Chapter 72

Bert got to District 31 too late to hear the address from the front steps of the parliament building. He for once, was the sober person at a party full of drunks. There was a feverish excitement everywhere, but he hadn't been infected. Others were laughing and cheering but he was crying bitter tears of anger.

He had to raise a smile. People would not understand his despair. The dictatorial Salter was gone and that was a good thing. Everyone thought that now that he had been deposed a change was on the horizon. Bert wondered if their celebrations were a little premature. It couldn't all be over.

Someone shoved a bottle into his hands and Bert took a long swig. It was some sort of scrumpy cider which burned as he swallowed it. He did not care that it was not what his more refined palate was used to. That was what he needed. The oblivion which alcohol would deliver. He went in search of more booze and found what he was looking for.

The normal rules didn't apply that night. The labour class and those from the leadership towns partied together. An unofficial holiday had been declared. Servants from the big houses left their duties and joined the celebrations. A few of the older, stuffier generation frowned on it all. Some thought it would mean the end of civilisation as they knew it.

Phone calls and communications went back and forth. Those that supported Nicholas Salter had prayed for a miracle and they learned that he was definitely out. There had been a statement by other government ministers and the army had stood with them. Any hope of a counter action was rapidly fading.

There would be a world hangover the next day. With the dawn would come the realisation that, for a while at least, life would carry on as before. Everyone went back to work. There had been a change. It had been felt everywhere and the OWG would be held to account if they didn't start to modernise.

Bert woke up in a bed in the house of people he did not know. His head was pounding and his throat was raw. It would seem that he had been sick the night before. He drank a couple of glasses of water and felt it slosh around in his empty stomach. He couldn't go back to his mindless job in the depot. He had to find Dan.

He acted like it was his decision to quit his job. In reality his failure to address his drink problem and his departure the day before had sealed his fate. He was no longer employed by the Ministry of Logistics. He wondered how his old anti OWG group were reacting to the news about Salter.

~~~

Serena sipped at the champagne. How was she here with Dan celebrating the downfall of Nicholas Salter? From rebel to prisoner to a leadership town. The last year had been action packed to say the least. She went to speak to Eric who was in a state of disbelief that there scheme had worked.

The campaign against the inner cabinet had been his focus. It had meant that he didn't have to dwell on other events. Eric was thinking about his wife and daughter. Everything he had done had been because of them. The poison gas, Samantha's sad unfulfilled life and the future of his granddaughter had sustained him in his fight against Salter.

There was a lot of work still to be done. This had been only the first phase of what needed to happen. The OWG had to change. Those were considerations for tomorrow. They all wanted to celebrate this victory. Grace and Alex were having a great time. The adults were in good spirits and were having fun.

They were able to return to their homes so the party carried on at Dan's house. Gradually their friends drifted away. Ryan had to get back to his base. He had prisoners to deal with. He took Sebastien with him, his mind going back into work mode on the journey. Eric wanted to get his thoughts in order ready for his return to the government, so left shortly after Ryan. That left Derek who fell asleep on the sofa. He had drunk a fair amount of port.

Hangovers afflicted the members of Dan's group the next morning. No one was complaining though. People returned to their jobs amid a sense of hope for the future. Dan and Ryan were making lists of everything that the OWG needed to address. They were very long lists. Many others were doing the same.

Bert was feeling the full effects of his drinking. He could not call on memories of the euphoria of the day before to temper his discomfort. He made it to the bank in town and withdrew most of his money. He needed somewhere to stay until he decided what to do and booked into a bed and breakfast.

There would be a lot of news coming out in the next few days. Bert wanted to be at the centre of things. Once he knew what was happening he could make up his mind about his own life. Would he be joining the fight for modernisation? Would he return to his life as a member of the leadership class? That was doubtful. Would he be able to find Dan and Serena?

~~~

Eric returned to his office. The fact that he had been absent on the day the newspaper had been released had been remarked upon by many of his colleagues. Had he known that something was in the offing? Was he trying to save himself from arrest because of his association with Salter?

Everyone wanted to know who had been responsible for printing the photographs which had led to Salter's downfall. The story would come out, but it was right that the OWG should learn the details first. Eric wanted to address the cabinet when they met. He had an awful lot to tell them.

They had sat in the cabinet room so many times and looked to Nicholas Salter for their cue. The ministers were now trying to steer a ship without a rudder and that was just the first of their problems. Again, nobody wanted to be seen as seeking leadership and a polite debate about the way to do business began.

Eric had been aware of the looks and whispers as he entered the room. He sat quietly as the others tried to establish an agenda and a way to proceed. During a lull in conversation he stood up and asked if he could make a statement. There was some dissent, but he remained standing and defiant until they were silent.

"As you know I was not here yesterday."

There were calls of "shame" and "where were you?".

"I was with my colleagues, I will give their details later, who worked with me to produce the copy of The Military Times which led to the removal of Nicholas Salter"

Gasps and some oaths rang out before total silence. Eric had sat up into the early hours deciding what he wanted to say. The facts were important as were the names of those who had hatched the plan. Mostly he wanted to talk about the motivation.

He started with an apology.

I've seen the looks on the faces of those who had been my friends. They thought that I had gone over to Salter's side and they were disappointed in me. I was, in fact, ingratiating myself with the inner cabinet in the hope of learning their secrets and then plotting against them. I sincerely hope that I would be able to rebuild bridges with those whose confidence I've lost.

Ryan Anderson conceived the idea of the newspaper. He was assisted by one of his men Sebastien. My son in law Dan, has been the driving force behind the movement. He made me see the faults with the OWG. He also designed the miniature camera which allowed me to take the photographs.

Derek Frobisher is a doctor who supplied the medical records which had shown the accused's hypocrisy. Serena, Phyllis and Peter are from the labour class and have worked alongside us. We had a common goal. Finally, I must thank General Markov, whose experience in South America made him see the need for change."

There were lots of questions about the party, the distribution of the paper, the general's role and a dozen other topics. One answer included the revelation that Salter was going to have himself declared president. That piece of information was met by outrage. It was also met by the realisation that it was probable that his plan would have been adopted.

"You suspected me of being one of Salter's men. I am not. There are those in this room who did back him. Whether that was because they believed in what he represented or whether that was because it was expedient I don't know. I would ask those, and you know who you are, to consider your positions."

The ministers featured in the photographs were all under arrest. They had been happy to sanction the torture and interrogation of prisoners and now they were facing the same fate. More details of their crimes would be forthcoming in the next few weeks. Unlike other suspected criminals they would get a proper trial.

The army officers who had backed Salter were being weeded out. General Markov took great pleasure in sacking the generals who had been posted to South America with him. They had been loyal to Salter, but their biggest crime was their incompetence. Men who had proved themselves worthy would receive commissions in the future. Their family background or personal wealth would count for nothing.

There was a purge of civil servants too. Many had just obeyed orders, but some had been more proactive. Being forced to be complicit in a crime and volunteering to break the law were very different things. The ministers tried to keep a sense of balance to the proceedings. It would be easy to see collusion where there was none and vice versa.

The sins of the past were being accounted for. New systems and practises were being put in place for the future running of the OWG. That left reviewing and modernising everything that the government had ever thought or done. A schedule would have to be drawn up for reforms. The cabinet didn't really know where to start, so much was due for change.