“To be the prime minister of Australia, one must make sacrifices.”
“There are some sacrifices that seem too great.”
Tabart laughed as he finger combed the sparse strands of silver across the top of his head.
“It’s also as private of a place as I’ll ever have. Keeps all those nosey photographers out with their zoom lenses, trying to land a picture of me on the front page of some rubbish tabloid.”
“I’m sure Sandra appreciates the ability to get away from the political spotlight.”
“Yes, my wife very much enjoys this place—when she’s not traveling with her business. Quite frankly, I come here more often than I should, and definitely more often than my critics feel is necessary. There’s always some columnist in The Herald yammering on about my gross abdication of responsibility. I used to take those comments seriously, but I’ve learned that my style of governance is more effective when I’m focused on doing what’s best for the people as opposed to trying to appease the rabble-rousers.”
“Speaking of which, have you had time to consider our proposal?”
Tabart gestured toward the couch. “Please, have a seat and let’s talk about it.”
Petrov complied and placed her teacup and saucer on the coffee table in front of her.
“I sense some hesitancy in your voice, no?” Petrov said.
Tabart shrugged. “Hesitancy, uncertainty, fear—call it whatever you like, but there is definitely an uneasiness about introducing this to Parliament.”
“Why not? The Australian dollar has languished behind other currencies when compared to global market. This could be just the opportunity Australia needs to regain influence economically.”
Tabart leaned back in his seat and stared out the window, remaining pensive for a moment before responding.
“I’ve worked hard to keep this country from spiraling into a recession. While the rest of the world was in panic mode, we stayed true to the path set out before us. Build slowly to go fast, as the Americans say. Over there, it’s a meaningless axiom, betrayed by their culture of having everything right now. But under my leadership here, it’s become a mantra embraced by all. There’s not a bloke with a business who doesn’t know that phrase. They teach it in the universities now, business schools have created t-shirts with the saying on it. It’s just everywhere. And then if I were to suddenly announce a shift in our currency?”
Petrov cocked her head to one side. “If you don’t, you’ll be building with worthless material—unless you’re comfortable entering into an isolationist phase here. I know Australia has plenty of natural resources, but you don’t have everything you need here to build a robust infrastructure. And the last thing you want is to be held hostage by a worthless currency.”
Tabart narrowed his eyes. “That sounds vaguely like a threat, Katarina. And how long have we been friends?”
“For many years, Malcolm. However, this is not a threat. It’s a warning of what will happen. Market forces will be out of my hands once the new currency is enacted. For those nations who adopted early, wealth will be built immediately. For those who waited or chose to remain in an antiquated system, fortune will not smile upon them. They will be enslaved by their poor choices due to how the global economy works. You’ll only have yourself to blame.”
“When do you need to know?” he asked.
“As soon as possible. There is a council forming that will help determine the exact date for when and how everything will be enacted. We’re working with private banks and governments from all the countries embracing this change. It’s the way of the future, Malcolm. You don’t want to get left behind.”
He sighed. “I’ll give it some more thought. I’m on holiday next week and I’ll discuss this with some of my aides and solicit their input.”
“That would be wise,” she said. “However, don’t wait too long. I refuse to work with a table that’s overcrowded, especially filled with obstinate people who joined to further their personal agendas. I know you’re not like that, Malcolm. You’re different. You want what’s best for Australia, and deep down you know this is what’s best, even if it might be a painful transition.”
“What you’re saying makes sense, but still there’s—”
“What? An election to consider? Don’t think I won’t be able to help have your political campaign coffers filled should you decide to go along with this idea.”
“I promise you that I will seriously consider this decision and notify you of my intentions as soon as possible.”
Petrov stood up and smoothed out her skirt. “Very well then. I do have one more piece of information to help you make your decision.”
“Oh?”
Petrov walked across the room toward the chair in the corner where she’d placed her briefcase. Tabart followed her closely.
“It’s in here somewhere,” she said, rifling through the bag. “Oh, here it is.”
She collected the folder and handed it to Tabart.
He opened it, and immediately his mouth fell. His right hand trembled while his left hand covered his mouth.
“How dare you?” Tabart said, refusing to look at the pictures anymore as he slapped the folder shut. “I will not be subject to your extortion.”
Petrov shrugged. “It’s not extortion. It’s simply a picture. You are free to infer from it whatever you wish. But I will warn you that your window isn’t as blacked out as you might think. Someone on the beach with the right type of equipment could easily snap photos of you through the window, as you can see right here.”
She flipped open the folder in his hand and peered at one of the photos.
“Must’ve been one of those weekends when Sandra wasn’t here,” Petrov said.
“Get out,” Tabart growled.
Petrov turned toward the door and grabbed the knob before leaving her parting shot.
“One week,” she said. “That’s all you’ve got. After that, I’m going to consider Australia to be a lost cause and share as much with the world. One week.”
She closed the door behind her and walked down the steps toward her car and driver. A
