The Island of Dreams

by Gregory James Clark

  “Yes Ma’am,” said The Chancellor.

  “Good. Because it looks as if Anne Clancy is about to make her way to The Town Hall.”

  *

  Christmas Eve arrived and all sets had been given the day off to complete their last-minute shopping from the Christmas catalogue and to prepare their Christmas night feast. Other than that the day was given over to relaxation with other sets in the bars where Christmas savouries and snacks were served, with vegetarian turkey, stuffing and cranberry top of the list, along with other alternatives such as mushroom vol au vent, potted shrimps and a variety of fish. The festive gluhwein was popular, as were the obligatory mince pies, mini Christmas puddings, Christmas cake and iced stollen.

  Staff and setmates mingled together sharing experiences, with staff keen to find out informally from all of the new recruits just exactly what they thought of The Island and its philosophy in the ninth month of their stay.

  “You’re all celebrities now,” came the constant message from the staff.

  They tried their luck in The House of Cards at a variety of games including bar billiards, poker, roulette, and various games of skill which offered the possibility of winning various token prizes. In this respect The Island was not totally devoid of gambling. It just didn’t offer huge rewards or the possibility of losing a fortune, as was the case under capitalism.

  Then it was back to Angel and a chance to admire the Christmas lights once more before getting ready for the evening feast of Christmas fare complete with vegetarian turkey, which they all helped to prepare. Then the presents were laid around the tree, ready for opening the following day.

  Joanie, still at work, observed each of the sets in turn.

  “It’s pleasing to see that in every case the sets are all working well as teams. That’s the true Island spirit,” Joanie said to The Chancellor. “Now we must prepare for the Midnight Mass, and what comes afterwards.”

  “Of course Ma’am.”

  *

  At half-past eleven the church bells chimed, summoning staff and setmates alike to the Island church, which was, like all other churches in the Island territories, divided into a main service area, complete with pulpit and pews, and several side areas each dedicated to a specific religion or belief, the emphasis being on combining and respecting as many recognised faiths of the world as possible.

  A single chime of the church bell served to indicate that the initial prayer period was over and that the main service was about to begin. The Reverend lit a candle beside the Nativity Scene that had been constructed by The Island’s senior citizens and was toward one side of the main altar. The main altar meanwhile was devoid of the religious connotations that usually characterised altars. For, whilst there was religious décor in the various religious chambers of the building, the main altar intentionally did not favour any specific religion. Instead it was a plain marble altar that had at its centrepiece a brass statuette not of the Virgin Mary, but of the Founder Mary of The Island Faith. It was a large church, with enough space for the entire Island to be enclosed within it at any one time. Not that that happened, except on this one night.

  The congregation took its place in the long rows of pews that had been laid out. When The PM, royals and senior staff were seated in the reserved front row, The Reverend commenced the short service.

  “Welcome all of you to this our annual Midnight Mass service. We are a fine church and a fine community, and I am pleased tonight to welcome you all to it. As you know, we are a religion with a difference, and behind me is the person whom we all must thank for it’s existence, the true life-saver herself our good Founder Mary. I say she is a saviour of life for it was her who brought to us the unique philosophy of religious tolerance and understanding that we enjoy today, and that has become so instrumental in our objective of achieving world peace.

  We therefore pray this night for hope that throughout the world through her and her thinking, all religions may be liberated and born anew so that they can be practised throughout the world without fear. Her dream is our dream, that Christmas should be enjoyed by everyone, of whatever faith and in whatever land, and no more should religious dogma be used as a smokescreen for politics.

  Lord in thy Mercy.”

  “Hear our prayer,” responded the congregation.

  “Let us pray for all those who, unlike ourselves, are still suffering from the effects of religious dogma, for all of those who have been killed and maimed as a result of it, and for those for whom these times are sad rather than happy. Let us pray for all of those whose hopes have been dashed, and for whom dreams have not been realised.

  Let us pray also for those who are sick at this time, and for those who may need special comfort. Let us pray also for the continued success of our steady revolution, that it may continue to bring great benefit to the world, and succeed in its long-term objectives.

  Let us pray especially for the good health of our noble Queen, and for her happiness and prosperity in the coming year whatever it may bring. We pray for the strength of character of whoever she may choose as her Prince Regent, and that as our leader he will prove to be a worthy King when his great moment of crowning shall come.

  Lord in thy Mercy.”

  “Hear our prayer.”

  “Let us also give thanks on this happy day, for our Prime Minister, for her wise governance, and for the unending joy that she has brought to us. We pray that in the year ahead she will be able to continue her good work, and, with the help of her ministers, will be able to continue with the excellent management of our Island and its territories. We must also congratulate her again for her well-deserved world-beating election victory, which could only happen on The Island of Dreams.

  I now ask that we pray for each other as our setmates embark on a new stage in their lives. We hope that in every case each one of you will go forth in the name of God to lead happy and fulfilling lives in your new land, free from the shackles of capitalism, and able to serve to the best of your ability and potential.

