The Gatekeeper

by Kate Fall

Obama is in town for the G20. His staff agree to a meeting with David at the US Ambassador’s residence in Regent’s Park, while Samantha is to have tea with Michelle. Just as I am leaving work, we hear that there is to be an exchange of presents, including for the children. All hell breaks out. The shops are already shut and the meeting is the very next morning. We have literally no time to buy a present, even if we had any ideas about what to buy. Then Samantha has the idea of a bracelet for Michelle, and we agree on a book for the children – a trilogy by Susan Cooper that Samantha and I both loved when we were young. I volunteer to pick it up first thing on my way in to work. We have exactly half an hour from opening time to gather the presents before we get into the convoy to the residence. I am waiting outside the bookshop impatiently and when the doors open I rush in and head straight to the children’s section. My phone rings – it’s George. I explain I can’t talk because I am on mission critical to buy the Obama children a book. ‘What book?’ he asks. I reply, ‘The Dark is Rising.’ There is a silence. ‘The what?’ He does not sound happy. ‘The Dark Is Rising,’ I say again. ‘It is a wonderful Arthurian trilogy … Samantha and I really loved these books as children.’ ‘It doesn’t matter how much you and Sam loved the books or what they are about,’ he says. ‘What matters is, it’s called—’ he says each word, slowly, ‘The Dark … Is … Rising. Think of the Daily Mail! You can’t g...