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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Drama / Human Interest
- Subject: Adventure
- Published: 02/26/2018
The news flash came unexpectedly, ‘Dora Grazon, the first female President of a European country, has been seriously injured in a car crash. The hospital reports that she is not in grave danger, but has been placed in an artificial coma. The police are not investigating the possibility of foul play’.
“You stupid man”, ranted Maureen Grazon to her father, “How could you cause a crash that could endanger my mother? Typical of everything you do! A total shambles, a disgusting mess, a manly disaster!”
“Now hold on a minute”, gasped the strucken husband and father -- George Grazon, “It was a total accident caused by one of your cats running across the driveway, that I swerved and hit the tree.”
“That’s right, blame one of my cats for your pathetic driving. Typical useless man, an apology for a father”, ranted Maureen further.
George knew that it was useless right now to explain to his daughter her unreasonableness. He also knew there was a growing problem in the girl’s head. Maureen seemed to be partaking now in her teenage anger, but she was now 25, still living at home, and developing hates at an alarming rate.
Maureen poured anger at her father and all men, who actually had nothing to do with two failed boyfriend-ships that she had had. George had tried to talk with Maureen, but she always behaved like smashing glass. Dora was sadly too busy in her very demanding job to spend much time with Maureen.
Sadly this outburst had taken place in the intensive care station where Dora Grazon was sleeping in her artificial coma. As daughter and father faced each other while ranting, neither noticed the intense flickering eye activity of Dora on the bed.
The Prime Minister, Michel Mercure, telephoned George Grazon and asked how Dora was getting on? Michel Mercure reported to George some points from his discussion with the Chief Surgeon.
“The Chief Surgeon is hopeful for eventual regain of consciousness with minimal brain damage for President Grazon”, reported the Prime Minister. “The Chief Surgeon suggests that we meet here next to your wife in her coma when we hold our Cabinet briefings. President Grazon might hear some or all of the conversations, and that way she will not be totally out-of-date when she awakens”.
“Excellent idea”, responded George Grazon, “I will leave the room when you all arrive. Please not more than five persons at any one time, the Chief Surgeon has said”.
The first five Cabinet members met the next late afternoon in the hospital room of the coma patient President Dora Grazon. The Prime Minister’s son Philippe Mercure, sat outside the room in deep conversation with the President’s daughter Maureen during the meeting. Everyone looked contented after the meeting. The Prime Minister did not joke when he suggested that the President had heard every word. It was interesting too he said that positive results were achieved when compatible people with an agreed common goal set out to determine government policy!
If we could peer into the coma patient’s sensory system during the meeting we might understand perhaps how her mixed up senses perceived the event. President Dora Grazon identified each of the persons speaking with a different animal, which reflected the perceived sensory description of the speaker’s character and purpose. Their human names are less important at this moment so we will follow President Grazon, who saw their shadows through her half closed eyes, and remember them by their animal names. It was clear that the President knew anyway that these five shadows today were the most helpful colleagues in the Cabinet: Mr. Elephant was her never forgetful aide, Mrs. Cat was the colleague who understood her most, Mr. Lion was always encouraging her to be firm with the Opposition, Ms. Tiger was the most trusted planner she could hope for, and Mr. Giraffe had the ability to look over people’s head almost into the future.
In the middle of the night, the Duty Nurse heard the coma patient mumbling. ‘That’s a good sign’, the Nurse thought, ‘The patient is coherent even if delirious. Mumbling about talk among the shadows of animals in her Menagerie!’
The next day, a further five Cabinet Members presented their briefs to the coma patient. Guillaume d'Ars, the Finance Minister, chaired the meeting, and reported his conversation with the Prime Minister from just before.
The Prime Minister said that after the meeting yesterday he had wild dreams last night. He dreamt that five friendly animals chatted with the President in her coma. He said he was not worried because the meeting had arrived at very good results yesterday. He said that he dreamt that the President had told him not to forget to modify the financial balance before we announce the results to the country. "Very good advice from somewhere beyond the sky", finalized Mr. de Ars.
These second five members likewise had a very productive meeting in the presence of the comatose President Grazon. Each one had tried to remember how the President would have dealt with the issues, had she been awake instead of in a coma.
