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It Pays To Listen To Advice

27/1/2017

In the run-up to the election, the incoming President had campaigned long and hard that he would tighten up the nation's borders. And no sooner was he elected than he scrapped the previous administration's DACA scheme allowing children of unregistered immigrants.

Additionally, he announced that all Muslim arrivals would be "extreme-vetted". All arrivals with long beards would be classified as Islamist militants – whatever their religion really was – and definitely refused entry.

The new President was advised to be cautious by many, but he wouldn't listen. There would be no exceptions: all foreigners with long beards were Islamist terrorists, he insisted.

Friday, January 20th

20/1/2017

A Man In His Position

13/1/2017

The thin layer of snow was enough to make walking in stilettos tricky, her stockings, short dress, and knee-length coat hopelessly inadequate protection for her legs. A revealing blouse and two non-existent items of underwear completed the effect.

Angelique wondered what he'd ask for tonight. A man in his position could afford anything, but at seventy even his powers were waning; she knew he'd need something 'different'.

Reaching the hotel, she discreetly took the lift, checked her appearance once more, then knocked on his penthouse door. Just in time, she remembered to switch on the hidden camera in her handbag.

A Pluperfect Tale

1/1/2017

Incredibly, the first paragraph of this story is autobigraphical. It's what happens when you let people play with the English language without a proper licence.

Writing his novel, Gordon had developed a problem: 'had had' had started to pop up in his sentences. Things had come to a head when he had penned the following:

'Discussions Annabelle and he had had had had a profound effect on his actions.'

Appalled, he had cried out for help, but the advice he had had had only made things worse, until someone had suggested:

'Discussions Annabelle and he had had had affected his actions profoundly.'

Now, the story which at the critical point had had 'had had had had', had had 'had had had' only in its place.

It Pays To Listen To Advice

Friday, January 20th

A Man In His Position

A Pluperfect Tale

Flash Fiction

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