It was nearing midnight and the prime minister, alone in his office, was reading a lengthy memorandum that, however, slipped from his mind without leaving the slightest impression. He was waiting for a call from the president of a distant country, and so, while on one hand he wondered when this blessed person would call and on the other tried to banish the unpleasant memories of an endless, exhausting, and difficult week, there was no room for anything else in his head. The harder he tried to concentrate on the text, the more clearly the smug face of one of his political opponents appeared before him. This particular opponent had appeared on the news that day, not only to list all the terrible and dreadful things that had happened over the past week—as if anyone needed a reminder—but also to explain why they were all the result of government mistakes and omissions.

At the very thought of these accusations, his blood boiled, as they were neither correct nor fair. How was it possible, he wondered, for the government to prevent the collapse of the bridge? It was infuriating that such rumors were spreading...