【Prologue】S01E0……
ing his solo perfornce.
"Educatioary? Not a cat in hell''''s ce. Energy or Industry? Rather hot potatoes just now. What about Secretary of State for Scotland or Wales? Perhaps they''''ll be syolically ''''tossed to'''' the Liberals, but surely they wouldn''''t shunt off to hose? Please, not Northern Ireland. My God!" His voice suddenly rose. "It couldn''''t possibly be the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, could it? AI to soothe angry farrs, otiate with lancholic cod? Though these days, the ight prefer to lobby the Defence or Fary."
A soft sigh, laced with restrained weariness.
"Charles," the voiow strangely calas if exhausted, said, "you didn''''t call just for a breathing sounding board to recite the list of et nisters, did you?"
Silence fell between the only the low huof the line reining.
"Good Lord…" His voice was unusually tinged with disbelief. "You truly called for this? On a Saturday... at this hour?"
"For pity''''s sake." The tone was b on a plea, or perhaps a suprely restrained and. "Spare —and spare No. 10 the busy line. I igine you wouldn''''t want the Pri Minister''''s first suons to his new Mio be t with an eone, would you? That would be an inauspicious beginning."
"He call back later, or I''''ll return his call." Sensing the renewed sileher end, Charles quickly added: "It was a joke."
"I have two telephones installed," he then supplented, as if this nor teical venience could gically resolve all difficulties.
"Charlie," the other n uttered his na like a deeper sigh, "I think you''''ll be receiving notification very soon."
No sooner had he spoken than a teleph sharply.
Charles said "Hold on," plag the receiver on the desk, then picked up the other phone. "Charles Hyde here... Yes, Pri Minister... Naturally, deeply honoured... At your service... Right, uood."
The call ended.
Charles hung up, standing still for a nt, then replaced the receiver on its cradle. He picked up the phoill ected to Victor. "Vic, your politiose is sily uny, the ting precise to the sed. Though I don''''t know where you''''re eloyed – I really should persuade you to run for MP; you''''d be a first-class Minister."
"Perish the thought." The voi the other end held an elusive asent, as if sav an iing paradox. "''''Charlie Fox'''' is far better suited to the Greenwood of Westnster. My place lies… elsewhere. It see your destination isn''''t on your rehearsed list? At least not ''''inister'''' of the ''''inistry''''."
"An... unheard-of departnt," Charles''''s voice drifted.
"The Pri Minister has established a departnt to place you." The other n''''s tone was a statent, not a question, as certain as if reading a dot already drafted, awaiting only a signature.
"The Pri Minister has established a departnt to place ..." Charles was still dazed, repeating the words, then suddenly reacted. "Wait, how did you know it was a new departnt?"
"Then—" The other n ighe question directly, his voice steady and unruffled, betraying ion: "Its na?"
"The Departnt of Synergy Coordination." Charles replied, this ti it was his turn to sigh. "An utterly peculiar na. Synergy? Coordination? A tautological nstrosity."
"On the bright side, I at least won''''t have to rush off on a train to Cardiff or Edinburgh for now," he added with a touch of self-ckery. "I suppose I kick heels here until they go nu, awaiting word that new departnt''''s office has been fitted out."
"Charlie— No, Minister Hyde. It won''''t take long." The other n paused aningfully, the shift in address carrying an alst ierceptible forlity and distance. "Your… Per Secretary will see to it with characteristic efficy."
His voice held an uionable certainty: "Of that, I have no doubt."
The line disected ly, leaving only the huof the heating systein the roo
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That afternoon
"Educatioary? Not a cat in hell''''s ce. Energy or Industry? Rather hot potatoes just now. What about Secretary of State for Scotland or Wales? Perhaps they''''ll be syolically ''''tossed to'''' the Liberals, but surely they wouldn''''t shunt off to hose? Please, not Northern Ireland. My God!" His voice suddenly rose. "It couldn''''t possibly be the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, could it? AI to soothe angry farrs, otiate with lancholic cod? Though these days, the ight prefer to lobby the Defence or Fary."
A soft sigh, laced with restrained weariness.
"Charles," the voiow strangely calas if exhausted, said, "you didn''''t call just for a breathing sounding board to recite the list of et nisters, did you?"
Silence fell between the only the low huof the line reining.
"Good Lord…" His voice was unusually tinged with disbelief. "You truly called for this? On a Saturday... at this hour?"
"For pity''''s sake." The tone was b on a plea, or perhaps a suprely restrained and. "Spare —and spare No. 10 the busy line. I igine you wouldn''''t want the Pri Minister''''s first suons to his new Mio be t with an eone, would you? That would be an inauspicious beginning."
"He call back later, or I''''ll return his call." Sensing the renewed sileher end, Charles quickly added: "It was a joke."
"I have two telephones installed," he then supplented, as if this nor teical venience could gically resolve all difficulties.
"Charlie," the other n uttered his na like a deeper sigh, "I think you''''ll be receiving notification very soon."
No sooner had he spoken than a teleph sharply.
Charles said "Hold on," plag the receiver on the desk, then picked up the other phone. "Charles Hyde here... Yes, Pri Minister... Naturally, deeply honoured... At your service... Right, uood."
The call ended.
Charles hung up, standing still for a nt, then replaced the receiver on its cradle. He picked up the phoill ected to Victor. "Vic, your politiose is sily uny, the ting precise to the sed. Though I don''''t know where you''''re eloyed – I really should persuade you to run for MP; you''''d be a first-class Minister."
"Perish the thought." The voi the other end held an elusive asent, as if sav an iing paradox. "''''Charlie Fox'''' is far better suited to the Greenwood of Westnster. My place lies… elsewhere. It see your destination isn''''t on your rehearsed list? At least not ''''inister'''' of the ''''inistry''''."
"An... unheard-of departnt," Charles''''s voice drifted.
"The Pri Minister has established a departnt to place you." The other n''''s tone was a statent, not a question, as certain as if reading a dot already drafted, awaiting only a signature.
"The Pri Minister has established a departnt to place ..." Charles was still dazed, repeating the words, then suddenly reacted. "Wait, how did you know it was a new departnt?"
"Then—" The other n ighe question directly, his voice steady and unruffled, betraying ion: "Its na?"
"The Departnt of Synergy Coordination." Charles replied, this ti it was his turn to sigh. "An utterly peculiar na. Synergy? Coordination? A tautological nstrosity."
"On the bright side, I at least won''''t have to rush off on a train to Cardiff or Edinburgh for now," he added with a touch of self-ckery. "I suppose I kick heels here until they go nu, awaiting word that new departnt''''s office has been fitted out."
"Charlie— No, Minister Hyde. It won''''t take long." The other n paused aningfully, the shift in address carrying an alst ierceptible forlity and distance. "Your… Per Secretary will see to it with characteristic efficy."
His voice held an uionable certainty: "Of that, I have no doubt."
The line disected ly, leaving only the huof the heating systein the roo
---
---
---
That afternoon