The Ministry Of Clarification

In the sprawling labyrinth of government buildings in the capital city of Verbatia, where red tape was woven into the national flag, a new ministry emerged like a bureaucratic phoenix from the ashes of yet another political scandal. The Ministry of Clarifications was born out of necessity—or so the official press release claimed. Its sole purpose: to interpret, elucidate, and, if needed, reinvent the utterances of every other ministry. No more would the public be confused by a minister's offhand remark about "reallocating funds" that sounded suspiciously like embezzlement. Now, every scandal, contradiction, or policy flop would be funneled through this office, polished into something resembling coherence, and spat back out to the masses.
The ministry's headquarters was a repurposed warehouse on the outskirts of the city, far from the gleaming marble halls of power. It was fitting, really—a place where...