Shahanshah Karim sat in his office and studied the geological survey on his desk. He wasn’t sitting in the opulent office from which he officially ran the United Emirates, but rather in the much smaller and more comfortable private office in the royal apartments. The seeming clutter around his office allowed him to work much more efficiently than the demands of appearance would allow in his public office. He turned the page and read the next page of the report with growing interest.
He was an old man. It was a fact he still tried to ignore as often as he could, but age and time were gaining on him. He had been the ruler of UEC for over 46 years, and had come to power in a wave of popular support.
“Modernization” and “reform” had been the slogans he had trumpeted, and had indeed striven for with both the energy and the naiveté of a young man. The Shah removed the reading glasses and rubbed his tired eyes, standing; he walked over to the window and gazed out onto his capital. In so many ways it truly was his capital. He had broken ground on it himself, a new capital to inaugurate a new era, to be completed on the 40th anniversary of the war of liberation that had reunited all the Emirates back under the Cakistani banner. Today the mid-century modernist structures that dominated the city looked dated and showed signs of neglect.
The United Emirates were a poor country, the Shah knew that well. The various empires that had at times swallowed his country had taken much of the coal that remained his country’s primary export. So much of what wealth there was, glittered about him in this palace, and in the palaces and estates of the Emirs.
Turning his mind back to the geological report he understood the opportunity that stood before his people. Allah had granted him a second chance. That didn’t happen often. He was an old man, yes, but perhaps still young enough to give his people the leadership they deserved. “This time we will do better,” he said to the echoing silence of his office.
Returning to his desk the Shah punch the button on the intercom that linked him to his private secretary, “Amir,” he said, “arrange a meeting with the First Minister and the Privy Council for tomorrow. Also I’ll need to meet with the Council of Emirs as soon as possible.”
The reply came nearly instantly, “Of course your majesty.”
“Good,” replied the Shah, “we have much to do, and so little time. So very little time….”
He was an old man. It was a fact he still tried to ignore as often as he could, but age and time were gaining on him. He had been the ruler of UEC for over 46 years, and had come to power in a wave of popular support.
“Modernization” and “reform” had been the slogans he had trumpeted, and had indeed striven for with both the energy and the naiveté of a young man. The Shah removed the reading glasses and rubbed his tired eyes, standing; he walked over to the window and gazed out onto his capital. In so many ways it truly was his capital. He had broken ground on it himself, a new capital to inaugurate a new era, to be completed on the 40th anniversary of the war of liberation that had reunited all the Emirates back under the Cakistani banner. Today the mid-century modernist structures that dominated the city looked dated and showed signs of neglect.
The United Emirates were a poor country, the Shah knew that well. The various empires that had at times swallowed his country had taken much of the coal that remained his country’s primary export. So much of what wealth there was, glittered about him in this palace, and in the palaces and estates of the Emirs.
Turning his mind back to the geological report he understood the opportunity that stood before his people. Allah had granted him a second chance. That didn’t happen often. He was an old man, yes, but perhaps still young enough to give his people the leadership they deserved. “This time we will do better,” he said to the echoing silence of his office.
Returning to his desk the Shah punch the button on the intercom that linked him to his private secretary, “Amir,” he said, “arrange a meeting with the First Minister and the Privy Council for tomorrow. Also I’ll need to meet with the Council of Emirs as soon as possible.”
The reply came nearly instantly, “Of course your majesty.”
“Good,” replied the Shah, “we have much to do, and so little time. So very little time….”