The Romanian Question

I’D RATHER GO BLIND

Next day it was announced that the government had decided to form a new ‘Party of National Regeneration’, a fusion of all political parties into one ‘National Renaissance Front’. There was no specific abolition of the former political factions, but by clear and unmistakable inference, they ceased to exist.

Henceforth, Roumania was to be a One Party State whose principal members were to be nominated and whose purpose was to be ‘the Defence of the Fatherland’. The leader of the new Single Party was King Carol. Elections would be held, it was stated, but only candidates approved by the Single Party leaders and declaring allegiance to it, would be permitted to seek the votes of the electors…

King Carol, Hitler and Lupescu

“ALL WE HAVE to remember now, Mr Cornelius, is that many of our new sister countries believe quite profoundly in the virtues of tyranny. To them the words ‘freedom’ and ‘auto-nomy’ are, on other lips but theirs, the ultimate obscenities. And as for a United Germany, God knows what this will mean to my constituents!”

Miss Brunner nervously adjusted her twinset and glanced at her watch. “I’m on such a tight schedule, these days.” Reminded of that, she breathed a sigh of relief. All she knew was control. It so reduced one’s anxieties.

Jerry scratched his stomach with a borrowed loofah. His fatigues were far too tight for him and if she wanted the truth, he’d cheerfully give it to her.

“I’m too old to be a revolutionary,” he said. “I’m just trying to hang on to the gains we made. And that’s why we had to act, Miss Brunner.”

“You won’t get far,” she said. The movement of her hand to her perfect auburn hair was a kind of spasm. “You’re having trouble breathing as it is.” Unconsciously she reached for her own pulse.” And don’t think I’m afraid of any hidden gin bottles or whatever it is you believe you have.”

“I believe I have the killing-harmony, the power-without-fear, white-eyes!” His fingers twitching towards his needle-gun, Jerry uttered something like his old mindless grin. “What you people never allow for is just how short a distance you can push some of us before we stop going with the flow.”

“You disgusting old hippy.”

“I never was an old hippy, darling.” And he plugged her with one neat shot to the cortex. “I was only reborn in the 90s.” He gave his wizened hands a wipe and returned to the video he had been planning to watch before she interrupted him. It was Cat Ballou. He was desperately in need of a new role model, even if it had died in the meantime. Concentrating on the credits, he reached for his pipe and his rocky.