‘Hmm.’

This was the only thing that Úrsúla regretted about leaving office; the loss of her opportunity to bring about changes to the treatment of those seeking asylum in Iceland.

‘Are you sure you want to take responsibility for the South Coast Highway issue?’ Eva asked yet again, as if repeating the same question in another guise might elicit a different answer.

‘Yes, I want to do that,’ Úrsúla said. ‘Trust me. You can hold a press call here in the ward. I’ll lie in bed and announce that I’m standing down for health reasons, and will let them know that my last act in office is to postpone the South Coast Highway initiative as there are serious failings in the preparatory stages.’

‘People will go crazy,’ Eva said. ‘That’s such an open way of putting it.’

‘Yes, I know,’ Úrsúla said. ‘That’s why I need you here to make sure the press people know in advance that I’m not answering questions, and this is just a short statement. With me lying here in a hospital bed, they’ll have to behave themselves.’

‘You’re learning fast!’ Eva said in delight. ‘They’ll be so excited to see you and take pictures of you in bed that they’ll accept not getting to ask questions.’ But the look of concern reappeared on her face. ‘You’re absolutely, completely sure about the road issue?’ she asked. ‘You could just leave it. Considering how the PM was planning to manipulate you, he deserves to handle this himself.’

‘He would never do it himself,’ Úrsúla said. ‘Some unsuspecting victim would be persuaded to shoulder responsibility for it. But don’t worry about it. The blame will end up where it belongs.’

Eva leaned over her and kissed Úrsúla’s forehead. 272

‘I hope it works out,’ she muttered. ‘I can see you’re plotting something.’

‘I’m not plotting anything. I’m just thinking of going in new directions. I’m considering applying to work at the homeless shelter.’

‘What?’

‘The shelter for homeless people. I reckon I owe my father that.’

‘The papers will love that,’ Eva sighed. ‘“The Minister and the Bums”,’ she said, drawing quote marks in the air with her fingers as she imagined the headline.

‘That’s fine. It raises awareness of the homelessness problem. I’ve been lying here wondering what kind of aid work I can do that would let me stay at home with Nonni and the children. I need to be there among the people who need help. I’d just wither away if I was doing an office job for the Red Cross. And going back to overseas aid work is more than I can ask Nonni to accept.’

‘This is all news to me,’ Eva said, shaking her head in disbelief. ‘But I can see you’re plotting something. This has to be an election stunt, or something.’

‘You remember what you said to me when I took the job, Eva?’ Úrsúla said. ‘About the politics bug? That it’s easy to catch but difficult to get rid of? Well, I think I’ve managed to get away with it.’