President Grazon in her coma ascribed to herself, these second five Cabinet members also as favourable, helpful, and honest characters. Mr. Horse had indeed raced ahead of all of those imposing hurdles, Ms. Squirrel had kept all wasted efforts down to a minimum, and hoarded up resources so that the country could benefit in difficult time, Mr. Bull had kept the difficult Cabinet Members at bay, Mrs. Donkey always made the right comments when the difficult Cabinet Members regularly brought up their disruptive machinations, and Mr. Pig -- Happy Mr. Pig -- had kept the President hopeful when the ‘difficult Cabinet Members’ betrayed secrets to the Opposition.
President Grazon thought that she would happily share her dreams also with these five tonight. The President knew that tomorrow’s meeting, the third of such, would be quite a different genre -- because the Prime Minister had obviously had a good reason to send all five of the ‘difficult Cabinet Members’ together to the debriefing with the coma patient President.
President Grazon also heard the Prime Minister’s son, Philippe Mercure, sitting outside her room in deep conversation with her daughter Maureen during the second meeting. She heard clearly all of their conversation, and smiled at how well the two were getting on together.
As expected by the Prime Minister the next afternoon’s third debriefing in the coma patient’s room was highly charged and potentially dangerous. These ‘difficult Cabinet Members’ in their element together without the majority of ‘moderate Cabinet Members’ in the room, uttered damnable statements. They libeled the absent ‘moderate Cabinet Members’ and damned them individually as stupid, moronic, ancient, overweight, bulimic, alcoholic, pathetic, socialistic, loser, and ‘overly nice’, in no particular order! It soon emerged from the conversations that these five ‘difficult Cabinet Members’ regularly sabotaged the attempts of the President to moderate her country. They also undermined the attempts of the Prime Minister to be understanding with the Opposition, by providing the Opposition with all of the plans before any meeting.
Now the President even in her coma understood all of this very well, as did the Chief Surgeon and the Government Agents who were recording all of the sounds for ‘medical purposes’. The tapes also recorded the comatose President’s muttered, but coherent comments, about the five ‘difficult Cabinet Members’; “Mr. Wolf always foaming at the mouth, Mrs. Hyena stealthily creeping to sell the secrets, Ms. Adder badmouthing with her poisoned tongue, Mr. Fox cunningly preparing the next lies, and Mr. Monkey stealing the best ideas.” This third fiver group of the Menagerie of Shadows was ominous and foreboding. and the President knew she would have to tread carefully in the future. At least the President knew that she could trust the other ten ‘moderate Cabinet Members’ with her confidences and perhaps her life!
The next day the ‘moderate Cabinet Members’ all exchanged their dreams. They had all dreamt of the meeting of the ‘difficult Cabinet Members’ in the room of the coma patient President, and all had heard the horrendous comments exactly as they had been spoken. This was even more remarkable as yet none of them had heard the tape recordings!
The next day Dora Grazon awoke from her coma. After a few days of rehabilitation with her family Dora was pleased to see that her daughter Maureen was now not constantly attacking George. After a few more days President Grazon felt well enough to meet the Prime Minister, Michel Mercure. She said that she would like to meet him outdoors away from prying eyes and tuned in ears. She met him at the Zoo!
As they strolled through the Zoo, away from the discrete Security Teams, they were both amazed at the success of the Cabinet Meetings in the hospital room when the President had lain in coma. They were also both amazed how much they shared in common thoughts. Neither really believed in telepathy – not that they thought it was nonsense, but simply unproven! They knew that they could rely on the nine other ‘moderate Cabinet Members’ completely.
When they passed the enclosures of the wolves, hyenas, foxes, monkeys and reptiles at the Zoo, there was an unpleasant coldness in the air, a suspicious stillness and an awakening of danger! The Prime Minister told the President that there was certainly future trouble brewing from the five ‘difficult Cabinet Members’, and he had quietly ordered the Security Services to monitor all of the activities of the five.
“Well”, sighed the President, “when times are difficult I will come here to the Zoo and talk to the animals.
“Just like others talk to shrinks, spin doctors and priests?” asked the Prime Minister.
“Exactly, and maybe we may change the instincts of the wolves, hyenas, foxes, monkeys and reptiles, in shadow politics if not in nature”, suggested the President.
“By the way”, the Prime Minister spoke softly, “My son is very enchanted with your daughter Maureen”.
“I am very pleased about those two”, replied the President, “Another result is that Maureen treats her father most respectfully now. Must be the effect of your son, and his respect for his father!”
