brotherhood forged over two centuries, gets fifty yards by the refrigerators. Couldn’t have been more insulting.
Elizabeth I’m touched by your indignation. But I wouldn’t read too much into it.
Brown How can I not? Everyone else is. Leader writers and bloggers taking it as an indication of the White House distancing itself from the candidate they fully expect to lose the next General Election. I suppose it serves me right. I probably will lose, and only have myself to blame. After all, you told me to go for it.
Elizabeth For what?
Brown A snap election. In 2007. When I was still in my honeymoon. To establish a personal mandate.
Elizabeth Ah, yes. I’m a great believer in displays of strength. When Mr Major told me he intended to face down his rebels in 1995 …
Brown ‘Back me or sack me.’ I remember.
Elizabeth I didn’t discourage him. Nor Mr Wilson in 1974, when he had a minority Labour government.
Brown
All
of us politicians could learn a thing or two from you. We’re
all
in the survival business, and God knows, if anyone has pulled off an inexplicable survival against the odds it’s you … I mean this institu—I mean … Oh …
Brown tails off, checks himself.
Elizabeth I think that started life as a compliment – but ended up somewhere else.
The Queen smiles.
It’s true. From a purely logical perspective our ‘inexplicable’ survival on the throne is perhaps hard to justify. But that’s where one’s grateful for one’s faith and the clarity that brings.
Brown (
not following
) Ma’am …?
Elizabeth The Coronation is no civic event. It’s a consecration that takes place in God’s house. Under
His
roof.
Brown stares. Still not understanding.
It’s
His
will that we are where we are.
A silence.
Back to your trip?
Brown Well, after a couple more days in Pittsburgh, and a productive meeting with Colonel Gaddafi.
Elizabeth Was he in his tent? With all his female bodyguards?
Brown Not this time. I met him in New York. At the UN. In which he reiterated his commitment to abandoning his weapons programme and his desire to continue investing in the UK. I came home.
Elizabeth I heard he’d taken to referring to himself both as ‘Leader of the Revolution’ and the ‘King of Kings’. Which seems to be wanting to have it both ways. (
A beat.
) Did you at least manage to get away for the weekend?
Brown I did. And even found some time to think about a book I’m planning to write. About the financial crisis engulfing us all. And how the world can work together to best prevent another one in the future; through coordinated monetary policy and regulation … by way of some post-Keynesian stuff about insufficient aggregate demands …
Elizabeth That was your
weekend
?
Brown Yes, Ma’am.
Elizabeth No guests then?
Brown Oh, yes. Someone from the Department of International Development whose name escapes me, someone from Save the Children – a corpulent woman. But Sarah took care of them. Gave them the tour.
Elizabeth Swimming in the indoor pool? A walk in the woods?
Brown You know the Chequers routine.
Elizabeth We have a similar one at Balmoral as you know. Picnics by the lake, walks on the moors after lunch …
Brown Weather permitting.
Elizabeth Excuse me. No
matter
the weather.
Brown smiles.
Brown I shall never forget the story you told about my predecessor turning up at Balmoral in brand new country clothes.
Elizabeth Mr Blair? Yes. He and his lady wife, Cheryl …
Brown Che-
rie
.
Elizabeth In spanking new tweed … I
think
with all the price tags still attached. We were all very amused.
Brown (
erupting in joy
) Ha!
Brown slaps his thigh. His laughter is alarmingly loud and without restraint. The Queen is startled.
Elizabeth Goodness.
Brown Forgive me – but jokes at his expense never fail to cheer me
Elizabeth I’m touched by your indignation. But I wouldn’t read too much into it.
Brown How can I not? Everyone else is. Leader writers and bloggers taking it as an indication of the White House distancing itself from the candidate they fully expect to lose the next General Election. I suppose it serves me right. I probably will lose, and only have myself to blame. After all, you told me to go for it.
Elizabeth For what?
Brown A snap election. In 2007. When I was still in my honeymoon. To establish a personal mandate.
Elizabeth Ah, yes. I’m a great believer in displays of strength. When Mr Major told me he intended to face down his rebels in 1995 …
Brown ‘Back me or sack me.’ I remember.
Elizabeth I didn’t discourage him. Nor Mr Wilson in 1974, when he had a minority Labour government.
Brown
All
of us politicians could learn a thing or two from you. We’re
all
in the survival business, and God knows, if anyone has pulled off an inexplicable survival against the odds it’s you … I mean this institu—I mean … Oh …
Brown tails off, checks himself.
Elizabeth I think that started life as a compliment – but ended up somewhere else.
The Queen smiles.
It’s true. From a purely logical perspective our ‘inexplicable’ survival on the throne is perhaps hard to justify. But that’s where one’s grateful for one’s faith and the clarity that brings.
Brown (
not following
) Ma’am …?
Elizabeth The Coronation is no civic event. It’s a consecration that takes place in God’s house. Under
His
roof.
Brown stares. Still not understanding.
It’s
His
will that we are where we are.
A silence.
Back to your trip?
Brown Well, after a couple more days in Pittsburgh, and a productive meeting with Colonel Gaddafi.
Elizabeth Was he in his tent? With all his female bodyguards?
Brown Not this time. I met him in New York. At the UN. In which he reiterated his commitment to abandoning his weapons programme and his desire to continue investing in the UK. I came home.
Elizabeth I heard he’d taken to referring to himself both as ‘Leader of the Revolution’ and the ‘King of Kings’. Which seems to be wanting to have it both ways. (
A beat.
) Did you at least manage to get away for the weekend?
Brown I did. And even found some time to think about a book I’m planning to write. About the financial crisis engulfing us all. And how the world can work together to best prevent another one in the future; through coordinated monetary policy and regulation … by way of some post-Keynesian stuff about insufficient aggregate demands …
Elizabeth That was your
weekend
?
Brown Yes, Ma’am.
Elizabeth No guests then?
Brown Oh, yes. Someone from the Department of International Development whose name escapes me, someone from Save the Children – a corpulent woman. But Sarah took care of them. Gave them the tour.
Elizabeth Swimming in the indoor pool? A walk in the woods?
Brown You know the Chequers routine.
Elizabeth We have a similar one at Balmoral as you know. Picnics by the lake, walks on the moors after lunch …
Brown Weather permitting.
Elizabeth Excuse me. No
matter
the weather.
Brown smiles.
Brown I shall never forget the story you told about my predecessor turning up at Balmoral in brand new country clothes.
Elizabeth Mr Blair? Yes. He and his lady wife, Cheryl …
Brown Che-
rie
.
Elizabeth In spanking new tweed … I
think
with all the price tags still attached. We were all very amused.
Brown (
erupting in joy
) Ha!
Brown slaps his thigh. His laughter is alarmingly loud and without restraint. The Queen is startled.
Elizabeth Goodness.
Brown Forgive me – but jokes at his expense never fail to cheer me
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Quick, Amanda - Slightly Shady.txt
Slightly Shady