of questioning my colleague from News 24 was pursuing.’
Oh fuck.
‘These events don’t actually feel like isolated incidents. In fact, it feels like a concerted attempt at disrupting the global oil supply chain. My question is what is our exposure here?’
Charles stared at the BBC journalist, realising he was utterly trapped by the question, realising it wasn’t one he could dodge by looking for someone else to pick. They were all of them, smelling something. If he tried to dodge it, it was going to look bad, very bad. Still, he needed a few more seconds to think how best to answer the man.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, ‘could you repeat your question?’
‘Prime Minister, there’s a real prospect of our oil supply being cut off. What’s our exposure to this?’
CHAPTER 30
1.37 p.m. GMT Whitehall, London
‘What’s our exposure?’ The Prime Minister asked, repeating the question and buying himself another few seconds to pull together an answer.
He shook his head wearily, hoping that he looked like a man who was becoming tired of having to deal with a complete non-issue. The first prickling beads of sweat were starting to dampen his forehead.
Jesus, it’s so hot in here.
‘Listen,’ replied Charles, ‘of course there’s a knock-on effect with what’s going on. Of course there is. Which is why, for example, trading in the City has been suspended. The unnatural spike in the price per barrel that this is causing could be very damaging to the economic—’
‘I’m not talking about the price of the stuff. I’m talking about the availability,’ the journalist pressed him.
‘Well naturally, whilst this problem is playing itself out, supply of oil from the region is going to be reduced. That is, of course, entirely predictable, and whilst the big Middle East suppliers are dealing with their problems, we are simply sourcing our needs from other places.’
A voice from the back of the room broke into the pause that Charles had deployed for effect.
‘And what other places are these?’
Watch it. You’re losing control of this.
The journalist continued, ‘Caspian oil has been cut off with the bomb blasts in and around Baku. The remaining east-flowing pipelines are going to be contested by Russian, Chinese and Indian interests. Are you also aware of several minor explosions in Nigeria effectively disabling the refineries at Alesa-Eleme, Warri and Kaduna?’
Charles nodded, he was. He’d been hoping that the big Middle East story would have eclipsed a detail like that. There’d been few reported casualties, the explosions had been minor; but of course, they’d been large enough to ensure all three refinery complexes were effectively neutralised.
‘My question is this; where exactly is the oil we need tomorrow coming from, Prime Minister?’
‘Well yes, you’re right, there’s not a lot coming into the UK at this moment in time . . .’
Here we go.
Charles shot another glance at Malcolm, who calmly nodded, again, almost imperceptibly.
‘But we have reserves in this country that will see us through this . . . blip.’
Inside he cringed at using the word ‘blip’. He wondered if that was a soundbite that was going to come back and bite him somewhere down the line.
‘And how long is this blip going to last?’ called out another journalist in the audience.
‘How long will our reserves last?’ called out yet another.
It was obvious to Charles, the whole religious war spin was being pushed roughly aside. The bastards were smelling blood, and like a pack of hunting dogs they were going for the kill. The room became suddenly silent, everyone leaning forward, keenly interested in an answer to the last shouted-out question. Charles realised a point had been reached. He could bullshit them and have a go at trying to pull this press conference back on script, or he could take on the question and actually answer it.
They’ll find out it’s all about oil by the end of today . . . if not in the next few hours.
All of a sudden, Charles realised the best tactical move was an outburst of honesty. At the very least, he might buy himself the tiniest bit of political kudos; best-case scenario - an impassioned, heartfelt plea for calm and co-operation aimed squarely at the general public, might just mean the emergency measures they were putting into effect would keep this crisis manageable.
He took a deep breath. ‘We have reserves that’ll last us some months. But obviously, we will have to deploy some good old-fashioned common sense in how we use what we have.’
Janet Corby from News 24, stood up. ‘Are the airport closures and