The air in the council room hung heavy with smoke and tensions. There was one thing the committee could agree on, the bridge was in horrible disrepair. This was not the first time this had happened, the bridge was very old and had been rebuilt several times. The first bridge had been made of wood, simple fit and lashed posts sunk into the clay of the river bed, perfect for those on foot or traveling by horse. When the first bridge could no longer handle the traffic it was replaced by one made of bricks and mortar that was better suited for carriages and herds. The second bridge lasted longer than the first but was eventually succeeded by one made of iron and steel, metals smelted to withstand the elements and carry the heavy load of automobiles and buses. And although this bridge lasted longer than the first and second combined, in time it too had begun to bend and bow.
In following with tradition, a committee was formed to decide how to deal with the matter.
Currently that committee was in a state of disarray. After hours of debate they were no closer to a practical solution and had started moving towards an impractical one at an alarming rate, debating the merits of reinforcing the bridge with the national supplies of silver and gold. The main objections to this proposal stemmed from anxiety that this would make the nations gold and silver quite vulnerable to theft. To alleviate this concern it was proposed that a sentry would be posted to patrol the bridge and prevent any theft. However this idea led to some worry that the patrol might fall asleep on their watch and fail in their duty. By now exhaustion was replacing the tension in the room and most committee members were all too willing to accept that there must be some sort of modern medicine available that would enable the patrols to keep awake for the duration of their shifts.
And so the head of the committee, fair in both complexion and temperament, hung her head in failure as despite her intentions and capabilities the vote for the motion to Allocate Amphetamines to the Patrols of National Gold and Silver Stores Reinforcing the Bridge passed with the necessary majority and the committee rested easy knowing they had done their part to help society.
