carefully, even whistled a catchy tune in a rhythm of approval, smiled and then finally gave him her seal of approval. There you go my prime minister, you definitely look the part. Now you have to make sure you fit into it too. She gave his bum a gentle pat as he walked out.

Soon after, he looked down from the balcony, where his official car and security personnel waited for him. The moment they saw him approach the car, they quickly whisked him into his new prime ministerial limo, while his wife and daughters heading to the airport on their way to Canberra in a VIP jet. In the air now, the entire first family of four felt excited and looked forward to their new official residence.

As they landed at the national airport, two official cars waited for them. The prime minister was to be driven straight to the Parliament House, his wife and children were to be taken to the Lodge, according to their instructions.

The very first cabinet meeting of the freshly elected new government had just started. All of the twenty-four new ministers took their seats without any sitting order. As per the tradition, however, the deputy prime minister and the deputy leader of the party, who also happened to be the foreign minister of Australia, sat on right side of the prime minister, the most powerful man in the country.

First of all, as your prime minister, I would like to welcome you all to this awfully nice and welcoming table in the cabinet room. Everyone laughed at his description of the table.

He smiled broadly looking around the table and gently nodding his head as his eyes moved from one minister to the other, with his smile still intact. All I can say is that we did it, we all did it. I mean beat the bums on the other side of the politics. He lifted a folder that lay in front of him on this large oval-shaped mahogany table. Then returned it more or less where it was. He looked around again then resumed.

We were in opposition for six years, the six long wasted years, wasted for the country and wasted for twenty-six million fellow Australians. The previous governments continuously lied to the nation about the state of affairs. Our fellow Australians were confused where our country stood economically, strategically, in relation to other nations, and most importantly, on issues related to the defence of our land, air and sea borders. He looked around once again to see if everyone was paying attention. I am therefore making a rule that each minister, dealing with the above portfolios, and any other that may be relevant at a particular meeting, should bring all of us up to the speed on the above matters and those others that become critical to the country at a given time. The prime minister closed one folder and opened the other that lay under the first.

He lifted the bottle of water that lay in front of him and poured some water in the glass then drank it. I would now like to invite the foreign minister to speak about the matters related to the national security. As you will appreciate, in this fast changing world, our national security is vital not only for us but also for the countries around us, our allies, partners and friends. He took a half turn and looked at the foreign minister, who sat next to him.

Being the first cabinet meeting of the new government, she was determined to look her best. She, therefore, visited her hairdresser and the make-up adviser before she came to the cabinet room. He looked at her lips that were shinning red. Then he paid a quick glance at her chest. The pair protruded as straight as they possibly could in the padded bra that she had procured specially to wear on this most important day of her life. She looked a little nervous on first day as the country’s foreign minister.

She stared at the dark brown leather folder that lay before her. She raised it and spread it open before her. She lifted the glass of water placed beside her, took a long sip and returned it on this massive well-polished mahogany table. She gave another quick glance on the already opened folder and the papers that lay clipped with it.

As Ralphy, I’m sorry, I mean the prime minister just said, the national security issues have recently achieved a significantly higher profile in the Australian foreign as well as public policy discourse. She lifted the glass and sipped some water. A very small to a tiny section of our community has shown certain sympathy for violent Jihadists overseas. Our every so vigilant security agencies recently apprehended a number of these people who were planning attacks on our national assets. I dare say, there may be more such arrests in the pipeline. She quickly glanced around at her colleagues as if to ensure that they were paying full attention. They all seemed deeply interested.

This is not simply reflected in the attention being given to the flash points of North Korea, South China Sea, Middle East and the other sources of the immediate tension, such as shifting of balance of power in our region between the US, China, Japan and India. The foreign minister again lifted the glass and took another sip.

It is apparent that our national security is transforming in ways that encompass geopolitical, military, economic, technological and demographic changes around us, and even beyond. The foreign minister continued. That change has to be reflected in Australian policy settings, and also the important dimensions of continuity that link to our past as well as our future. She lifted the finger, licked it with her tongue and turned the page. Such changes do not in any way have to consider the rise of China and India, or the possibility of the United States’ decline, though it may never happen. She paused and looked around the table to see if there were any questions. There were none.