  You all learnt here about the spiritual concept of The Golden Harp. Keep it in your minds as we enter a new year of hope and prosperity and as we pray for the continued success of my dear friend and colleague, Patrick O’Rourke, in his endeavours in Chechnya and elsewhere so that he might continue to lead and achieve further the wonderful transformation that he and his brave compatriots have engineered to such great effect.

  Accept these prayers O Gracious Lord we beseech thee.

  Lord in thy Mercy.”

  “Hear our prayer.”

  A selection of carols followed, sung by the choir of The Karaginsky School. Then, with the service over the setmates walked back to their cottages. Joanie and the royals took the royal Kammie. Joanie disembarked at The Great Dome where she took her seat and pressed the button that released The Eagle, that mechanical bird which stood ten feet high and was housed in the roof of The Dome.

  The roof opened and the bird shot out. The setmates gazed upward as its now recognisable screeching forced attention from the people below. Overhead it flew, as it had done at Halloween, except this time it was illuminated with reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh. It circled overhead for about ten minutes before returning to The Dome from which it had emerged. This time, however, the roof did not close. The iron bird merely perched upon its launching bar, its wings gently folded.

  It was not until the entire Island was asleep that the wondrous invention flew out again, but this time more quietly. There was no screeching or sound of any kind, although the illuminations were still lit.

  At about 1 a.m., as Gary and Connie slept, a rustling sound was heard.

  “What’s that?” whispered Gary.

  “What?” asked Connie.

  “Didn’t you hear it?”

  The sound came again.

  “Yes, I heard it. It’s downstairs. I’ll go and take a look.”

  Everything appeared normal, until a slight rustle drew their attention to the large ornamental fireplace at
the far corner of the living room, into which a Christmas stocking had been dropped. Connie looked out of the window as the others rushed down.

  “Oh my God,” said Claudia quickly, smiling as she looked out also.

  What she saw was the Eagle flying from cottage to cottage, then settling on each rooftop whilst a man dressed as Father Christmas stuffed the filled stockings through a special opening in each one.

  “Hmm. Who do we know who comes out into The Town in the dead of night?” said Connie, as she and Graca watched a stocking being poked down one of the specially adapted chimneys of one of the neighbouring cottages.

  “It’s The Night Watchman,” Graca replied. “He’s riding on the back of that amazing bird.”

  “I bet he has some fun doing that every year,” said Gary.

  *

  On Christmas morning the set enjoyed a light breakfast before setting to the task of opening the presents which they had ‘purchased’ for each other with their vouchers.Then, there were the surprise gifts that each setmate had been given courtesy of Joanie’s Christmas stocking.

  “Each one of these has a name on it, so you can see which ones are yours,” said Anne.

  The surprise presents were mostly Island souvenirs identified by Joanie and her staff. There were, for example, items of jewellery, for the girls, hats and scarves for the men, and general gifts such as Island tablemats and coasters, and souvenir platinum badges for each setmate, with The Island logo and each setmate’s personal name engraved upon them along with the words ‘Class of 2107’. There was a special six-inch high golden globe of Saturn which stood upright on a blue john base, and signed photographs of Queen Katie and The Prime Minister. The intention behind these gifts was clearly to help to give lasting memories of The Island experience, which were unique to those who had had the rare honour of being trained on The Island of Dreams. These gifts were not the type that could be requisitioned with vouchers.

  The gifts that the setmates had obtained for each other by contrast were not generally souvenirs, but gifts that were more typical of Christmas. Such items as watches, luxury food items, vintage Island bottled Two’s Company wine, commemorative bottles of Prince Regent lager, Number Six stout, sportswear, leather goods, golf balls and various items of clothing such as suits, jackets, blouses and coats. Here the emphasis was on functionality rather than nostalgia.

  The set was booked in for Christmas lunch at The Training Centre where the retirees had taken some considerable time and trouble to serve up a feast to remember for all of the setmates in four sittings. Gary’s set, as they were representing Kamchatskiy Auto, were in the first sitting.

  The retirees, like everyone on The Island, took great pride in their work, ever-mindful of the teaching of W. Edwards Deming, to which they were all devoted. By three o’clock all of the sittings were complete and all setmates assembled in their cottages to listen to The Queen, as she delivered her annual Christmas message from The Island to its territories.

  The setmates congregated around the television in accordance with the time-honoured British custom which The Island monarch had adopted since the time of Queen Justine. The Island flag introduced the broadcast, accompanied with the national anthem of The Island, ‘I vow to thee my Island’, sung by The Island’s very own King Kenneth male voice choir.

  On the screen Queen Katie appeared not on The Island, but at Buckingham Palace in London, where she mingled with other monarchs at a state reception. She shook hands with all of them, exchanging greetings. This had clearly taken place well before Christmas. Then, she delivered her speech from her own Royal Palace.

