“Do your people see us as peacemakers?” asked The Queen.
“Without a doubt,” the soldier answered.
“We wish we could do more,” said The Queen, returning to her broadcast. “But even our powers are limited. The key issue is how to do as much as possible with as little as possible, and, above all, to strip out waste from the system so that as many people as possible benefit. I told the monarchs in London that it is not as difficult as it looks to achieve dramatic results just so long as resources are channelled directly to where they are most needed, with careful thought and application, and not diverted through costly and unnecessary administration systems.
My final message to you for this year is to ask that each and every one of you continue to play your part in helping to support and comfort each other, and to give special help to those most in need. In this it may help to remember the teachings of William Edwards Deming and to, as he taught us, work constantly to improve the system.
As your Queen I wish you all a very happy Christmas and contentment in the coming year.”
“Some tea and then we can join the carol singing,” Anne suggested.
The Karaginsky School Choir led the singing in The Square, where staff and setmates joined together in celebration, along with Sylvia, who took her obligatory photographs for The Island Times.
At the end of the singing the Eagle made one more flypast as dusk fell, circling overhead for ten minutes, with both its Christmas illuminations and its passenger from the previous night. Santa waved, his image just about discernable in the twilight. Then, it was off to The Cat and Fiddle for wine, sandwiches, and some games of chess with The Reverend and Concierge on hand to give a few tips.
*
On Boxing Day the set had decided to go skiing, as fresh artificial snow had been laid down so as to create the ideal piste. Santa’s grotto had been decorated for the occasion, with Nativity scenes and all things festive. The children of The Island had made these, along with ice sculptures of Father Christmas, The Prime Minister, The Chancellor, The Queen and her parents, all made in ice and carefully preserved in the cool chamber.
The skiing was a welcome change and challenge for the set as they braved the downhill and the slalom. Other sets also tried their skills, with help from The Island’s skiing instructor Sheena, principal to The Concierge. Then, by way of a change, they took their chances on the four-person bobsleigh which zoomed its way down the ice channel that ran parallel to the ski slope as far as the next cable-car stop. This was new to the setmates and definitely an experience.
Bitten by the winter sports bug, the setmates continued to make the most of the facilities that were provided for the next few days, and Joanie was happy to allow these days of relaxation during the festive season. The royal family and The PM even joined in, The Queen inviting sets to join them for curling in the East Garden, where the site which had been used for the bonfire and firework display had now been used to provide a curling rink.
In the evenings The Cat and Fiddle and The House of Cards extended the holiday atmosphere as special food and drink was provided relieving setmates from the usual requirement to prepare their own evening fare. In The Cat and Fiddle the visitors could relax and party with the setmates, pulling crackers, telling jokes and enjoying the odd dance as the band played a medley of ballroom favourites.
The evening of 30th December ended for Gary’s set in the snooker room of The House of Cards where they played for a while against Hamish’s set. Two tables were free so the girls played on one table and the men on the other until the game was complete.
“Right down to the last black,” her friend Angie from Kamchatskiy Aerospace said to Anne. “But someone has to win.”
“Great game though,” said Connie as they shook hands. “We lost, but where would we be without competition?”
Then, with closing time approaching, it was time just for one short walk around The Square with the other set to talk and admire the Christmas lights.
Chapter Seventeen
Games without Frontiers
New Year’s Eve for Gary’s set began with a round of golf on The Island’s championship golf course, which was on the west side of the island, just north of the secluded West Garden and private beach of The Royal Palace. It was the ideal chance for Gary to try out his now rusty golfing skills, whilst the course, which was managed by The Queen’s gardener, provided clubs. That man of many talents, The Concierge, a keen golfer, was on hand to provide private tuition to the setmates to help them to improve their game.
“Keep your eye on the ball and try not to stab at it when you strike,” he advised Gary on the practice ground. “And Anne try to flex your legs a little more, and keep your left shoulder in line with the direction in which you want to aim.”
With the half hour of tuition complete they commenced their round in couples, having had a mini-draw earlier at breakfast to determine who would be paired with whom. The result was three girls paired with each other, and three men paired with each other.
The course was a challenging links course, with a prevailing light westerly breeze. Joanie and the Queen regularly invited Government officials and heads of state to play there on state visits, as some of the photographs in the clubhouse indicated.
“I think we just had to play this course,” said Anne as she struck her tee shot to the par three sixth. “I couldn’t have left The Island without.”
“I like some of the names they give to the holes,” remarked Connie, with whom Anne was paired. “This one, for example, is called The Prisoner, because of the way the bunkers surround and guard the green. I see the seventh is called The Two Rivers because of the two rivers that cross the fairway. According to Patrick you never know quite how to play it. It’s quite a difficult par four.”
The par-five twelfth proved to be difficult for the set to negotiate, the tee shot over the bay catching a few of them out and requiring them to be three off the tee.
“The wind keeps catching the ball and driving it into the water,” Gary said to Carl.
“Never mind. I’m not doing much better,” said Carl. “I have taken four just to reach the fairway.”
