Episode 4
The usher went into the waiting room to lead Paolo Ferrotti into the study of Podesta. After the usual decreasing walk up the growing massive desk, Paolo was at the foot of hierarch-officer.
«Sit down, please, mr Ferrotti.» – tone in a mixture of benevolence and command.
«Thank you, Your Eminence.»
Ferrotti remained confused for invite, unusual as running items. He didn’t take it as an honor, but as the black cloud on the horizon. The Podestà, in silence and without watching him, leafed a dossier, that Paolo thought to be his. At the end he put back again to place the sheets and rose glance upon him.
«Ugly financial situation, mr Ferrotti! I say this with regret. We are close to the glebe servitude.»
“I, not we, son of a slutty bitch! As if were not yourselves to send me.” – thought Paolo, impassive.
For those who were not aware, in the rest of the happier world, even in Botswana, I open a parenthesis to explain the institution of glebe servitude of berlüscaland.
So it was called between the Common People, or Low, with expression prohibited of course. Its official name was the Alternative Services of Unsolved Reimbursement, ASUR in symbol, the poisoned fruit of enormous debt of families with modest income, which was denied a reliable and decent income, opening instead an unlimited consumer credit. Result also of contextual advertising phenomena, rather than to useful products, to exasperated consumerism, presumed source of happiness, and to euro change over, uncontrolled against tricks. The situation had gone crawling in hushed, growing suddenly by the end of 2001, and then exploding.
With zero rates, some real other fake, and especially with the “pay first installment in a year“, or in two, many families were brought home flat-screen televisions, computers they didn’t know using, the last savannah cry mobile phones, the new kitchen when the old still worked well. Failing to pay a share at once, they had loss the feeling of spending, of debt, and many families, taken away by the beautiful stuff for free, had opened a second and a third zero rate. At the first small installment, things seemed not to go so bad, except for those who had lost salary in the meantime, or already it was not enough to close the fourth week of the month.
But when the second funding installment added, and then the third, and the others, sometimes even forgotten, the situation was made black. Not only did for families, but also for the finance companies that saw the RID’s rejected for lack of funds, and then for banks, which gathered a mass of red accounts for an impressive amount. The decree of required shopping to support consumption and production, had given the final blow to the system.
Following the cries of lobbies of finance companies, and BBA1 for banks, the Blue Government was moved with a typical private backdoor, worthy of levantine personality of Annointed, and his monstrous conflict of interest. Himself, he did not feel any conflict between all its many interests.
His Mediolatum noted all claims of finance companies at the moment, and balanced against bills families accounts. Banks and companies therefore had pulled a big sigh of relief, developing a monstrous debt of gratitude to the Blue Era, which had saved them from bankruptcy. The usual anonymous clandestine voices – collected, cataloged and investigated by the Blue Guard – had maligned that Mediolatum would ignore the disbursement fishing directly from caveaux of Berlüscaland Central Bank.
For each family, installments had been spreaded over a broader period behind the modest interest of 1-1.5%, while funding continued to be defined by law zero rate. However, always a relief for families, that had not felt immediately the double dependency (and obedience): from Blue Leader as subjects and from his personal company privately.
The Decree on Required Shopping had reopened the spiral of new fundings for consumption. To manage the debt of insolvent families, was established the ASUR, at surpass of a level of indebtedness, customized on each family on the basis of algorithms and parameters largely secret, regularly updated and communicated without any appeal possibility. The system was released.
The Podestà, hybrid figure against nature between State and Regime, a little Institution and some Party, shemale standard of regimes of every color, under mandate from Mediolatum, private enterprise of Head of Government, in exchange for a largely arbitrary discount on the debt, asked the family free services of different kind.
Where less shameful, husband had many weekends to provide 24 hours of heavy gardening jobs in the parks of some VIP Class exponent, while his wife was shining his villa with manic perfection, by hand and without any electrical appliance. Mediolatum was repaid of remitted debt by user of service charges with favor fees.
The usual malicious items, recorded and investigated, spoke of boys and girls enrolled for a 20-25% discount for peculiar parties, with the participation of large parts of the Holy Roman Church. The obvious malice of these items, however, appeared more credible thinking to the stories born around some prelates that have ended in heavy pecuniary refunds.
But it’s time to close this historical overview, to return to talks between Vigevano Podestà and Paolo Ferrotti.
«In fact, a way out there would, Ferrotti. Without going to ASUR, now I could offer a 40% discount on your debt, and then a monthly fee of 200 €.»
Paolo Ferrotti felt a cold shiver running along his back. It was a monstrous offer, never listened in popular items, as he may say better from his clandestine contacts. It had prelude to an equally heavy request. Not to give him easy cue, was watching the Podestà in silence.
«Don’t you ask me what we want in return? Not interested in the offer?»
In his prolonged stubborn silence, Podestà knew he had to do everything by himself.
«We have sympathy for you, Paolo, if I can call you so, as friends who are concerned about your settlements, so to speak, dangerous.»
Ferrotti understood where the exponent of the system wanted to save, but knew much more than he didn’t want, namely that they had only hints on settlements, not evidence, based on which organizing an assured torture: that is they needed his cooperation. Therefore he strengthened its armor.
«I do not understand, Your Eminence. What settlements d’you speak about? In addition to work and Salvini, which I live together, I don’t have time to physically attend others.»
«Uhm … Well, while Salvini… Nothing to say about his wife, God save. She also made a small consumer for markets. But her husband … No, we do not like him at all. Nothing positive, but he is too arrogant and astute for our tastes. Here, for premium which we spoke, you could meanwhile help with him. And then, if he were in contact with other Blue Age enemies, the government of Providence Man» – and here Podestà turned and bowed to the big picture that headed to his shoulders on the wall – «you could continue to do so, but keeping track. There are other prizes, commensurated to aid provided. Don’t you like to be part of the Intermediate People?»
Ferrotti was astonished, the existence of an intermediate layer between the High People and Low was not officially acknowledged by the regime. They tell about guys who, also not having all the prerogatives of High People, were free from many compulsions of Low People, moderately well-off persons for a lighter work, steady and better payed, and with extra prebends; they were used but disdained by upper castes.
In any case, at the point reached by interview, no more remained to say to Paolo Ferrotti:
«I don’t do things like, Your Eminence.» – he said with clear voice, distinct and firm, for the possible registration and then in a more playful tone, smoothing – «Who does the spy, is not Mariah’s son, said the popular wisdom.»2
«It says also that Mariah’s Daughters get away it first, Ferrotti. We all have a duty by law to report the Blue Age enemies, to avoid the crime of complicity, or worse, conspiracy.»
«But Salvini, in fact, is not a Blue Age enemy. Funny, I agree, but without evil, and never about Loved Leader, I can assure you. About Maria Salvini, yourself rightly say, Eminence, which is an excellent Blue woman.»
«I agree, for now. I confirm our sympathy to you. You don’t disappoint me, however. My offer is still valid, if you change mind. Come back to see me well when you want. Good Sunday and Blue Greetings.»
«Blue Greetings, Your Eminence.»
1for Berlüscaland Banker’s Association.
2Here and after was not intended Mariah Carrey.
