The arrival of distinguished royal guests from the Mid-and-Near East to witness the capture of the miscreant Bard of Nishapur temporarily hampers the Chief of Staff's tasks, but Noblesse Oblige....

The Ruba’iyat of Créteil Lake: Part Thirty-Six

Hardly had the CS drawn tight the dragnet round the mosque and lake
The red phone on his desk at the Préfecture signalled a break-
Through at the Orly Airport end: “Guests from the Near East: ARRIVED !”
Protocol required their being transported for Prophet’s sake!

The Foreign Office rushed to proffer red carpet treatment with gloves
But the Princes refused to board the suburban trains in droves
Roads stood blocked choc-a-block so helicopter commutes were proposed:
A landing pad at Carrefour de Pompadour if His Lordship approves!

And so it came to pass but the Princes stopped at junction sign-posts:
“What’s this?” Prince addressed his French Agent: “Hôtel des Postes-
Banque de France, Hôtel de Police, Hôtel de Ville, Préfecture Hôtel du Département?
Why haven’t you bought these hotels as well? The billions we pay in costs!”

“Your Highness! If you’ll kindly pardon me, these hôtels aren’t for sale!”
“Well, never mind Hôtel des Postes! Buy me Banque de France sans fail !”
“I’ll see what I can do but it might take a pretty penny or two!”
“That’s no sweat! For fifty years or so we’ll pay in gas and oil !”

“As for the last entertainment consignment my retinue still complains!
They got stitched and patched up fifteen-year-olds for their pains!”
“Your Highness, that’s the age limit down here since 1976 laissez-faire!
We’d be hard put to find a virgin over ten in these terrains!”

© T. Wignesan – Paris, 2014