The Menagerie Of Shadows(Alan Bruce)
The news flash came unexpectedly, ‘Dora Grazon, the first female President of a European country, has been seriously injured in a car crash. The hospital reports that she is not in grave danger, but has been placed in an artificial coma. The police are not investigating the possibility of foul play’.
“You stupid man”, ranted Maureen Grazon to her father, “How could you cause a crash that could endanger my mother? Typical of everything you do! A total shambles, a disgusting mess, a manly disaster!”
“Now hold on a minute”, gasped the strucken husband and father -- George Grazon, “It was a total accident caused by one of your cats running across the driveway, that I swerved and hit the tree.”
“That’s right, blame one of my cats for your pathetic driving. Typical useless man, an apology for a father”, ranted Maureen further.
George knew that it was useless right now to explain to his daughter her unreasonableness. He also knew there was a growing problem in the girl’s head. Maureen seemed to be partaking now in her teenage anger, but she was now 25, still living at home, and developing hates at an alarming rate.
Maureen poured anger at her father and all men, who actually had nothing to do with two failed boyfriend-ships that she had had. George had tried to talk with Maureen, but she always behaved like smashing glass. Dora was sadly too busy in her very demanding job to spend much time with Maureen.
Sadly this outburst had taken place in the intensive care station where Dora Grazon was sleeping in her artificial coma. As daughter and father faced each other while ranting, neither noticed the intense flickering eye activity of Dora on the bed.
The Prime Minister, Michel Mercure, telephoned George Grazon and asked how Dora was getting on? Michel Mercure reported to George some points from his discussion with the Chief Surgeon.
“The Chief Surgeon is hopeful for eventual regain of consciousness with minimal brain damage for President Grazon”, reported the Prime Minister. “The Chief Surgeon suggests that we meet here next to your wife in her coma when we hold our Cabinet briefings. President Grazon might hear some or all of the conversations, and that way she will not be totally out-of-date when she awakens”.
“Excellent idea”, responded George Grazon, “I will leave the room when you all arrive. Please not more than five persons at any one time, the Chief Surgeon has said”.
The first five Cabinet members met the next late afternoon in the hospital room of the coma patient President Dora Grazon. The Prime Minister’s son Philippe Mercure, sat outside the room in deep conversation with the President’s daughter Maureen during the meeting. Everyone looked contented after the meeting. The Prime Minister did not joke when he suggested that the President had heard every word. It was interesting too he said that positive results were achieved when compatible people with an agreed common goal set out to determine government policy!
If we could peer into the coma patient’s sensory system during the meeting we might understand perhaps how her mixed up senses perceived the event. President Dora Grazon identified each of the persons speaking with a different animal, which reflected the perceived sensory description of the speaker’s character and purpose. Their human names are less important at this moment so we will follow President Grazon, who saw their shadows through her half closed eyes, and remember them by their animal names. It was clear that the President knew anyway that these five shadows today were the most helpful colleagues in the Cabinet: Mr. Elephant was her never forgetful aide, Mrs. Cat was the colleague who understood her most, Mr. Lion was always encouraging her to be firm with the Opposition, Ms. Tiger was the most trusted planner she could hope for, and Mr. Giraffe had the ability to look over people’s head almost into the future.
In the middle of the night, the Duty Nurse heard the coma patient mumbling. ‘That’s a good sign’, the Nurse thought, ‘The patient is coherent even if delirious. Mumbling about talk among the shadows of animals in her Menagerie!’
The next day, a further five Cabinet Members presented their briefs to the coma patient. Guillaume d'Ars, the Finance Minister, chaired the meeting, and reported his conversation with the Prime Minister from just before.
The Prime Minister said that after the meeting yesterday he had wild dreams last night. He dreamt that five friendly animals chatted with the President in her coma. He said he was not worried because the meeting had arrived at very good results yesterday. He said that he dreamt that the President had told him not to forget to modify the financial balance before we announce the results to the country. "Very good advice from somewhere beyond the sky", finalized Mr. de Ars.
These second five members likewise had a very productive meeting in the presence of the comatose President Grazon. Each one had tried to remember how the President would have dealt with the issues, had she been awake instead of in a coma.