  “Loyal subjects,” she said. “It gives me great pleasure to address you today as your Queen. It is an honour for me, and I thought I would begin by showing a short scene that came as a great and pleasant surprise to me as well as to many others to whom I have spoken. I was both pleased and surprised this year to be the first Island monarch ever to have been invited to a state occasion at Buckingham Palace. There I had the unique privilege of being introduced to various heads of state from around the world. The welcome and respect that I received was unprecedented, and the messages I received were even more unprecedented.

  The message that came from these people was one of great hope, being told by many of them that all of the monarchs from around the world were now looking to The Island to give their institutions fresh hope in troubled times. I was astounded to hear that some of them were actually looking to me to bring about new and sustained change to the world, and that they believed that as the world’s youngest and newest monarch I would be positioned to make advances in times when they could not. I was, they said, the only monarch left that was actively participating in a revolution, and that I was uniquely placed to appeal to the younger generation and to steer them in the direction of good practice both in work and family life.

  I was moved to have been invited as the guest of honour at this event, and yet more moved when many of these much older and established people stated that they hoped to learn from me and The Island’s example. This was something which I never expected. Of course all of the world’s monarchs today know of The Island and what we are about. They know that we have a long-standing aim to be a force for good in the world, but until I spoke to them I was never quite sure what other monarchies actually thought of us. Now I can truly say that whilst many politicians, who have achieved power generally as a result of winning a competitive and often corrupt election, may not have our best interests at heart, we do have some true friends and allies amongst the world’s royal families. They do, without question, believe in us, and, furthermore, are not afraid to say so. To be told that I was a young bright shining star on the world stage was a comment that truly touched my heart. On hearing that I immediately promised that I would relay the message and all of their kind wishes to all of my subjects in Kamchatka and elsewhere.

  I was told at the same event that it was not always easy being a monarch. Most these days are constrained by elected governments that do not deserve to be elected. I was then again surprised when quietly, over dinner, I was told how other monarchs wished that they were in my shoes, having such a wonderful Government, Prime Minister, and friends with whom I was able to work and effect decisions. I had no idea that the world’s kings, queens, princes and princesses were thinking along these lines, and it shows that the world is changing. They are constrained in areas where I am strangely free. The lack of competition and capitalism in our society gives us an overwhelming advantage.

  This advantage, as I said to our hosts, was hard won and is not God-given. It comes only from the help and support of our people, and I made it known that my people, rather than any personal fortune or wealth, were my greatest asset. Unlike other monarchs, I do not have a fortune, but then, with support such as I have from my people, I do not need one. What I had, and they did not, was a better way of managing the world. They knew it, and they respected it. What was more, some of them made it known that they wanted it. I said in return that I was more than happy to help anyone and everyone in royal circles who is keen to learn and apply more of our theory and practice. To be told that my popularity amongst my people as a monarch was greatly envied by certain other monarchs was, to me, a revelation.

  That brings me to the question of the sovereignty of nations, which has been a talking point recently with all world leaders. The difference between sovereignty and ownership is becoming much less clearly defined. As The Island has proved, it is possible now to have ownership and governance of a territory without necessarily having sovereignty. Sovereignty can remain constant, yet the sovereign as such can be different and linked to ownership. That is the unique position in which I, as Queen of Kamchatka, find myself. The Falkland Islands, for example, are the sovereign territory of the United Kingdom, and therefore fall under the territory of the British monarchy, but in reality the ownership of the territory falls under The Island, as does the newly acquired territory of Tierra del Fuego. The new arrangement naturall
y places myself as joint head of state for both territories.

  I once thought that such an arrangement could lead to great conflict, but in fact it has created unity, with all of the world’s monarchies wishing me well in my new role. Even the Government of Argentina has wished me well, as through me The Falklands have now been joined with Argentina, but not in a way that anyone would once have imagined.

  Elsewhere in the world The Island continues to be a force for good. In Chechnya, for example, new schools and hospitals are being built and crime is down by a factor of ten on last year, making it now one of the world’s safest regions outside Island territory. Then there are the very poorest areas of the world where our activists are busily at work building new reservoirs and transforming transport systems so that people in some of the most deprived regions can start to have safe and healthy lives in pleasant surroundings. Earlier this year I met some of these people and saw for myself just what had been improved, for example in Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Somalia.”

  The Queen was then shown talking to the Island-sponsored engineers who were working on the irrigation and building schemes, showing the before and after results.

  “And this is all funded through Non-Capitalist Economics,” The Queen said to one engineer.

  “All through Non-Capitalist Economics,” he confirmed.

  Then she turned to the still unresolved issue of landmines, and was seen walking with a soldier along a remote piece of Somalian coastline.

  “I am not the first member of a royal family to draw attention to this issue,” The Queen said. “But it’s still a problem.”

  “It’s still a problem,” replied the soldier. “It’s outlawed but it’s still practised. Your help has been invaluable in helping to eradicate it. Once people are well fed and contented the incentives are much reduced, and the people then respect those who are giving them lives that are worth living.”