Terry and Lars meanwhile found the sand traps and burn on the fourteenth equally troublesome, with rusty putting giving them both double bogeys. Only the two girls Elena and Yvonne managed to stay under par within their handicap.
“So, you two must be the winners,” said The Concierge, back at the clubhouse. “Congratulations. So now I think it’s time for a drink. Now, Gary I know you like Number Six Stout, so I will go and pull one from the bar. And for Yvonne, for you I will pull a half litre of this year’s commemorative lager, Prince Regent, so you can be the first to try the new draught, and for those who like wine I will bring a couple of bottles of Two’s Company.”
Gary and the others looked awhile at some of the photographs.
“Isn’t that the King of Spain?” Claudia asked The Concierge.
“Yes, playing with Queen Katie last year,” he replied. “He’s played this course a few times. And he always curses when his ball lands in the sea or one of those deep bunkers that takes him no end of shots to get out of. He assures our Queen he will get his own back when he invites her to play on one of his courses. Not that I think he will beat her. She’s very good.”
“And who can we attribute that to?” laughed Jose.
The Concierge said nothing, but just grinned back as if it were a question that needed no answer.
“So, are you all ready for the fun and games tomorrow?” he asked.
“Oh I think that will be great fun,” replied Connie. “Seeing all those hilarious games played out in costume. I can’t wait to see what that snow-maiden game is going to look like.”
“It will all be televised you know,” answered The Concierge. “Everyone watching in The Island territories will see your game.”
In the evening the setmates piled into The Cat and Fiddle where a ceilidh had been arranged with The Is
land’s folk band Ten A Penny on hand to play a variety of Scottish jigs, reels and strathspeys as evening fare was served. At nine, a vegetarian haggis was piped in by The Night Watchman, who was dressed in his finest Glengarry tartan. The royals, The PM, Chancellor, Concierge, Reverend and Jobine joined the setmates for the celebration. Sylvia naturally also had a place and was on hand to take photographs, which she invited the setmates to keep as souvenirs. Then, at midnight they all assembled in The Square ready for The Bell Tower clock to ring in the New Year. The setmates circled Leo’s Lake, joining hands for the traditional ‘Auld Lang Syne’. Fireworks then lit up the night sky before the roof of The Great Dome opened and The Eagle made one last flight, with the message ‘Happy New Year’ prominently displayed over its wings.
*
The following afternoon the cable cars were filled to capacity as they shuttled staff, setmates and some lucky fans of the visiting teams up to The Non-Olympic Stadium ready to watch the eight visiting teams that had made through to the final of ‘Games without Frontiers’ to battle it out to win the honour of being crowned Games Without Frontiers champions for 2108. Setmates would also have the pleasure of seeing the games that they had invented performed by the teams. The materials and props had been flown in and assembled in advance ready for the contest, which was jointly hosted by The Concierge and Chancellor. In the stands setmates and staff watched on, joined by invited guests from the winning towns. Joanie, The Queen and the royal set filled the royal enclosure.
“Welcome citizens to Games Without Frontiers,” The Chancellor hailed. “The friendly games where competition becomes everything and nothing, where laughter abounds, and where everything turns out well in the end. You know the rules I’m sure. We have eight teams who play a total of twenty games. On any one of them they can play their joker, which will automatically double their score. For each game the winner receives eight points, then seven, then six and so on.”
“My good friend The Reverend becomes our trusted referee,” The Concierge continued. “And a lovely lady by the name of Jobine will be on hand to start each game with a blow on her magic whistle, and look after the scoreboard.”
“So without further ado, let’s meet the teams,” said The Chancellor. “Open the portcullis.”
The portcullis at the centre of the arena on the cable-car side opened and the teams skated into the stadium as The Island band played.
“So now we have our wonderful finalists from our eight heats,” The Chancellor continued. “Please welcome the best eight teams from The Aleutians, The Falklands, Kamchatka North, Kamchatka Central, Kamchatka South, Sakhalin North, Sakhalin South and The Kuril Islands.”
The visitors skated around until all of them had entered. Then the band stopped.
“Thank you, my friend,” said The Concierge. “Now as you all know, this is the grand final, with the best scoring sides from each of the eight Island territories. In this special show we have a total of twenty games based on a Christmas and New Year theme, each of which is devised by one of the twenty sets that Her Majesty Queen Katie invited here as an opportunity to transform their lives. Now The Chancellor will introduce the first game.”
“As you can see,” The Chancellor continued. “There are eight Christmas angels each on the end of a jib who have to quickly levitate themselves using the toe-picks of their skates. Once aloft they have to stay there for as long as possible. As the time progresses the jib becomes heavier as the ice block that weighs it down melts over a column of steam and the angels have to flap their wings in order to prevent themselves from falling back to earth. It’s a lovely game and it is the competitor who can stay aloft the longest that will win the eight points for their team. On Jobine’s whistle, three, two, one, go.”
On hearing the whistle the angels rose with the all-important push from their toe-picks, rising high and remaining there for as long as they could. It was a test of stamina as the counterbalancing mechanism on the jibs gradually made it increasingly difficult to remain aloft.
