excerpt from

THERE IS LAUGHTER IN THE STATE

At one point in history, two men sat across from each other in Vrondiens. The first told the other why he was there, the second how he was there. There was wine, there was laughter, and it was over. 

The embassy buildings are bright against the dark sky. Small figures in maroon uniforms patrol the grounds, once in a while exchanging a sentence and carrying on. 

Raafed is woken by gunfire. The citizens in the twin capitals turn over abruptly, make their way to their windows, and finding nothing of interest go back to sleep. At 7 o’clock, nearly three hours later, Raafed is woken by birdsong. This proves a better alarm, and the cities come into action. 

The president Kazimir Dachabat eats breakfast in the second dining room of his summer palace Elarrjak, and is chauffeured to Istav with his advisor Eptar Ivanek. On arriving at his city estate, there is already a crowd, and seven cars holding the president’s guard. He is accompanied by Ivanek as he climbs the sixty-two steps to the great hall, and after fifteen minutes he comes down the stairs again, the crowd have not dispersed.