【Interlude】S01E00.5 ……
《书迷必看：梦云悦读》『不可错过的好书：闭月文学网』Sunday, 20 January 1980 | Piico, London | Cold, with a pervasive fog
Sunday. It should have been quiet, unless you find yourself caught in the vortex of a new departnt''''s birth.
Today was sed day oo the DSC.
The office door was ajar. When I pushed it open, he was already there, earlier than the appoii. That ca as no surprise.
He stood by the window, his back to the door, looking out at the grey, fog-shrouded streetscape of Whitehall. A perfectly tailored charcoal three-piece suit, his fra upright and lean, his platinublonde hair catg the cool light of the sunless roo
The rooheld only a teorary desk, a few chairs, ay fili, and in the er, aric heater giving off a faint warh—clearly insuffit to drive the chill frothe bones of this old building. Of course. The preparatory unit had spent all of yesterday on re critical tters; Sir''''s office had been overlooked.
"Mr Astley." He did not turn around. His voice was steady and low, with a distinct ce that cut through the silence of the roo "Punctuality is the politeness of kings, and thus the first duty of their servants. Good."
"M, Sir." I tried to keep own voice steady as I set down briefcase.
He turned, and his grey-green eyes t h a look of appraisal.
There was no superfluous pleasantry. The task was assigned iediately: "The et Office''''s PPS didate shortlist is on your desk. I require you to plete a prelinary sing before noon. Mark the three you sider st suitable, with a brief ratiohe priorities are: discretion, anisational skill, and an uanding of the Whitehall ecosyste"
He paused. "In addition, here is the prelinary layout for the Minister''''s office." He handed a hand-drawch, the lines and precise, rking the positions of the desk, visitor''''s area, and filis. He had even reserved a blank wall. "The Minister''''s preferences are unknown, but the basiust be in place. Priority one is to ehe telephone lines are clear and the In/Out Tray systeis operational. The finer points of decor… be addressed after His Right Honourable Minister arrives. Efficy is paraunt, Mr Astley. We have little ti."
The instrus were clear, which was his style. There was no grand speech about the new departnt''''s vision, only crete tasks dending iediate execution. It was, frankly, a relief. A is alreferable to baseless speculation.
The passed in a flurry of activity. Sifting through the PPS list required rapid recall and judgnt of each didate''''s background, reputation, and potential suitability. At the sa ti, I had to liaise with the logistid estates division to ehe basic office furniture would be in place, just about, before the Minister''''s arrival torrow. Telephones, desks, chairs, the st basic stationery… every iterequired unication and coordination. The irony that the ''''Departnt of Synergy Coordination'''' was itself a stuling infant alpable.
Lunch was a hastily ed sandwich. When I returned, Sir was still at his teorary desk, several files open before hi king swift annotations with a fountain pen in his left hand. Without looking up, he said, "Astley, I need your reendation on the figuration of the Minister''''s offihe standard options are ste and a sll reception area. But sidering the particular nature of the DSC, are there other potential uses that should be planned for in advance? Write a brief randu"
I naturally agreed, and was about to head to own sll cubicle to plete the task when Sir stopped . He said I was to plete it there, in his office.
"Yes, Sir." I sat down iediately and began to think.
The question seed sile, but it gave pause. The DSC''''s ''''particular nature''''? Its very aiguity was its st particular feature. A new departnt viewed by all as a sinecure, a political vase. How would the Minister use this space? Sily to store his coat and files? Or for re private, inforl discussions? I tried to think frothe
Sunday. It should have been quiet, unless you find yourself caught in the vortex of a new departnt''''s birth.
Today was sed day oo the DSC.
The office door was ajar. When I pushed it open, he was already there, earlier than the appoii. That ca as no surprise.
He stood by the window, his back to the door, looking out at the grey, fog-shrouded streetscape of Whitehall. A perfectly tailored charcoal three-piece suit, his fra upright and lean, his platinublonde hair catg the cool light of the sunless roo
The rooheld only a teorary desk, a few chairs, ay fili, and in the er, aric heater giving off a faint warh—clearly insuffit to drive the chill frothe bones of this old building. Of course. The preparatory unit had spent all of yesterday on re critical tters; Sir''''s office had been overlooked.
"Mr Astley." He did not turn around. His voice was steady and low, with a distinct ce that cut through the silence of the roo "Punctuality is the politeness of kings, and thus the first duty of their servants. Good."
"M, Sir." I tried to keep own voice steady as I set down briefcase.
He turned, and his grey-green eyes t h a look of appraisal.
There was no superfluous pleasantry. The task was assigned iediately: "The et Office''''s PPS didate shortlist is on your desk. I require you to plete a prelinary sing before noon. Mark the three you sider st suitable, with a brief ratiohe priorities are: discretion, anisational skill, and an uanding of the Whitehall ecosyste"
He paused. "In addition, here is the prelinary layout for the Minister''''s office." He handed a hand-drawch, the lines and precise, rking the positions of the desk, visitor''''s area, and filis. He had even reserved a blank wall. "The Minister''''s preferences are unknown, but the basiust be in place. Priority one is to ehe telephone lines are clear and the In/Out Tray systeis operational. The finer points of decor… be addressed after His Right Honourable Minister arrives. Efficy is paraunt, Mr Astley. We have little ti."
The instrus were clear, which was his style. There was no grand speech about the new departnt''''s vision, only crete tasks dending iediate execution. It was, frankly, a relief. A is alreferable to baseless speculation.
The passed in a flurry of activity. Sifting through the PPS list required rapid recall and judgnt of each didate''''s background, reputation, and potential suitability. At the sa ti, I had to liaise with the logistid estates division to ehe basic office furniture would be in place, just about, before the Minister''''s arrival torrow. Telephones, desks, chairs, the st basic stationery… every iterequired unication and coordination. The irony that the ''''Departnt of Synergy Coordination'''' was itself a stuling infant alpable.
Lunch was a hastily ed sandwich. When I returned, Sir was still at his teorary desk, several files open before hi king swift annotations with a fountain pen in his left hand. Without looking up, he said, "Astley, I need your reendation on the figuration of the Minister''''s offihe standard options are ste and a sll reception area. But sidering the particular nature of the DSC, are there other potential uses that should be planned for in advance? Write a brief randu"
I naturally agreed, and was about to head to own sll cubicle to plete the task when Sir stopped . He said I was to plete it there, in his office.
"Yes, Sir." I sat down iediately and began to think.
The question seed sile, but it gave pause. The DSC''''s ''''particular nature''''? Its very aiguity was its st particular feature. A new departnt viewed by all as a sinecure, a political vase. How would the Minister use this space? Sily to store his coat and files? Or for re private, inforl discussions? I tried to think frothe