Observation One: Singing of promises ...

by Michael E. Lloyd

Toni, a young Spanish music student, has been unwittingly captivated by the mysterious siren, Carla, and press-ganged into the service of those controlling her. Manipulated and driven by those apparently well-meaning forces, they embark on a humorous and satirical whistle-stop tour of European capital cities in their calculated search for a political leader who can always be trusted to speak with complete integrity. But Toni repeatedly falls foul of the law, and though innocent of everything but great naïvety, is forced to become a fugitive with a crisp new identity.

As their mission takes them higher and higher up the echelons of European political power, through colourful escapades in the streets and institutions of Rome, Venice, Prague, Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Strasbourg and Madrid, they gain ever-deeper insights into the reality behind the Earth's political processes and masks. And they increasingly come to appreciate that writers, musicians, architects and artists appear to offer them far greater prospects for learning the truth.

But Toni is operating in a deep hypnotic state, Carla is not at all what she seems, and her Handlers themselves soon come under their own new political pressures, with more menacing undertones. Meanwhile, realities have also been changing for Toni's young girlfriend, Paula, back in the hometown which he has been forced to abandon. Toni will eventually be brought back down to earth with an extremely large thud.