Local time – 4:00pm, Saturday 16th June, 2011.
Prague, Czechoslovakia.
Leo Freeman and Douglas Johnson were back in the bar in their hour off before the welcome dinner. This time they were not alone, so they sat at a small table on the opposite side of the room from a larger gathering of Bilderbergers standing at the bar. Leo was laughing as his friend struggled to convey his absolute disbelief and awe at what he learnt that day. It wasn’t like Douglas to be so lost for words.
‘It’s just so… so… unexpected.’
‘Did you think it was going to be run-of-the-mill?’
‘No, not really. But I must admit that I didn’t hold hopes for learning anything too shocking. I thought it was going to be a bit of a group hug, a you know… ’
‘A waste of time.’
‘Well yes.’
‘And what has it been?’
‘It’s… it’s just… incredible. I can’t believe how advanced the project is.’
‘That’s why this meeting is so important. We’re on the cusp of acting. It’s going to change everything.’ Leo was grinning and Douglas understood why. His friend had sat next to him throughout the first two sessions of the day, and he couldn’t have missed the way Douglas’s initial concern at what he was hearing was replaced with growing enthusiasm.
‘You’re relieved I’ve jumped on the bandwagon, aren’t you?’ Douglas asked.
‘Yes. You were upset by the news of the bombing. I don’t think that got you off to a good start.’
‘Wasn’t everyone worried about that?’
‘Well, yes, but it’s a very tight agenda and there’s not much opportunity to slow down and reflect. You just needed the whole story.’
‘Yes, and when I got that, I certainly was glad I stayed. World cooperation really might be the answer to the world’s problems.’
‘I knew you’d come around eventually,’ Leo said. ‘You’re smarter than most of the people in that room so it’s no surprise you’ve quickly realised the benefits.’
‘This is life changing Leo. I questioned their motives at first. But when I learnt what the group has already achieved, I guess I realised their intentions are pure. Even if the path is a little… ’
‘Unconventional?’
‘Well yes, that’s one word you could use. But why are you doing this?’
‘Because we can.’ Leo saw the frown on Douglas’s face, and laughed. ‘I didn’t really mean that. We’re a diverse group, lots of different interests, but when we heard all the evidence and had what they call a lively debate, we came to the conclusion we didn’t have any choice. It’s either act or lose everything we care about.’ Douglas still looked a bit doubtful. Leo punched his arm.
‘Father knows best.’
Douglas laughed, with a mixture of amusement and relief.
‘That opening address was quite confronting. What exactly does happen if someone leaves the meeting before the end?’
‘We had an incident last year. A new member who found himself out of step with us stormed out halfway through the first day. It was amusing considering how hard he worked to get invited.’
‘So what happened to him?’
‘Oh you know, the usual. CIA had plenty on him. Turns out his daddy’s fortune was ill gotten gains. When I threatened an exposé in the national press, he shut up pretty damn fast.’
The men were both lost in their whisky glasses for a moment, before Leo asked,
‘Did you have a chance to look at the numbers in the appendix to the report?’
‘Yes, numbers are the first thing I always look at.’
‘And what do you think?’
‘I think we’re close to having enough, but we still probably need 50,000 more before we act. That would bring us to 800,000.’
‘That’s exactly what Roger McKinley said to me at afternoon tea. And he’s spent his life running military conflicts in the Middle East, so you’d think he would know.’
‘Well, not a bad guess then. At the speed they’ve amassed so far, looks like we’ll have 50,000 more within days.’
‘Correct. That report is two days old. 35,000 have already arrived in Norway since then, and there are numbers arriving in Estonia as I speak.’
‘800,000 is a great start, extraordinary in fact. But, Leo, aren’t you amazed that no one has noticed? I know how carefully we’re guarding this project, but moving this number of people into these facilities, you’d think there would be a headline somewhere, somehow. Someone, surely, will speak out of turn.’
‘Of course they will. That’s been one of our biggest challenges. You can’t stop them all from talking, it’s just what you do about it when they do that’s important.’
‘I understand completely.’ Douglas let out a sigh and then raised his glass to clink it against Leo’s. ‘All we need now is for Edelstein to come up with the goods. He wasn’t giving much away in the meeting about what he’s actually doing, was he?’
‘There are some things, my friend, it is better not to know,’ Leo said, winking at Douglas as he gulped down the last of his drink. ‘Cheers to a new world order.’