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defiance, diplomacy, and logic. Everyone agreed it was a masterpiece except Cal,
who was wearing the expression of a person who doesn t like what he smells.
What s wrong, Cal? asked James, laying the paper aside. Don t you like the
statement?
Oh, it s terrific, he said caustically. It ll cause about as much commotion as a fart
in a hurricane.
You don t think it s tough enough? asked Gavin. We can give it a harder edge.
Cal shook his head. Man, it s just words, words, and more words. We re choking
on all these words. Anyway, the referendum is less than three weeks away, for crying
out loud.
James stared at the statement, and thought about the presenters and reporters
beavering away, hunched over keyboards in cubicles, reading copy, writing copy,
filling their newspaper columns with words. Suddenly he did not want to play that
game.
Cal is right, he said, making up his mind. We could go on trading shots with the
press until hell freezes over. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking, and I refuse to spend
what is left of my reign hiding out in this castle.
James outburst stirred Embries from his meditations. He raised his head and gazed
at James with approval. Yes, he said, as if he had been waiting for James to arrive
at this conclusion. What else?
No statements, no faxes, sound bites, or phone calls, the King said. In the
Christmas interview, I said I wanted to take my message directly to the people, and
that s what I m going to do.
Shona made to object. Embries held up his hand to silence her. Go on, he urged.
What do you see?
I see, said James, getting out on the road and meeting people where they are
in schools, bus queues, and office blocks, in hospital waiting rooms, tube stations,
churches, and shopping malls. I want to talk to them and let them get to know me; I
want to show them the kind of person I really am not the media-created monster
they read about in the scandal sheets.
A charm offensive, said Shona; her face crumpled in a complicated frown. It s
risky. It could easily backfire.
I m all for it, declared Gavin. The King is right; we want to be seen taking
positive action.
I say we put our boy on the road and let the people decide, Cal added. If the
newspapers want to cover something, let them cover that!
Embries added his endorsement, and Shona acquiesced, saying, Your wish is my
command, sir. Just give us a chance to draw up a list of venues and opportunities,
and we ll start the ball rolling.
She and Gavin left together to begin making arrangements for James first foray.
When they had gone, Embries asked, You were almost convinced by Shona s
approach. What made you change your mind?
I ve hidden away in my castle long enough. If I m going to fight for the right to be
King, I want a real flesh and blood confrontation. That s what I m good at.
Embries smiled, and the tight lines around his eyes eased a little. You sound like
someone I used to know, he said.
More coffee, Huw? asked Donald, offering the pot.
No, thank you, Donald I m floating. The leader of the Opposition glanced at
his watch. Unfortunately, we ll have to keep this brief. My driver has strict
instructions to get me back to the office by two o clock sharp. I m chairing a
meeting of the Health Services Committee.
Well, this shouldn t take long. I just wanted to bring you up to date on some plans
I ve been working on for a few weeks. Taking a last sip of his coffee, he set aside
the cup. The restaurant was full of businessmen, but quiet; Donald had chosen it
especially. What would you say if I told you I could make you Prime Minister?
I d shout hallelujah! and then ask who I have to kill, replied the burly Welshman.
As leader of the Opposition, Huw Griffith presided over a motley assortment of
splinter groups and marginal special-interest parties: old socialist Laborites; Celtic
fringe nationalists; Ulsterites, who still clung to the hope that the Northern Counties
could extricate themselves from the Irish Republic to re-create a new United
Kingdom; radical Liberal Democrats; no-hope Greens; and the undead of the
political graveyard; disenfranchised eurosceptic Conservatives.
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