by Barry Rosemberg

"Of course." The Prime Minister paused at a wattle tree. "Beautiful, beautiful. The thing about Quint is that he's linear in his thinking. Once he's got a plan, he goes all military and ram, ram, ram."

"And you are so devious, you slip between der ram, ram, ram?"

"Ah, so." Wally stroked a bright red bottlebrush. "And don't forget, I want a sculptor."

"A sculptor, even."

"One who makes sculptures."

"Scalp-tures?"

"That, too."

A worried Dr Stein returned to his Department. A worried Wally Su paced the garden. "Scheming," he muttered. "Always scheming. Where is the honour in politics? Gone with Confucius. Maybe it wasn't there, either." He turned to a burly guard. "O'Malley," he called, "what do you think of co-operative anarchy?"

O'Malley thought for a moment. "Sounds like a contradiction to me, sir."

"But see how the flowers grow?"

"The gardener pulls out the weeds."

"Am I a gardener, then?"

"If you're prepared to get your hands dirty, sir."

Wally nodded thoughtfully. Clever man, that.

Two days later, he met with Ein and the sculptor, Gus Rode-In. "I've seen your work, those beautiful swans by the lake. But how are you on busts and faces?"

The sculptor, a man with wide shoulders and enormous hands, ran his fingers through a spade of a beard. Wally realized that he'd have to allow geological time for this man to do his thinking. Eventually came the reply, "I trained on busts and faces."

"Vid vot materials?"

Gus slowly considered the question. "All sorts."

"Vood?" A nod. "Clay?" Nod. "Iron?"

"Yes, everything."

"Recently?"

The broad brow puckered. Gus was working out time. "Not long ago."

Ein placed a thick Gus folio on the table. They had both, of course, seen it before. Wally turned the pages, still impressed. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked.

Gus pulled at his beard, straining out the words, "I don't speak much."

"He's been cleared," Ein said.

They said this mainly for the sculptor's benefit. He wouldn't have been within a cooee of the Lodge if they'd been the slightest doubt about him.

"I follow the Way," Gus said in what was a major statement for him. "The others follow the anti-Way."

"I have an Aunty Wei," Wally murmured.

Gus grinned. An eon of nanoseconds later, he said, "Then let's follow her."

"Right." Wally rubbed his hands. "Down to business."

"To business," Ein agreed.

To business, it was. As usual, with Wally involved, much of the groundwork had already been set. While Gus Rode-In when on a mission, was as single-minded as a monk. Their work culminated with a week of highly secretive dress rehearsals.

"Beautiful," Wally breathed.

"It vorks," Ein concurred.

"Ar," Gus grunted. He probably shared genes with gnomes.

They were ready just in time. Time, that was, for The Great Debate. Small, but vocal, factions of Green Welf had formed around One Family and they were pulling strongly to the right. Like a piece of chewing gum, they were pulling other bits with them. Wally could have drawn them back in line in a Cabinet meeting. But, then, they would've started out again. His plan was to discredit them as publicly as possible. If he could squash them, he could also go ahead with wide-sweeping welfare changes. The rich would no longer get richer while the poor got poorer. At the very least, he wanted to ensure a minimum guaranteed income for every person over the age of sixteen. If Wally failed, strange bedfellows would form. No talk of lamington drives for the military. They wanted the big bickies. Slick oil companies would sabotage solar research. Aggro Agro-companies would subvert perma-culture. Lobby groups, like vampires, circled the melting pot of Green Welf, hoping that it would boil over and that they could suck it dry.

Parliament House was packed for The Great Debate. Security swarmed around every entrance. Helicopters circled the air space and fighter planes were kept on the ready. Wally hated the expense but, for once, thought that it was necessary. The excited chatter died down as people settled in their seats. At a few minutes to nine, the Prime Minister appeared in the reserved entrance. Security was vaguely visibly behind him. With extra care, he walked slowly towards the podium.

The Defense Minister glanced sideways at the Science Minister. "What's he been doing?"

Ein paled. "Vot's wrong?"

"Looks like a bloody ballet dancer."

"Ah, deportment lessons. Vally's very keen on tai chi."

"Tai chi!" Quint snorted and sent Ein a funny look.

They both settled down Wally thanked the indigenous peoples for the use of their land. He then introduced Quint, Neo and Dr Stein. Protocol satisfied, Wally adjusted his glasses and peered at the assembled audience.

"Ladies, gentlemen and… politicians," he began, "today is a crucial day."

"More crucial than you could think," Quint muttered.

"Vot's dat?' The Science Minister fiddled with his pen. Good, a tiny light told him that audiovisual recording was being maintained.

"Hmm? Nothing, nothing."