Clifford Thurlow

The Second Rule Clifford Thurlow

When Tomas Sala, state architect to the dictator, finds himself alone one night with an aching nostalgia and a steady supply of booze, he begins to re-evaluate his life, a catharsis that makes him realize there is something vital that he must do. He thinks of his cellist wife Helena, now in exile, of his son, now dead, and of his own childhood marred by tragedy. He remembers his time as a student, designing the aberration that will become the Palace of Democracy, whilst listening to the sounds of his friend Anton expertly seducing yet another virgin next door. While Tomas Sala is able to build the absurd vision of his leader, his personal dreams disintegrate. His journey into the past begins to set out a path to action and, ultimately, perhaps, to his own salvation...