“Right place, right time eh Wes? Another Chosen Way task completed successfully without any information leak. Its certainly proved worth the effort. Our tests showed that it’s hard to overdose. Once a certain amount has been ingested people start to feel progressively more nauseous and sleepy. It’s a handy side-effect. Eventually they vomit, the body cleans itself and they sleep it off. We don’t expect that to start happening until late in the day. In the meantime, they feel relaxed and unconcerned, ready to follow the crowd.
“The Forum subcommittee thought they were getting staff at a bargain.” He grinned and Wesley glimpsed a brief flash of pure evil cross his face. “Instead they got us. There’ll be no possibility of any form of contact for a while so we must be patient. I’m sure we’ll hear some news soon enough.”
He looked up. Wesley looked a bit sick himself, grey and drained. “Come and have a drink in my office. We need to celebrate this moment, celebrate my … um our … success. The first time I was in New Zealand I bought a bottle of wine just for this moment. It’s a premium award winning wine. I’m sure you will enjoy it.”
Together they walked to Brady’s office. Despite Brady’s confidence Wesley felt the knot of anxiety twist like a knife deep in his gut. There was always a chance things would go wrong. For the first time he felt the possibility of failure. Had it been a mistake to trust his SIC? His thoughts touched briefly on the mountain of mortgages, fraudulent loans and falsified accounts, a paper kingdom which would today rise or fall. With a jerk of his head, a nervous spasm he had recently developed, he forced himself to fake his normal aura of confidence.
Behind Brady’s desk, the pin board was a riot of colour. Hundreds of postcards, each different, each apparently sent by friends on holiday, competed for space. The Robert Frost poem in the centre was yellowing with age and the first cards were now almost hidden. The bottle was placed centre stage on the desk. Two large, tulip-shaped, crystal goblets stood on either side as if on sentry duty. Brady had anticipated success.
Wesley picked up the bottle and read the label, admiration creeping into his voice. “A Larose from Stonyridge Vineyards Waiheke Island 2008. Wow, that must have put you back a bit! I’ve read about that winery. It’s one of New Zealand’s premier wine brands. You need to open it now. It needs an hour or so to develop a bouquet.”
With conspicuous ceremony Brady pulled the cork and examined it. The wine had stained the cork evenly but not over its entire length. He passed it to Wesley with a grin. “It’s worth every dollar I paid and all the self-control I possessed to leave it unopened!”
The wine in the opened bottle breathed, gaining depth and smoothness.
“So Wesley, tell me, now that I’ve completed my projects and set the scene for you, how have your arrangements gone and what comes next? I’ve been so absorbed in details I’ve neglected the wider picture.”
“Just like you I’m not relying on one tactic. We’ve lobbied hard to get our people into strategic roles and now we dominate the African delegation. The years of aid which we’ve poured into their countries convinced them that we have the resources and willpower to effect significant change; that we’re on their side and so they gave our candidates their votes. We didn’t use any trickery.
“We have Defenders scattered amongst the other delegations too. They make up almost all the South East Asian delegation, excluding the Singaporean block, who are unlikely to support any of our remits. Fortunately Singapore is like Wellington, and the message won’t be lost on their leaders.
“Almost half of the South American delegation is made up of our people. Amongst them are some high profile leaders who have considerable influence within their region. I’m confident their vote will go our way. That’s three out of ten regions which we control … We need another three regions on our side and I have a number of negotiators in Wellington waiting to influence known independents. As they sip their iced water our tasteless chemical will start to disengage their logical brain and exaggerate their need to conform. Our strategy is to persuade them that our solution is the only logical option. If the drug fails we may be forced to take a hard-line approach. We know the North American, the Middle Eastern and European delegates will be the hardest to influence. Those regions are controlled by the wealthiest nations and they are unlikely to vote against their own interests without our help. That said, some European delegates have strong socialist leanings and they may well support our remits. It would be to our advantage if the European Region vote was split. Greece, Spain and Portugal are on our side and will vote against the EU. I’ve directed that those most opposed to us are to receive a higher dose … I am sure when smaller countries understand that the remits only target the top four or five economies, they will see the value in casting their vote with us.”
“Which countries have you selected for this honour?”
Wesley looked at the papers in his hand. “This is a draft of the speech I intend to make once our delegates have swung the vote. I’ve chosen Norway, Kuwait, Singapore and the USA as our foundation donors. Together they have a population base which almost mirrors that of the fourteen poorest nations so I think it is a serendipitous match.”
“Once you have the majority vote what exactly will you do?”
“As you know our remits will impose a levy on the rich to lift living standards amongst the poorest. That fact will not be obvious initially. First we will get agreement that achieving the Millennium Development Standards by 2020 for a subset of our nations should be the focus for the next four years then we will start to implement the resolutions needed to achieve this. I’m intending to set the annual levy at $1,000 per head of population. We literally transfer $1,000 from each person in the rich world to each one in the poor. That’s not much but it’ll make a tremendous difference to the poorest. By the time the fifth Forum meets I know we will have such a success story that our influence will be unopposed.”
