60
The notes Tom had made on the night of the State Dinner in Washington proved to be surprisingly coherent and, after a five-kilometre run, he spent most of the day writing a briefing paper for the prime minister. As a finishing touch Tom added a comment in the margin of the final page—things look f****d.
They did, for most of the world anyway. Australia would be fine for now due to its mineral riches but what if the world fell apart around them? Every dancer needed a partner.
The ever-approaching finale to China’s boom meant all of Europe was going to take a hit. Europe, as far as Tom could foresee, was liable to civil unrest, mortgage collapse and the end of infrastructure. If he owned property in Brazil or Spain, he would be dumping it. He could see an avalanche coming but could not
