
In the opening of this sharply comic saga, President Folsom XXIV convenes a frantic cabinet meeting, demanding the impossible: cash for the coveted Nicolaides art collection. The room erupts with jittery officials—Treasury, Defense, Public Opinion—each scrambling to explain a budget choked by defense spend, while the President’s temper flares, prompting secret service rifles to snap into place. The dialogue crackles with satire, exposing how a leader’s personal whims can collide with the grinding machinery of government.
The novel follows that volatile moment, guiding listeners through a world where high‑stakes politics, absurd bureaucracy, and a dash of artistic obsession intersect. As the president’s fiery commands reverberate, the story hints at hidden agendas, power plays, and the uneasy balance between public duty and private desire. It promises a witty, fast‑paced adventure that examines the cost of obsession without revealing the twists that lie beyond the first act.
Language
en
Duration
~29 minutes (28K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2009-09-04
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1923–1958
Best known for sharp, darkly funny science fiction, this American writer packed big ideas and biting satire into stories that still feel lively today. A member of the Futurians, he also wrote memorable collaborations with Frederik Pohl.
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