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Monday, May 5, 2014

57

"Do you think we will get any kind of compensation for having to do the extra work?" Bjorn asked after letting the thought of becoming a customs officer sink in.
"I would think so," Frank answered. "It will be a promotion for all of us."
"More money for just about the same amount of work in other words."
"Well, don't pop the Champagne just yet. We don't actually know if they will solve their problem by promoting us. But it seems to me to be their only sensible option."

The sports updates were nearing their end, and the two men turned their attention to the TV in anticipation of the four o'clock news. "Let's see if they have more on us today," Frank said with a happy voice. "I love the way we are being turned into celebrities up here."

And sure enough, the Lundby project was once again featured in one of the news bulletins. This time the focus was on a demonstration in front of the parliament building in Oslo, which allegedly had turned nasty. However, all that could be seen from the news footage was a small crowd of people holding anti-Lundby posters and banners, shouting insults at another crowd holding anti-immigration posters. The whole incident seemed staged and phoney, and left Bjorn completely unimpressed.

In other news, there was an high ranking political advisor resigning in the US over some blunder in Syria, which made Bjorn immediately think of the strange allegations he had come across on the web. "So they were right all along, those conspiracy theorists," Bjorn thought to himself as the news turned to the economy, which allegedly was looking more and more promising. Stocks were up, house prices were up, and high end stores were seeing record sales across the board. "The trickle down effect of this boom is expected to be noticeable in the coming quarters," the anchor woman explained. "However, a self sustained recovery is still some way off, and monetary easing will therefore be needed for at least another year."

"Do you understand any of this babble?" Bjorn asked rhetorically as the news turned to the weather.
"You mean about the economy?" Frank asked. "No I don't. But I'm not an investor."
"No, that's true," Bjorn said with a nod. "But this is the whole economy they are talking about. What if no one know what's going on?"
"Oh, but I'm sure the right people know well enough what they are doing," Frank answered with a smile. "It's not like we've put complete idiots in charge of the economy."
"And you think they are doing things to benefit us all, or just themselves."
"You are a bit of a conspiracy theorist, aren't you?" Frank answered with a cheeky smile.
"I guess I am," Bjorn admitted. "But so far only the richest have benefited from all the economic easing and tweaking. Don't you think that a bit suspicious? Do you really believe in the so called trickle down effect?"
"Not really. But I sure hope it works. Not least for their own sake."
"What do you mean?" Bjorn asked, knowing full well what Frank was thinking.
"Well... I think a lot of people may get very angry if things don't improve pretty soon."
"And you call me a conspiracy theorists?" Bjorn replied with a cheeky smile of his own.

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