President Grazon in her coma ascribed to herself, these second five Cabinet members also as favourable, helpful, and honest characters. Mr. Horse had indeed raced ahead of all of those imposing hurdles, Ms. Squirrel had kept all wasted efforts down to a minimum, and hoarded up resources so that the country could benefit in difficult time, Mr. Bull had kept the difficult Cabinet Members at bay, Mrs. Donkey always made the right comments when the difficult Cabinet Members regularly brought up their disruptive machinations, and Mr. Pig -- Happy Mr. Pig -- had kept the President hopeful when the ‘difficult Cabinet Members’ betrayed secrets to the Opposition.
President Grazon thought that she would happily share her dreams also with these five tonight. The President knew that tomorrow’s meeting, the third of such, would be quite a different genre -- because the Prime Minister had obviously had a good reason to send all five of the ‘difficult Cabinet Members’ together to the debriefing with the coma patient President.
President Grazon also heard the Prime Minister’s son, Philippe Mercure, sitting outside her room in deep conversation with her daughter Maureen during the second meeting. She heard clearly all of their conversation, and smiled at how well the two were getting on together.
As expected by the Prime Minister the next afternoon’s third debriefing in the coma patient’s room was highly charged and potentially dangerous. These ‘difficult Cabinet Members’ in their element together without the majority of ‘moderate Cabinet Members’ in the room, uttered damnable statements. They libeled the absent ‘moderate Cabinet Members’ and damned them individually as stupid, moronic, ancient, overweight, bulimic, alcoholic, pathetic, socialistic, loser, and ‘overly nice’, in no particular order! It soon emerged from the conversations that these five ‘difficult Cabinet Members’ regularly sabotaged the attempts of the President to moderate her country. They also undermined the attempts of the Prime Minister to be understanding with the Opposition, by providing the Opposition with all of the plans before any meeting.
Now the President even in her coma understood all of this very well, as did the Chief Surgeon and the Government Agents who were recording all of the sounds for ‘medical purposes’. The tapes also recorded the comatose President’s muttered, but coherent comments, about the five ‘difficult Cabinet Members’; “Mr. Wolf always foaming at the mouth, Mrs. Hyena stealthily creeping to sell the secrets, Ms. Adder badmouthing with her poisoned tongue, Mr. Fox cunningly preparing the next lies, and Mr. Monkey stealing the best ideas.” This third fiver group of the Menagerie of Shadows was ominous and foreboding. and the President knew she would have to tread carefully in the future. At least the President knew that she could trust the other ten ‘moderate Cabinet Members’ with her confidences and perhaps her life!
The next day the ‘moderate Cabinet Members’ all exchanged their dreams. They had all dreamt of the meeting of the ‘difficult Cabinet Members’ in the room of the coma patient President, and all had heard the horrendous comments exactly as they had been spoken. This was even more remarkable as yet none of them had heard the tape recordings!
The next day Dora Grazon awoke from her coma. After a few days of rehabilitation with her family Dora was pleased to see that her daughter Maureen was now not constantly attacking George. After a few more days President Grazon felt well enough to meet the Prime Minister, Michel Mercure. She said that she would like to meet him outdoors away from prying eyes and tuned in ears. She met him at the Zoo!
As they strolled through the Zoo, away from the discrete Security Teams, they were both amazed at the success of the Cabinet Meetings in the hospital room when the President had lain in coma. They were also both amazed how much they shared in common thoughts. Neither really believed in telepathy – not that they thought it was nonsense, but simply unproven! They knew that they could rely on the nine other ‘moderate Cabinet Members’ completely.
When they passed the enclosures of the wolves, hyenas, foxes, monkeys and reptiles at the Zoo, there was an unpleasant coldness in the air, a suspicious stillness and an awakening of danger! The Prime Minister told the President that there was certainly future trouble brewing from the five ‘difficult Cabinet Members’, and he had quietly ordered the Security Services to monitor all of the activities of the five.
“Well”, sighed the President, “when times are difficult I will come here to the Zoo and talk to the animals.
“Just like others talk to shrinks, spin doctors and priests?” asked the Prime Minister.
“Exactly, and maybe we may change the instincts of the wolves, hyenas, foxes, monkeys and reptiles, in shadow politics if not in nature”, suggested the President.
“By the way”, the Prime Minister spoke softly, “My son is very enchanted with your daughter Maureen”.
“I am very pleased about those two”, replied the President, “Another result is that Maureen treats her father most respectfully now. Must be the effect of your son, and his respect for his father!”
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