The Final Cut fu-3

by Michael Dobbs

  They arrived late, their coming almost regal. If nothing else, after the eleven years they had lived in Downing Street, they knew how to make an entrance. Elizabeth, always carefully presented, appeared transported onto a higher plane in an evening dress of black velvet with a high wing collar and a necklace of pendant diamonds and emeralds that caught the theatre's lighting and reflected it back to dazzle all other women around her. The wooden floors and galleries of the playhouse complained as people craned forward to catch a glimpse and a ripple of applause broke out amongst a small contingent of American tourists which took hold, the infection making steady if reluctant progress through the auditorium to the evident embarrassment of many. 'Le roi est arrive.'

  'Be fair, Bryan,' chided one of the speaker's two companions from their vantage point in the First Gallery, above and to the right of where the Urquharts were taking their seats.

  'Fair? Can we possibly be talking about the same Francis Urquhart, Tom? The man who took the professional foul and set it to Elgar?'

  Thomas Makepeace offered no response other than a smile of reproach. He knew Brynford-Jones, the editor of The Times, was right. He was also clear that Brynford-Jones knew he knew. Lobby terms. But there were limits to what a Foreign Secretary could say in a public place about his Prime Minister. Anyway, Urquhart was his friend who had repaid that friendship with steady promotion over the years.

  'Still, you have to admire his footwork, a true professional,' Brynford-Jones continued before offering a wave and a smile in the direction of the Urquharts who were turning to acknowledge those around them. 'There's not a man here without the marks of your Prime Minister's studs somewhere on his anatomy. Good old F.U.'

  'Surely there's more to life than simply providing you with copy, Bryan.' On Makepeace's other side a third man joined in. Quentin Digby was a lobbyist, and a good one. He not only had an involvement in professional politics but, in his own quiet way, was also something of an activist, representing many charities and environmental concerns. Makepeace didn't know him well but rather liked him.

  'I wondered which of us three was going to play the moralizing toad tonight,' Makepeace mocked.

  The house lights dimmed as the Managing Director of Matasuyo stepped forward onto the stage to claim his place before the public eye and offer a speech of welcome. The light thrown onto the stage bounced up onto the faces of Makepeace and his companions, giving them a shadowy, conspiratorial look, like witches attending a cauldron.

  'Seriously, Tom,' Brynford-Jones continued, anxious to take advantage of the Cabinet Minister's presence, 'he should have gone on his tenth anniversary. Ten bloody years at the top is enough for anyone, isn't it?'

  Makepeace made no comment, pretending to concentrate on the Japanese gentleman's homily which was attempting to establish some form of spiritual connection between culture and car bits.

  'Wants to go for the record. Outscore Thatcher,' Digby offered. 'I wouldn't mind, but what's the point? What's he trying to achieve? We've got half the country's dustbins crammed full of Harrods wrapping paper which local councils can't afford to collect while the other half go begging for something to eat.'

  'You lobbyists always spoil your case with exaggeration,' Makepeace rebuked.

  'Funny, I thought that was a politician's prerogative,' the editor came back.

  Makepeace was beginning to feel penned in. He'd felt that way a lot in recent months, sitting beside editors or standing before his constituents with a pretence of enthusiasm when there was only weariness and disillusionment inside. Something had gone stale. Someone had gone stale. Francis Urquhart. Leaving Makepeace with much that he wanted to say, but little he was allowed to.

  'He's had a good run, Tom, the country's grateful and all that, but really it's time for some new blood.' 'His blood.' 'A fresh start for the Government.' 'For you, Tom.' 'We all know the things you hold dear, the causes you stand for.' 'We'd like to help.'

  'You know the country isn't what it was. Or could be. This country has too big a heart to be beholden for so long to one man.' 'Particularly a man such as that.' 'Hell, even the illegal immigrants are leaving.'

  'It should be yours, Tom. Makepeace is ever as good a man as Urquhart.'