“Have you considered how this will affect our organisation? Will my role change? I want to focus on more positive strategies, have more influence where it really matters.”
“You’re right. Our strategies will change immediately and your organisational skills will be vital. I’d like you to take control of finances. I’ve arranged for you to be invited to become the foundation director for each newly established National Funding Bank. This banking system will be crucial to raising living standards. Funds to improve healthcare, education and deliver welfare will originate with you. You’ll set up the systems and processes by which aid monies are transferred from the central pool into each bank and you will be responsible for establishing sound banking systems in each country and for the appointment of suitably qualified and trustworthy nationals to oversee the distribution and investment of the levies. The biggest pool of talent is likely to be the graduates from our training institutes. Are you interested?”
Brady smiled. If Wesley could have heard the thoughts rushing through his head and seen the images of personal wealth flashing before Brady’s eyes he would have been aghast.
“Sure. Sounds like an exciting challenge, something to get my teeth into!”
“Great. There is something I need you to do. We ... um ... I mean ... ESAP and its offshoots have some unpaid debts and a few creditors who’ll be banging on our doors. Until we’ve cleared these debts you’re to divert the aid monies and use the interest you earn to repay our debts. This’ll only require a small delay and will be easily concealed while the new systems and process are being established. I’ll leave that in your capable hands … Once the aid levies are deposited into the new banking systems your first responsibility will be to refinance and restructure all external debt so each country will have a clean slate and their new banks will hold the guarantees and securities. Do whatever it takes to divert funds into infrastructure projects. Again I leave the detail to you. This strategy should provide your bank with an income from day one and stop repayment liabilities draining each economy. The remaining funds can be used to start
upgrading key utilities ...
“After the first year there should be no external debt to cripple the economies and the entire aid levy will be available for internal development. I’ve prepared a presentation highlighting the essential facts and figures so that we can finalise the details. We’ll have time over the next week to work on these strategies. Thursday week, I’ll call together our advisors and work out more details. Imagine the world we’re creating!” Wesley almost jumped out of his seat in his excitement; he had already forgotten his earlier premonition. “You’ve no idea how great I feel to see my predictions fulfilled and I know it wouldn’t have been possible without your support and encouragement. Fast asleep in Wellington they’ve no idea a new era is about to dawn; an era when resources will finally be transferred out of the hands of the privileged few.” Wesley looked over at the bottle of wine; its aroma of rich complexity reached him. “This’ll be a moment worth celebrating.”
They settled to wait, each lost in their very different musings. Wesley dreamed about saving the world while Brady was busy devising a scheme to cream off his private fortune. They anticipated the moment when their success would be reported and they could drink to certain victory and a dazzling future.
CHAPTER 62
A small crowd of motorists had gathered to discuss the problem of the landslip and the blocked road. Suddenly the ground bucked under them. They staggered and tripped in their haste to move out of danger. The earth moved under them in unexpected directions. The initial jolt further destabilised the hillside and more land broke away from the cliffs above. Large rocks bounced down the slope like tennis balls accompanied by the rumbling cacophony of smaller stones and debris. The normal roar of the waves against the shoreline rocks was muted as the ground wave neutralised the onshore currents. It was terrifying.
George woke abruptly. His bed swam over the floor somehow blending into his nightmare. It crashed into the opposite wall. Somewhere a door slammed shut. For a moment he thought he must have been lying on a waterbed. The mattress rolled and swayed as if alive. It made him feel ill. Glass from the window had showered into the room. His confusion was absolute.
There’s a fox in the henhouse, he thought, hearing the frantic cackling of hens then he remembered that New Zealand had no foxes. He could made no sense of the crashing and splintering noises he heard, then it hit him, God this is an earthquake, a big one! It seemed to continue forever everything slowed. He heard every crash, felt every movement. Dust leached into the room and he sneezed loudly. When will it stop? What do I do? For a moment he was terrified. He had no idea of the time and the bedside light was not where he remembered it had been when he went to bed. The room was in darkness and only the moonlit outline of the window, now directly above the end of his bed gave him any sense of direction. George scrambled out of the window as the aftershocks continued, unaware that he was dusted in glass shards. There was no sign of Pania.
He tried to remember the layout of the rooms. Where was Pania’s bedroom? He saw the glow of a fire coming from the right corner of the house. The lounge. He ran frantically around the house to Pania’s bedroom. Her window had also shattered and he yelled through the empty frame
“Pania are you all right?”
There was no answer so George climbed in. For a few seconds the scattered cloud cleared. George saw Pania’s bed against the lounge wall. It was pinned under her colonial oak wardrobe and one side of the bed had collapsed under its weight. Pania was unconscious and trapped. Through the shattered wall he could see the glow of the fire increasing as the wooden house started to burn. The floor was covered in broken glass but he was not aware of it as he focussed all his attention on freeing Pania.
He had very little time and yet time seemed to slow. As the fire grew he started to feel the heat. The crackle and small explosions as dancing flames fed on the dry wood increased his panic.
