Green man's efforts to please both

"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedera asked, "what do you think will happen to Satellite now?"

"Why," Percy, Bindu's father asked, "why should anything happen to her?"

"Why thaaththa," Bindu said, "her party was beaten in the election so convincingly."

"That wouldn't worry her, Bindu" Percy said.

"How can you say that?"

"Why, Bindu, she was not the Leader of the Opposition"

"So," Bindu said, "she will blame him for that"

"Of course," Percy said, "why else was he appointed?"

"But thaaththa, they even lost Attanagalle"

"That is hard to explain" Percy agreed, "but it can only mean one thing"

"And what is that?" Bindu wanted to know.

"Satellite won't take this lightly"

"But what can she do, thaaththa?"

"Well, theoretically she can do anything" Percy argued.

"But practically, she cannot even prevent her uncle from getting arrested" Bindu countered.

"But it is still she who has the final say in what becomes law" Percy pointed out.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Satellite, after all is still the Head of state and the head of Government" Percy said.

"But what can she do with those designations if all the ministers are against her" Bindu wanted to know.

"In the peace talks, for instance, she has to finally declare war or peace" Percy argued.

"So, thaaththa, do you think she would sabotage the peace talks?"

"I'm not saying she would do that but she could, if she really wants to, couldn't she?"

"But not if Prabhakaran is willing to be a good boy, with the entire world watching him?"

"Satellite is not known for doing what other people want her to do" Percy pointed out.

"But of course," Bindu said, "the big question is whether Prabhakaran is willing to be a good boy"

"That's tough to predict," Percy agreed, "but he too is under a lot of pressure"

"But thaaththa," Bindu observed, "the Green Man is gambling his political life on it"

"Why do you say that?" Percy asked.

"Why, if the talks fail, everyone will say 'we told you so' and he will be left holding the pieces of his government"

"But really, the people have supported his decision, haven't they?" Percy asked.

"So, do you think the people will agree to concede anything that Prabhakaran asks for at this stage?" Bindu queried.

"It's not that they are willing to concede anything" Percy observed, "it is just that they have come to realise how wonderful the country is without a war"

"And what happens next?" Bindu asked.

"That will depend on what two very similar people want" Percy said.

"And who are they?" Bindu wanted to know.

"Why, Satellite and Prabhakaran"

"What is similar about them, thaaththa?" Bindu was puzzled.

"Why, their most trusted men are 'Bala's, both of them think that they are always right and they both think that they can outdo each other"

"And," Bindu added, "there's one more thing in common"

"What's that?" Percy wanted to know.

"They both underestimate the Green Man greatly" Bindu said.

Percy didn't disagree.