《No, Minister.(存一下英文版)》用其他笔名

24、[Interlude] S01E02.5 Cyril Astley’s Diary and Memoranda (28-31 January 1980)

　　[Interlude] S01E02.5
　　Cyril Astley’s Diary and Memoranda (28-31 January 1980)
　　Monday, 28th January, 1980 | Pimlico, London | Cold with rain
　　A new week.
　　I placed the compiled brief, along with the two invitation letters and Sir's memorandum, into the Minister's In-tray myself. It felt very much like I was creating a problem for the Minister—or rather, a pre-set test—which made me a little uneasy.
　　I had placed the invitations lightly on top. The Minister read them soon after. When he read the MAFF invitation, his face showed some interest, and he seemed to mutter something like, "Oh, God's cod?" But as soon as he saw the next invitation from the BTA, his expression froze, looking somewhat incredulous.
　　He held one letter in each hand, bringing them together as if to compare them, then glanced at the brief I had prepared, before finally tossing the invitations back onto the desk.
　　Watching the Minister pace his office, I felt a little nervous. It was not until he stopped and turned to ask for my opinion on this… dual invitation from Cornwall that I was reminded of Sir's words from last week. I recited the objective content of the invitations as per procedure, was called out on it, and apologised.
　　The Minister then gave his opinion on these two simultaneous, yet opposing, invitations: "First deliver a eulogy at the cod's funeral, and then encourage people to eat its corpse." Very precise.
　　I also offered my 'opinion', and the Minister clearly rolled his eyes.
　　He then asked for Sir's opinion, and I handed him Sir's memorandum.
　　I had, of course, read that memorandum as well. A perfect analysis, a standard solution, just with a subtle distance from Sir's earlier comment about an 'opportunity'. But the Minister's response after reading it was exactly as Sir had thought: he decided to go and coordinate on-site himself. Was this a grasp of the Minister's character? I'm not sure.
　　Leaving the Minister's office, I took the memorandum, went around the corridor, and knocked on the door of Sir's office. He was reading what looked like a report on the local economy of Cornwall, a cup of tea beside him.
　　"It seems the Minister chose option C?" he said, looking up at me.
　　"Yes, Sir," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "The Minister has decided to accept both invitations."
　　I 'returned' the memorandum to Sir and relayed the Minister's words verbatim. He just made a non-committal "mhm," crossed out an item on his own schedule, and then turned his gaze back to the report.
　　"So… what about the 'urgent inter-departmental meeting' suggested in the memorandum?" I asked tentatively.
　　"Shelved for now. Since the Minister has chosen to be present on-site, let the forces on the ground drive the next step of coordination. The DSC's duty is to provide support for the Minister, not to supplant his judgement."
　　I didn't know what else to say, but I stood my ground until Sir looked up and asked if I had any questions. So I asked him why he wasn't surprised.
　　He said it wasn't that he wasn't surprised, just that it was within his expectations, because the Minister was a brave man of action.
　　An activist, when faced with the choice between procedure and the field, will always have a natural inclination to personally verify the reality on the ground. That was Sir's explanation.
　　In any case, after leaving Sir's office, I went to inform the private office to prepare two draft speeches for the Minister. One for the fishermen's seminar, emphasising sustainable development and the central government's listening posture; the other for the seafood festival opening, focusing on Cornwall's tourism potential and the economic contribution of the seafood industry. Ensuring each draft was logically sound and maintained a necessary ambiguity when mentioning the other event. Ensuring all fallback options were ready to support the Minister's on-site improvisation and to deal with any emergencies.