The wardrobe was very heavy and George struggled to move it. It was awkward to get a firm grip and the position of the bed made it impossible for George to lift it off and at the same time free Pania. He ran to the window and shouted loudly.
“Help! Help!”
CHAPTER 63
On the other side of the Pacific, Brady and Wesley waited impatiently for news. The minute hand followed with nerve-racking slowness its ordained circuit over the clock face. An uneasy silence sat between them.
Brady picked up and examined each of his Montblanc pens. He admired their colour and shape, the weight and balance of each one. He removed the top and checked each nib carefully then with a flourish, signed his name on the desk pad before screwing the top back on and returning it in its velvet lined home. Soon he had a row of signatures. Each pen produced a slightly different effect. The ink was a different colour or the nib stroke thicker or finer. He’d need another tray for the pen he’d ordered. Maybe, he thought, one made from maple would look good, or ebony to remind him of Africa.
He looked up at the fish swimming calmly around the tank. Fish watching was one of his favourite techniques for easing stress. It was sometime before he realised he was watching his red Siamese fighter hunting down the newly born Gouramis fry. The speed of the attack and the instant disappearance of the fry diverted his thoughts. He admired the aggressive beauty of his prize fish and moved closer to observe the life and death race for survival. When all the fry were eaten, Brady lost interest. He watched Wesley for a few moments in silence, aware that he hadn’t turned a page for some time. He reviewed the four major targets again, power, communication, road and rail links.
“I’m confident everything’s on track. I’ve had reliable confirmation. Only one team was neutralised and we had a backup in place. Every target had two independent cells to ensure against failure and so I know all the teams were in place and ready to complete their missions as scheduled. A few were out of cell coverage but I am sure they also were in place as arranged.” He looked again at the clock. “It should all be over now. I wonder how long it’ll be before we hear something.”
Wesley looked up from his book and nodded. Unconsciously he twisted the ring on his left pinkie. The diamond glittered icy-blue as it reflected the light.
CHAPTER 64
“Coming.” George heard Rex answer. He appeared out of the night in his dressing gown and slippers and climbed awkwardly into the room.
“I’ll lift the wardrobe. You pull Pania away.” George ordered. He put all his strength into raising the weight a few centimetres off the bed. Rex heaved and pulled Pania towards him. “Hurry I can’t hold this much longer.”
With a last desperate tug Rex pulled her clear. She groaned. George dropped the weight onto the bed, bent and picked her up in his arms and stumbled towards the broken window. Once Rex was outside George passed Pania through then climbed out. Behind them flames licked through the gashed wall.
On the front lawn, at a safe distance from the fire, George gently lowered Pania to the ground.
“Where am I? What happened? Oh my head!”
“You’re okay; you’re safe now. There’s been a big quake and the wardrobe fell on you. You’ve a big lump on your forehead and bruises. How do you feel?”
“Everything’s sore! What happened? An earthquake? Are you sure? Ohhh,” she groaned. “My head hurts. Where am I?”
By this time other neighbours had appeared to help fight the flames. They wasted no time and formed a line passing buckets of water from the Sargeson’s pool to the house. While their parents passed the sloshing buckets hand over hand, the kids carried the empty buckets back to the pool. It was exciting and scary and they felt proud to be helping. A few neighbours rushed over with their emergency fire extinguishers and these were emptied onto the flames.
“She’s got the shakes. It’s shock,” Rex whispered in George’s ear. “I know the symptoms. We have to keep her quiet and still. I’ll get some blankets from Edith.” He disappeared into the night to return shortly after, carrying two thick woollen blankets and a torch.
Geo
rge wrapped her up and sat on the ground beside Pania. He held her close to reassure her. Rex shone the torch into Pania’s eyes. She blinked in the sudden glare.
“Thank goodness! Her pupils are the same size so she’s probably only got concussion, not that that’s always straight forward. Look after her George. Keep her awake and if she gets worse give me a yell. Edith or I will be within coo-ee.”
George nodded. “I’ll look after her. You go and see if others need your help. We’ll be fine.”
Patiently George answered Pania’s questions as her mind circled around the same track, accepting the answers then forgetting them a moment later. As George held her close in his arms, the fragrance of her hair scented the air. He was glad to be alive and felt an unexpected rush of tenderness and yearning. He’d never felt like this before, never allowed himself to feel like this, he corrected himself. His conscience was free at last. He had no more secrets to protect. He was intensely glad that Pania knew the truth, knew every sordid detail. He thanked his lucky stars that tiredness and jetlag had prevented him from returning to his hotel. It could all have ended so differently.
The grey cat appeared out of nowhere its tail large with fright. It jumped onto Pania’s lap and turned around several times to settle. Soon the compact ball of fluff started purring. It was a comforting sound.
Slowly the fire was brought under control. The lounge and two bedrooms were badly burned but the rest of the house was spared. The new wall linings on Pania’s room slowed the flames but everything was blackened and soaked.