  Respite. The man from Matasuyo had subsided and the play was about to begin; Makepeace was grateful. His head was spinning. He wanted to dispute their claims, play the loyal hound, but couldn't find the words. Perhaps they were right about Urquhart. Without doubt right about himself. They knew he wanted it, enough that at times his mouth ran dry like a man lost in a desert who spots an oasis, only to discover it is a mirage. Power. But not for its own sake, not for a place in the history books like Urquhart, but for now. Today. For all the things that so desperately needed doing and changing.

  Both Brynford-Iones and Digby had a strong interest in change, editor and lobbyist, professional revolutionaries by their trade. Having the world standing still was no more an option for them than it was for him, Makepeace thought. Perhaps they would make useful allies, one day, if war ever came. After his friend Francis had left the field. Or perhaps they would all go to hell together amongst the rogues.

  And then there was laughter. Caesar had made his first appearance on stage with a face adorned with heavy make-up that made him look uncannily like Francis Urquhart. The same long profile. Piercing eyes. Receding silver hair. A straight gash across his face for a mouth. A mask that showed neither mirth nor mercy. The arguments backstage had been long and furious when they had learnt of Urquhart's imminent presence. Harry had argued vociferously for a boycott and threatened to throw his body into all forms of picket lines and protests but, as the property manager had so successfully argued, 'Give it a rest, love. It's been years since your bottom 'alf lived up to the promises of your top 'alf. Bloody years since you last saw your bottom 'alf, I'll bet. Must do it all from memory.'

  So they had compromised. In true thespian tradition the show would go on, laden with a little ideological baggage. Yet Harry, once more sneaking a look from prompt side to test the mettle of his protest, was to be disappointed. The living mask slipped. From his privileged position beside Booza-Pitt at the front of the stage Urquhart, an experienced trouper in any public arena, had spotted the danger and responded. Not only was he leading the laughter but he also made sure that everyone knew it by taking out a white silk handkerchief and waving it vigorously at his protege.

  As the play progressed, Makepeace agonized. Loyalty meant so much, for him it was a political virtue in its own right. Yet he hadn't been sleeping well, a disturbed mind and troubled heart had robbed him of rest, doubts beginning to crowd in on his dreams. And he knew that if he did nothing, simply chafed beneath those doubts, he would lose his dreams as well.

  'The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power…'

  Loyalty. But to what? Not just to a single man. Great men have their day, only to find that their reputation must fall from the sky like leaves before the autumn storm.

  'And therefore think him as a serpent's egg which, hatch'd, would, as his kind, grow mischievous…'

  Every Prime Minister he'd ever known had demanded too much, been despatched. Sacrificed. Bled. By colleagues.

  And finally the deed was done. 'Et tu, Brute!' An exceptionally pitiless portrayal of the assassination, and at every step Urquhart's handkerchief waved and waved.

  'Sodding man!' Grime snapped as he stamped about the quick-change box helping the deceased Caesar into his ghost's garb.

  'Your little plot didn't work, luvvie,' Julius mocked. 'Didn't you see him? Laughing his bloody head off at us, so he was.'

  'Hold still, Big Julie, or I'll run this pin up your arse,' Harry snapped. 'Anyway, what would you know about plots? The last miserable screenplay you spawned didn't even make it as far as the typist.'

  'It had a few developmental problems,' Julie acknowledged.

  'As much sense of direction as a horse up a hedgehog.'

  'At least I act. You couldn't even p
lay the skull in Hamlet on a good day.' 'Bitch,' Harry pursed, and subsided.

  In the auditorium the house lights had announced the interval and thunderous applause reflected the audience's appreciation of a production remarkable for its freshness. It had been a long time since anyone could remember laughing so much through a tragedy but, up in the First Gallery, Digby appeared distracted. Makepeace probed.

  'Sorry. Wondering about the new car,' the lobbyist apologized.

  'About the mileage? Whether it's environmentally friendly? Recyclable?'

  'Hardly. It's four litres of testosterone encased in the silkiest and most explicit Italian styling you can find in this country without getting arrested. Ferrari. Rosso red. My only vice. And parked outside.' 'And you're worried whether all the wrapping paper is going to be removed from your dustbin by the end of the week,' Makepeace taunted.

  'More worried that in this brave new world of ours the stereo system will have been ripped off by the end of this performance. What do you think, Secretary of State?'

