Multi Word Prompt Story – The Consummate Politician.

This story was inspired by the following prompts:

Word of the Day: Enticing

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/enticing/

Sheryl’s your daily word: Lazy

https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/your-daily-word-prompt-lazy-july-18th-2018/

Fandango’s One Word Challenge: Ambiguous

FOWC with Fandango — Ambiguous

Ragtag Daily Prompt: Extempore

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/rdp-48-extempore/

The Haunted Wordsmith Three Things Challenge.

https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/three-things-challenge-18-july-2018/comment-page-1/#comment-2380

Today’s things are: grapefruit, HDMI cord, battery

The Consummate Politician

He stood up to address the crowds gathered unexpectedly around him.

He was famous for his extempore and off-the-cuff speeches and he delivered one to the masses. It was all about grasping the opportunities of education and learning. It was about supporting those people less fortunate than themselves. It was about standing strong and together to build an even better future for our children. The crowds all cheered, all hearing exactly what they wanted to hear.

What the speech lacked was any basis in fact, any solid figures or any concrete way of delivering the laudable platitudes that flowed out from that undoubtedly charismatic gentleman. His words remained suitably ambiguous.

He was the consummate politician.

He wowed the crowds and teased them. Whipping them up into a happy state of ecstasy. His voice, so enticing. They wanted to believe in him.

He was not one of those politicians that used hatred to stir up a following. He didn’t use dog whistles or try to turn one group of people onto another. It was a political tool that worked well for some, but it was not his way. His way was the way of hope. Oh, not delivering anything, that’s not what politicians were ultimately for. If people wanted something delivered they would have to sort it out for themselves. He would offer hope, but ultimately, like all politicians, he would disappoint. It didn’t matter, he’d be in power then. He could then put his feet up. After all, he was fundamentally quite a lazy man. Talking was so much easier than doing.

As he finished addressing the crowds he was jostled along by his security guards and bustled into the back of a car. He discovered too late, it was the wrong car as a vile smelling handkerchief was forced up against his nose and mouth and he lost consciousness.

As he came too, he was vaguely aware that his hands were tied behind his back and someone was blowing cigar smoke in his face.

His eyes came back into focus and he could see the person sitting in front of him. A bold pin stripe suit, a gold tooth and black slicked back hair. It was not the friendliest of countenances despite the man’s wide grin. He was sure he’d smiled at his dinner in much the same way.

“So, You’re awake” Said his unpleasant host.

This hardly endeared him further to the politician who detested people who stated the obvious.

Feeling like he had to say something, he descended into cliché

“What do you want from me?” he heard himself say.

“No, I ask the questions. Just shut up and answer them.”

“But you haven’t asked me any yet? Are you sure you really know what you’re doing?”

Of course, he could tell that this man was the dangerous type. He had met plenty of party whips and most senior politicians were complete psychopaths, so he could read the signs, but fear made him flippant. He couldn’t help himself.

The gold toothed, cigar smoking man stood up and walked over to a table. On the table were a large grapefruit, a HDMI Cord and a car battery connected to clamps usually used to restart a car. His mind could only wonder what the purpose of those three items were for, but he didn’t like the gleam in the man’s eye or that toothy grin.

Just at that moment the door burst open and several men in SAS uniform rushed in and took down his potential torturer.

“Just in the nick of time” he addressed the man in charge, who stood in front of him in flexible body armour. Reaching up, he removed his balaclava. It was a woman.

“We could come back in an hour if you’d prefer? I know your kind like a bit of pain.”

“Oh, no, I am very pleased you turned up when you did. Who do I have to thank for saving me?”

“Now, I’m afraid you are mistaken. My orders are to make sure you remain silent.” She pulled out a pistol and placed it to his forehead and fired.

As the body fell to the ground, still attached to the chair the chief officer turned, left the room and addressed one of her men.

“Make it look like it was the Russians.”

The End

Copyright: Kristian Fogarty 18/July/2018