Teamwork

Recently spotted in Thunder Bay, Ontario: Regional Chief Isidore Day (right) and the Rt. Hon. Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change.

But for the coincidence of my finger on the shutter button and the Minister's up his nose, Minister Murray and the Regional Chief put on an impressive display of teamwork in Thunder Bay two weeks ago. They wanted to help the gathered crowd to see both the down and up sides of climate change. So long as they were in the room, the magic seemed to hold.

When they left, things went back to normal. Not much was accomplished for the rest of that day. Or the day after that.

Working hard to get nowhere is what I spend most of my time doing these days. Let's check in with our friend the Ruler and her Advisors to see if I can convey the state of affairs without breaking confidentiality rules ...

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[Continued from two weeks ago....]

The Ruler of a small but pleasant realm was hurrying early one morning along the Yessir Yessir Highway. She wore a cloak in disguise, but the day was unseasonably hot already and no one was around, so she removed her cloak and stuffed it in her bag.

She hoped to hold an audience, if she could, with the Emperor, her boss to the fourth power, to see if anything could be done about the scourge of the Power - the vast and terrible force that occupied her realm. The Power had pillaged all her resources to fill in templates for no reason. The Ruler's advisors were worked to a frazzle.

On her way to visit the Emperor, she had witnessed a disturbing ritual, annoying in its implications but that had given her an idea. She was sure now that she had what she needed to get the Emperor on her side. Nothing enraged him more than someone else taking the Credit.

All she needed was five minutes of his time. She rehearsed her speech in her head as she approached the Emperor's castle.

"Hoy there!" Someone called to the Ruler. She recognized the voice and instantly regretted removing her cloak.

"Good day to you, Pinchy," the Ruler said. She stopped in her tracks, feigning pleasure at seeing him. Pinchy was one of the Emperor's advisors, second in rank only to Cyril, the Emperor's Chief advisor. 

The Emperor's advisors wore strings as their insignia -- long, fine, taut strings.

"What brings you to the Emperor's castle?" asked Pinchy, perfectly within his rights to know the business of everyone in the Emperor's kingdom.

"Oh, you know," struggled the Ruler, "I was hoping to see, um, YOU, because I would like to talk with the Emperor."

Pinchy's eyes narrowed. "Talk? About what?"

"Yes. About what?" said a second voice, and the Ruler's heart sank. She now had both Pinchy and Cyril and all their taut strings between her and an audience with the Emperor. Getting past them could cost her a limb, or even her head.

She figured she might as well tell the truth.

"I need to tell the Emperor that the Power has come to this kingdom to take all the Credit."

Cyril and Pinchy recoiled as if struck. Their attitude became almost menacing.

"Why do you speak such treason?" Cyril asked. The Ruler immediately saw her error. 

The Emperor and the Power were allies. She was blind not to have seen it or perhaps she'd just not gotten the memo. She recalled the clouds of dust at the castles of her bosses to the fourth and fifth powers the morning after her first battle with the Template Hordes. 

She had misread the signs.

"OK," said the Ruler, initiating the About Face Protocol. "My mistake. The Power is a welcome friend in my realm and I will happily sacrifice my last Advisor for their and our greater glory."

"See that you do," said Cyril, completing the Protocol.

[To be continued ....]

Thanks for reading!

Have a great week!

Karen