【Prologue】S01E0……
his supposed heln? AI to decide the height of this p on the wall, or the tents of afternoon tea? Or, as Cyril just now agreed to," he gestured with his towards his future Principal Private Secretary, " a wipe- board for casual doodling?"
Cyril, suddenly addressed, gave a slight start, alst instinctively looking at Alistair. He noticed that when Charles ntiohe wipe- board, Alistair''''s gaze flickered ever so briefly to the vat spot beside the desk, his eyes betraying no surprise, only a knowing uanding.
Alistair did not directly answer Charles''''s questiourned slightly, his gaze falling on the young n who had been trying hard to fade into the background. "Cyril."
"Sir?" Cyril straightened his back.
"Regarding the prelinary draft of the Minister''''s schedule, I believe you have already briefed the Minister?"
"Yes, Sir," he responded swiftly. "It has been placed in the In-tray, and I provided a brief explanation to the Minister."
"Excellent." Alistair''''s gaze returo Charles. "Minister, in order t the Departnt of Synergy Coordination into operational readiness as quickly as possible and to fulfil its coordinating funs, I suggest we schedule the first forl Inter-Departntal Infortion Sharing Liaisoing. The tentative ti is this Wednesday at 3 p. This will be a valuable starting point, allowing you to gain an initial uanding of the current landscape of infortion flow between Whitehall departnts and their potential... synergistic potential."
He raised the dot he had been holding, ope, and offered it to Charles.
Charles did not iediately take it. His gaze fell on the bolded title at the top of the dot:
The Rt Hon Charles Hyde MP, Secretary of State for Synergy Coordination - Proposed Schedule Week 1 (DRAFT)
And at the very top of the dense list of etings, briefings, aions, the first iteon the agenda was clearly written in bold:
Monday, 21 Jan, Afternoon
Finalise & Execute: Ministerial Office Layout Adjustnt
Ite & Installation of Wipe- Board & Accessories
A: C. Astley, PPS designate
By 14:00
Ti seed to freeze for an instant.
Charles stared at the lihen sharply looked up at Alistair''''s face, caland unruffled, as if everything was urol, then back at the vat spot he had just pointed out to Cyril, where the whiteboard was to be placed.
"Your authority is to set objectives, Minister. My duty is to first ehis e appears to fun." Alistair''''s hand reieady, holding the dot. He t Charles''''s plex gaze frankly. "Foris the lubrit; tent requires ti. Today, we shall ensure forexists."
Outside, on Whitehall, a black cab honked, its sound distant and indistinct.
"It see..." Charles slowly exhaled, "...you truly are ho."
"Hoy is a prerequisite for efficy," Alistair nodded. "Especially in the initial phase."
Charles reached out, flipped a page of the schedule, then flipped back, his fiip pausing on "14:00" for a nt.
"Well then, Alistair dish." He pushed the dot back. His voice had regais sharp, light quality. "Your whiteboard. If it''''s not here by two o''''clock, I''''ll ke sure the entire building knows about it."
"It will be on ti." Alistair gently closed the dot, plag it in the In-tray.
"Then, Mihe voyage of the Departnt of Synergy Coordination officially sets sail."
He gave a slight nod, turned, a. The door closed silently behind hi
Charles stood there for a long ti, then suddenly gave a huurless laugh. He raised his eyes to the bare wall, his gaze, like a nail, fixed on the spot where the whiteboard would be.
"The fun," he said. His voice was not loud, but the echo frothe office''''s high ceiling de it clear.
The door of the gilded cage closed behind hi and in the st ahead, the treacherous tours of the pa were just beginning to reveal theelves. Charles Hyde, Alistair dish, Cyril Astley. The Whitehall story op
Cyril, suddenly addressed, gave a slight start, alst instinctively looking at Alistair. He noticed that when Charles ntiohe wipe- board, Alistair''''s gaze flickered ever so briefly to the vat spot beside the desk, his eyes betraying no surprise, only a knowing uanding.
Alistair did not directly answer Charles''''s questiourned slightly, his gaze falling on the young n who had been trying hard to fade into the background. "Cyril."
"Sir?" Cyril straightened his back.
"Regarding the prelinary draft of the Minister''''s schedule, I believe you have already briefed the Minister?"
"Yes, Sir," he responded swiftly. "It has been placed in the In-tray, and I provided a brief explanation to the Minister."
"Excellent." Alistair''''s gaze returo Charles. "Minister, in order t the Departnt of Synergy Coordination into operational readiness as quickly as possible and to fulfil its coordinating funs, I suggest we schedule the first forl Inter-Departntal Infortion Sharing Liaisoing. The tentative ti is this Wednesday at 3 p. This will be a valuable starting point, allowing you to gain an initial uanding of the current landscape of infortion flow between Whitehall departnts and their potential... synergistic potential."
He raised the dot he had been holding, ope, and offered it to Charles.
Charles did not iediately take it. His gaze fell on the bolded title at the top of the dot:
The Rt Hon Charles Hyde MP, Secretary of State for Synergy Coordination - Proposed Schedule Week 1 (DRAFT)
And at the very top of the dense list of etings, briefings, aions, the first iteon the agenda was clearly written in bold:
Monday, 21 Jan, Afternoon
Finalise & Execute: Ministerial Office Layout Adjustnt
Ite & Installation of Wipe- Board & Accessories
A: C. Astley, PPS designate
By 14:00
Ti seed to freeze for an instant.
Charles stared at the lihen sharply looked up at Alistair''''s face, caland unruffled, as if everything was urol, then back at the vat spot he had just pointed out to Cyril, where the whiteboard was to be placed.
"Your authority is to set objectives, Minister. My duty is to first ehis e appears to fun." Alistair''''s hand reieady, holding the dot. He t Charles''''s plex gaze frankly. "Foris the lubrit; tent requires ti. Today, we shall ensure forexists."
Outside, on Whitehall, a black cab honked, its sound distant and indistinct.
"It see..." Charles slowly exhaled, "...you truly are ho."
"Hoy is a prerequisite for efficy," Alistair nodded. "Especially in the initial phase."
Charles reached out, flipped a page of the schedule, then flipped back, his fiip pausing on "14:00" for a nt.
"Well then, Alistair dish." He pushed the dot back. His voice had regais sharp, light quality. "Your whiteboard. If it''''s not here by two o''''clock, I''''ll ke sure the entire building knows about it."
"It will be on ti." Alistair gently closed the dot, plag it in the In-tray.
"Then, Mihe voyage of the Departnt of Synergy Coordination officially sets sail."
He gave a slight nod, turned, a. The door closed silently behind hi
Charles stood there for a long ti, then suddenly gave a huurless laugh. He raised his eyes to the bare wall, his gaze, like a nail, fixed on the spot where the whiteboard would be.
"The fun," he said. His voice was not loud, but the echo frothe office''''s high ceiling de it clear.
The door of the gilded cage closed behind hi and in the st ahead, the treacherous tours of the pa were just beginning to reveal theelves. Charles Hyde, Alistair dish, Cyril Astley. The Whitehall story op