They threaten to quit over demands

"Why?" Percy Udagedera, Bindu's father asked, "do you have any doubts?"

"No, thaaththa," Bindu said, "how can we have doubts when Satellite has promised us that there will be no 'dooshanaya' or 'beeshanaya'."

"Even Seeni Bola has promised that." Percy said.

"But thaaththa, three people have died already."

"But Seeni Bola says it is a conspiracy to discredit the blues."

"How is that, thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.

"Maybe," Percy suggested, "Seeni Bola wants us to believe that the reds are killing their own members and the greens are killing their own members just to discredit the blues."

"I suppose," Bindu said, "Seeni Bola is like the 'Andare' in the cabinet."

"Don't forget, Bindu," Percy observed, "though 'Andare' was considered a joker by everybody he usually got what he wanted."

"So," Bindu said, "with someone like Seeni Bola to help Satellite, anything is possible."

"Anything is indeed possible." Percy agreed.

"Why do you say that?"

"Why, Bindu Fowzie and Ashraff are now fighting."

"Why is that, thaaththa?"

"It all started when Ashraff told a newspaper that it will be he who decides who forms the next government."

"How can he say that?" Bindu wanted to know.

"Why if it is a close election and the greens and blues have only a slight difference in the number of seats that they have."

"Then what happens?"

"Then, if Ashraff has contested separately and got a handful of seats, he will indeed decide who will form the next government."

"Is that why he is making so many demands, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.

"What demands, Bindu?"

"Why, thaaththa, he is insisting that for him to support Satellite in a future government, Fowzie must be sent away."

"Yes, that's what he wants."

"That puts Satellite in a rather difficult position, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Percy agreed, "after all, Fowzie is an old hand who even lost his civic rights trying to work for the blues."

"Then," Bindu said, "I'm sure Satellite will be able to come to sort of compromise with both of them."

"That seems a rather remote possibility now, Bindu." Percy declared.

"Why do you say that?"

"Why even Fowzie says he will quit politics if Ashraff can win a decent number of seats, contesting on his own."

"And what does Ashraff say to that?"

"Ashraff, is insisting on his pound of flesh, that Fowzie must leave for him to support Satellite." Percy explained.

"So," said Bindu, "we have 'Andare' and others all in the same cabinet."

"It's not only 'Andare' and others who are in the cabinet, Bindu" Percy said.

"Why, who else is there?" Bindu wanted to know.

"Why, even Archimedes is there."

"But thaaththa," Bindu said, "there is a difference with this 'Archimedes'."

"What is that?"

"This 'Archimedes' didn't shout saying 'Eureka, Eureka'. Someone else did the shouting."

Percy didn't dispute that.

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