  'Contain yourself, Diggers,' Brynford-Jones interjected. 'Nothing lasts forever.'

  The editor and lobbyist enjoyed the banter, but Makepeace's mind had drifted elsewhere. He was gazing down onto the floor of the auditorium where Urquhart, surrounded by enthusing acolytes and attended closely by Geoffrey Booza-Pitt, was replacing his handkerchief.

  'Everything pukka, Tom?' Brynford-Jones enquired.

  'Yes, of course. Just thinking how right you were. You know. About how nothing lasts forever.' The red-leather box lay open on the back seat, papers untouched. The Minister had fallen asleep as soon as they reached the motorway – it had been a heavy working dinner and the old boy's stamina wasn't what it once was. He was snoring gently, mouth ajar, slumped awkwardly to one side. Should've worn his seat belt. The driver studied him carefully in the rear-view mirror for some time before deciding he could risk it. Cautiously, while ensuring that the Jaguar's engine maintained its constant soothing cadence at a steady eighty-three miles an hour, he reached for the volume button of the radio. They were just about to kick off at Upton Park and the next ninety minutes would decide an entire season's effort. He didn't want to miss it. He paused as through the drizzle ahead emerged the rear lights of an old Escort, still trying to prove it was all TRi and not knackered to death. The Escort's youthful driver cursed; the rotted rubber of his wipers had transformed the motorway into a smear of confusing messages and he was straining to make sense of the scene ahead. He had no eyes for what lay behind. The Minister's driver decided not to risk waking his passenger by braking suddenly, not with the match about to start. He drew over to the middle lane to pass the other vehicle on the inside.

  Some events in life – and death – lie beyond reasonable explanation. Afterwards men of learning, experience and great forensic ability may gather to offer their views, yet all too frequently such views serve less as explanation than excuse. Sometimes it is as easy to accept that there are moments when Fate rouses herself from an afternoon nap and, sleep still heavy upon her eyes, points her finger capriciously and with chaotic intent. For it was just as the Minister's driver was leaning towards the radio button once more, less than six feet to the rear and on the inside of the other vehicle, that the Escort's rear offside burst. Fate. It swerved violently in front of the Ministerial limousine whose driver, one-handed, snatched at the wheel. The Jaguar hit the central reservation and turned a full, elegant circle on the damp road before crossing the hard shoulder and disappearing down an earth bank.

  It came to rest against the trunk of an elm tree. When the driver recovered from his shock he found the Ministerial box battered and torn on the front seat beside him. And so was the Minister. 'Francis Urquhart, peacemaker?' Brynford-Jones made no attempt to hide the incredulity in his voice and he stared closely at Makepeace to gauge the reaction.

  'We live in an exciting new world, Bryan. Anything is possible.' 'Agreed. But Francis Urquhart?'

  They had stood in line with the other guests on the stairs of Downing Street, waiting to be greeted formally by the Urquharts before being introduced to the Presidents of the divided Cypriot communities. The previous day, on the neutral territory of the ballroom of Lancaster House and under the public eye of the British Prime Minister, Turk and Greek had agreed the principles of peace and undertaken to settle all outstanding details within three months. The Confederated Republics of Cyprus were about to be born, conflict eschewed, the Right Honourable Francis Urquhart, MP, Acting Midwife, Peacemaker.

  Now came celebration. The powers that be within the land had been gathered together in the first-floor reception rooms of Downing Street in order that they might offer thanks to peace and to Francis Urquhart. It was a levelling, for some almost humbling, experience. No matter how wealthy or well-known, they had been treated alike. No cars, no eminence, no exceptions. Stopped at the wrought-iron gates barring entrance to Downing Street from Whitehall. Scrutinized by police before being allowed to walk with their wives the full length of the street to the guarded front door. Being made to wait while their coats were exchanged for a wrinkled paper cloakroom ticket. Five minutes spent in line shuffling piously up the stairs, step by single step, past the portraits of former leaders, the Walpoles, Pitts, Palmerstons, Disraelis, Churchills, and the one and only Margaret Thatcher. 'To those we have crucified,' Brynford-Jones had muttered. Then the formal introduction by some red-coated alien from another galaxy who seemed to recognize no one and had great trouble with pronunciation. 'Mr Bimford-Jones' had not been impressed, but then he rarely was.

