The security guard said, “Good morning! His Excellency, Mr. Yusuf Alfalaki, ambassador of Cout has an appointment with the Prime Minister, Mr. Michael White.” The old woman turned to check visitors schedule in front of her and she pressed a button on the phone; she said in a …show more content…
Did ambassadors expect the old empire, which had been sinking in a new form of socialism, to treat them with any seriousness? Why for heaven sake people talk about Saint James Palace? It hadn’t been the seat of monarchy since Queen Victoria had left for Buckingham Palace in the early nineteenth century. Was it a way to fool tourists? One day, Yusuf read a book about London and it said the city itself was a big lie to fool strangers. The author was not exaggerating. Names of streets were almost the same, while municipality added names like garden, stable, and crescent to original street names. Only in London did words like these actually mean …show more content…
You know that I don’t request a meeting with you unless it’s urgent. I know you are busy, and the government cabinet depends heavily on you.”
*
They both exchanged smirky smiles, which Tony failed to notice, as he was busy looking at the contents of his folder. Yusuf knew that his deputy hated the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and the Prime Minister did not have a strong attachment to either one. Yusuf also knew that the Prime Minister always ignored the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. So Michael dealt only with the Secretary of State. From the moment he had first seen the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Yusuf learned that it seemed impossible to find a decent human being in this world who really didn’t hate a person holding such position.
There was a moment of silence in the room. They both sipped their coffee.
“You must have heard what happened!”
“You mean at the Nahrawan?” Michael replied.
“Normally, what happens in Zimbabwe isn’t really my concern,” Yusuf said.
Michael, who was also in charge of diplomatic relations in Africa, sighed and added, “I wish I could say the same thing. Our American friends believed that the military coup attempt was not