Gary’s set, like the other sets, had reserved places such that they would have a good view of the game that they had invented, in this case game eleven.
“I wonder which set came up with that,” said Anne, commenting on the first game, which was not too far from game eleven.
“I think that was Marie’s set,” answered Terry. “They researched the origins of ‘Games without Frontiers’ and went into the archives right back to 1982 and got the idea for this wonderful game from the very last European version of ‘Jeux sans Frontieres’. They then adapted it for this event. Quite clever, I thought.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing what they make of our game,” said Claudia.
The games used a set of standard props with additional features. There was laughter and cheers as the teams scrambled for coins in Christmas puddings, leapt over pontoons dressed as mince pies, decorated Christmas trees in outfits that gradually inflated as opposing teammates turned wheels, chased turkeys around the ice, pulled sleighs full of presents dressed as reindeers, and generally had fun playing crazy games in outrageous costumes in a stadium that had been transformed into a winter wonderland for what was now its sole purpose.
Presently game eleven came around and The Chancellor introduced it:
“So to game eleven. Here we see ten snow maidens trapped on ice floes. They have to be rescued by elves who have to battle their way through a polystyrene barrier. They then have to negotiate an obstacle course. Their opponents will try to stop them from getting along by blowing snow at them, throwing snowballs at them and finally spraying them with a jet of water.”
The Chancellor paused for a moment, struggling to control his laughter.
“The first elf to rescue their team’s snow maiden and skate back to base with her will be declared the winner.”
Jobine prepared to blow her whistle, but was temporarily stopped by The Chancellor.
“What is this?” he said, as he was approached by two competitors holding a shield with the letters KS printed on it. “Do I see the Kamchatka South joker?”
The Chancellor shook the competitors’ hands and wished them luck. Then Jobine did blow her whistle and the game was underway, Gary and his setmates now adopting the Kamchatka South team and cheering them on, given that they had selected their game for their joker.
The Kamchatka South elf was quick off the mark, making it through to the glacier first, but as the snow came down and the snowballs were thrown he was soon caught up. He was, however, a fast skater and he was soon past the obstacles. He skated quickly past the water jet aimed at him by The Aleutians girl. Swiftly he grabbed his snow maiden from the raised pontoon, carried her over his shoulder and rushed back three seconds ahead of his Kamchatka North rival. The gamble had paid off and Gary and the others rose to their feet to cheer their adopted hero.
“Sixteen points from our game,” Anne said excitedly as they watched Jobine press her magic button that saw their score rise.
Then it was quickly on to the next game, and so it continued until it was time for the final game, which was on a New Year theme and against the clock.
“So to our finale,” The Concierge declared. “And it’s all on the last game to decide whether the Games Without Frontiers champion of champions for 2108 will be Kamchatka North, Kamchatka South or Sakhalin South. Any one of the three could win. One man from each team has to skate as fast as he can in the harness, get airborne and fly through the air like grease lightning to the top of Big Ben which is set at half-past eleven. He then needs to wind the hands on, but as soon as he lands at the top three games from opposing teams will begin to try to wind the hands back from within the clock. The man at the top then has to unwind a rope and hoist up his five teammates so they can join him at the top and begin to wind the clock forward using a handle at the top. When both the long hand and the short hand reach twelve the clock will chime signifying the end of the game. Last year we had people chiming bells twelve times after skating along a thi
n ice beam. This year it is altogether a much more elaborate and demanding game. Teams, get ready. On the Jobine’s whistle three, two, one, go.”
The eight teams battled it out, and the fans cheered as the men in harnesses zoomed toward the clock faces before quickly unwinding the rope for the eagerly awaiting team-mates who were waiting at the bottom whilst the opposition frantically attempted to wind in the opposite direction in order to try to turn back the clock. Of course eventually the five men would succeed in winding the clock forward, with their superior strength and gearing, but it was a closely fought contest. One by one the chimes sounded until eventually the final whistle sounded with The Falklands and The Kuril Islands unfortunately failing to complete the game. Gary and the others continued to cheer their adopted Kamchatka South, but in the end it was Kamchatka North that was victorious, just shading Kamchatka South out of the points.
“Well, better luck next year,” said Connie, as they watched the Kamchatka North captain receive the coveted trophy from Queen Katie, and his team completed its lap of honour, shaking hands first with Kamchatka South, then with the other teams.
“A gallant contest, conducted as ever in a wonderful spirit,” said The Queen. “Now it’s all over for another year and this lovely stadium will once more become a silent museum piece until it is brought to life once more on New Year’s Day 2110 as there will be no games next year. But the spirit of Games Without Frontiers lives on. I thank you all for the laughter and cheer that you have given us.”
Chapter Eighteen
Carnival on Ice
For the remainder of January, Jobine worked the setmates hard, determined to maximise their potential before they were finally handed over to their employers. For Gary and the others this meant a yet more intensive training schedule on the ice, as the set prepared for the Mardi Gras Carnival.
The Island of Dreams Page 23