President for Life

In the early days, it had not been too difficult to teach the children the forbidden word, bird, to tell them the diluted story of the little clay flute, and to recall simple anecdotes from the book called Walden. But, over the years, so many things had changed, especially after President Ongresowa had been elected President for life. By that time, most children were born underweight, their intellectual growth stunted from lack of light and from malnutrition. Most of the population relied on Havnotz bread for the bulk of their diet, which was made from leaves, grass and corn husks imported from the Scenic Route and beyond.  President Ongresowa had demanded that even the smallest school should put aside the time every day for the singing of patriotic songs, dancing of stylised folk dances, and forming of human pyramids. The children had little energy for the acrobatics and flash-card demonstrations demanded by the President. Every day, after lunch break, Miss Fletcher coaxed them to rest their heads on their desks, and to close their eyes. While the children’s eyes were closed, she told them stories. Miss Fletcher understood that she must never refer to a time before the Wall or a place outside the Flightproof Netting, for the President insisted that the children must grow up without a knowledge of either. - Excerpt from "House of the Flight-helpers", Tartarus Press UK