  'It must have been like this at the Court of Versailles,' he offered. 'Just before the tumbrils arrived.'

  'Bryan, your cynicism runs away with you. Great changes require a little ruthlessness. Credit where it is due,' Makepeace protested.

  'And are you ruthless, Tom? Ruthless enough to snatch old Francis' crown? Because he's not going to hand it over for Christmas. You're going to have to snatch it, like he did. Like they all had to. Do you really have what it takes?'

  'You need luck, too, in politics,' Makepeace responded, trying to deflect the question but showing no anxiety to finish with either the conversation or the editor. 'Men should be masters of their own fates.'

  'You know I'd love the job but the question doesn't arise. Yet.' it never arises when you expect it. You want to achieve great things, you grab Fortune by the balls and hang on for the ride.' 'Bryan, at times I think you're trying to tempt me.'

  'No, not me. I simply present ambition to a man and see if ambition tempts him. I'm strictly a voyeur, the prerogative of the press. The dirty work I leave up to you guys – and girls!' he exclaimed, reaching out to grab the elbow of another guest as she edged through the throng.

  Claire Carlsen turned and smiled, her face lighting up in recognition. She was also an MP, at thirty-eight a dozen years younger than Makepeace and the editor.

  'And what have you done to earn your place amidst this glittering herd?' Brynford-Jones enquired. 'I thought nobody below the rank of Earl or Archbishop was allowed at this trough. Certainly not a humble backbencher.'

  'It's called tokenism, Bryan. Apparently professional middle-aged moralizers like you like to have a bit of skirt around to remind them of lost youth. You know, slobber a bit and go away happy. That's the plan.' The smile was warm but the autumn-blue eyes searching. She was tall, almost eye-to-eye with the rotund editor who enjoyed the glint of evening sunlight shining through her blonde hair.

  Brynford-Jones laughed loudly. 'You're too late for confession. I've already owned up to being a voyeur and in your case I'll happily plead guilty. If ever that husband of yours throws you out, you'd be more than welcome to come and stir my evening cocoa.'

  'If ever I throw that husband of mine out,' she corrected, 'I'd hope to be stirring more than cocoa in the evenings. Anyway, what have you two been plotting? Strippergrams to the Synod, or something frivolous?'

  'I was enquiring whether our friend here has what it takes to succ
eed in politics, the necessary qualities of energy and ambition to become the next Prime Minister. Would you lay money on him, Claire?'

  She arched an eyebrow – she possessed a highly expressive face and, when relaxed, an aura of refreshing mischief. In response to Brynford-Jones' invitation she examined Makepeace as though for the first time, the end of her nose puckered in si cpti-cism, seeming to reach some conclusion before deliberately throwing their attention in an entirely different direction.

  'If energy and ambition were all, then our next leader is surely standing over there by the window.'

  'Not our Geoff? I'd rather emigrate,' the editor chuckled, irreverent though not entirely incredulous.

  They turned to follow her gaze. In the bay of a grand Georgian window overlooking the garden, the Transport Secretary had pinned the Governor of the Bank of England against the elegant drape.

  'Liquid engineering,' Claire continued. 'He handles it so smoothly the Governor won't even realize when he's been set aside for the next name on the list.' 'Our Geoff's got a list?' the editor enquired.

  'Surely. Typed on a card in his breast pocket. He has an hour here, so he asks for a copy of the invitation list beforehand, sees how many people he wants to impress or to harangue, then splits his time. Six minutes each. Digital precision.'

  In silence they watched as Booza-Pitt, without pause for breath or apparent reference to his watch, took the Governor's hand and bade farewell. Then he was moving across the room, shaking hands and offering salutations as he passed, but not stopping.

  'Chances are he'll end the programme with somebody's bored wife,' Claire continued. 'It's a regular routine, particularly since he separated from his own wife.' 'His second wife,' Makepeace corrected.