The foreign minister took a breather, then continued. With fast changing balance of power in the region, I consider it critical for our security and that of the region’s that we move closer to India, the world’s largest democracy and a rising economic powerhouse, I mean at a much faster speed. India is striving to be a major naval power, from its status as currently having the world’s fourth largest navy and being the largest naval power among the Indian Ocean littoral States. We hope it achieves its ambition sooner than later. India is the world’s largest democracy and a fellow-member of the Commonwealth. India is the only country in the world having been through several general elections with over 800 million voters. We welcome the new government and look forward to working with its new leadership.

We have a very close relationship with our traditional security partner, the United States. The foreign minister emphasised that categorically. We consider Japan to be a close friend and an important strategic partner. Our trade with Japan is nearly a hundred billion dollars. We have just resumed an annual strategic partner dialogue with our leading ANZUS partner, the United States, as well as the Indo-Pacific partners, Japan and India. The previous governments sadly disrupted India’s strategic partner dialogue. But this new government intends to pursue that more vigorously. She raised her head and again looked around the cabinet table.

As you know, our prime minister visited India recently, and we had the honour to welcome the Indian prime minister in the House to address the Joint Session of our Parliament. Listening to an elected leader of over a billion people was, in itself, a great honour. She was visibly excited when she said that.

She turned to the next page. We have also started naval exercises in the Indian Ocean, South-China Sea and the Indo-Pacific Ocean. This would bring our four countries—the US, Japan, India and Australia—the world’s leading democracies—close in the matters of defence planning and coordination.

As for China, that country is our most important trading partner, with exports rising, especially in the raw materials and minerals, dairy produce and other agricultural products. For many years, Australia heavily depended on Britain for our security and then on the United States. Now with attacks on the United States by the terrorists, tensions rising in South-China Sea, meeting challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and the rise of India and China, our whole thinking on the security situation has completely changed. Who knows, further developments in the world may alter it yet again?

In the words of Mark Twain,history does not repeat itself but it can rhyme. The rhyming patterns of policymaking in Australian security can be discerned in its enduring conceptual debates over more than a century that still reverberates in their contemporary form today.

The real policy challenge has been and still remains, how to advance our national security interests through our own effective capabilities and actions, as well as through joining alliances with the like-minded countries, economic, regional and global security partnerships. She sipped more water from the glass.

Who knows, what kind of policy challenges—the rise and decline of some countries, disputes over territory and natural resources in our neighbourhood—would bring at our door? On top of this, there are some rogue, some failed and some failing states in the area, we have yet to comprehend the magnitude of problems this would create for us, our neighbours and the wider region.

Now, this government is not going to make changes to our policy contents on the run, unlike the two previous governments. We need to think it over, I mean think seriously, very seriously indeed, then make policies and then implement them. Change them only where it is absolutely necessary, but only after careful consideration.

To this government, Australia would always come first. The new directions that the changed circumstances may give rise to new policies that promote a defence of Australia through more self-reliant capabilities, pursuit of more creative Australian middle-power diplomacy in Asia and in our immediate neighbourhood. This would also require a more intensive Australian engagement in the region as well as at international levels and spheres. She stopped for a moment. Well, prime minister, it would soon be lunch time. Do you think I should stop this very moment or carry on? She was about to close the leather folder.

Hum. He swirled his wrist and looked at his watch. I see what you mean. I suppose, you could if you would finish in about thirty minutes or so. I am sure no one would mind a bit delayed lunch. He glanced at the front door. I also realise that some people are waiting just outside to serve the lunch. Since it is only a light and cold lunch, it shouldn’t matter. He looked around the large table. There were no disagreements to what the prime minister had said.

Well, foreign minister, there is no disagreement, so you may continue provided you finish within thirty minutes. That’s tops.

The foreign minister smiled and then continued. Well, thank you for this opportunity to present before my cabinet colleagues my views on where we stand and where we may be heading, in terms of our national security. We could ask questions, but after lunch. This is such an important topic and we need to think it through. She closed the folder. "I should add that contribution