J R

— Damn brown nose here give me that… Blaufinger? if you can’t sit on this thing till this damn contract’s wrapped up we’ll lose the whole shooting match, damn left wing… what? Not talking about a shooting match no damn it I’m talking about this contract, if… Couldn’t sign it till these cobalt stockpile requirements were raised could we? What the devil you think Broos’ Armed Services Committee’s been… well that’s the damn difference between this country and yours, don’t think Pythian’s mentioned in the damned contract do you? can’t tell them where to buy the damn ore can we…? That’s the damn point where the devil else can they get it… don’t know no wait a minute, Monty? Anything in this contract about management services…? Hello? Not a damn thing no, what’s… by God no put in something like that we’ll have the Pythian interest in Typhon spread all over the damn front page… No and I want to be damn sure we don’t, this Doctor Dé goes off half cocked again lets his black boys run around blowing up bridges before we settle this end of things you’ll have this whole damn third world backing Nowunda leftwing press line up behind them leave us sitting with a wish in one hand and… well you sit on him, hear me…? and the phone came up offered nowhere. — Squeezing out the last damn drop wants Pythian to get the contract for management services on this smelter like hiring your uncle to do your damn laundry…

— Nothing we can do about it I’d just like to see him off our board, this Doctor Dé they dug up for defense minister’s the worst fraud you could…

— Damn it Monty don’t own them you can’t trust them, get out there you have to take what you can get…

— sit on, auf ihm sitzen…?

— I know it that’s what I don’t like about the whole…

— mein Onkel soll meine Wäsche waschen…?

— Here somebody hang this damn thing up! Beaton? Where’s the notes on this hearing.

— Yes sir I think you have them right there sir.

— I do not have them right there sir! I have this damn Endo decree and a lot of fool nonsense on this alleged conspiracy to fix prices of materials supplied to the cable industry right there sir!

— Yes sir I, we thought Mister Moncrieff might want to review the material contained in the indictment in case any questions arise at his confirmation hearing relating to…

— Read the newspapers do you, Beaton?

— Yes sir.

— May even have come across a little piece tucked away in the Times when they dropped this criminal indictment against the company officers?

— Why of, of course yes sir but since the indictment against the company itself was left standing I…

— And as of close of today’s business he’s got no more connection with the company than Rin Tin Tin who’s going to bring up this damn nonsense. Now what the devil’s Endo doing here.

— Yes sir since this recent decree allowing the Diamond tender on condition of the divestiture of Endo Appliance Company just came through from the Justice Department, I thought any question relating to the family interest in Diamond Cable might prompt further…

— Don’t mean they’re going to pick over Endo does it? Want somebody to ask him under oath when this Endo spinoff was first contemplated? No damn use to anybody just make sure you’ve got those patents reassigned put Dick Cutler on it, only damn thing this bunch will have their minds on’s conflict of interest, Broos going to lead him through it?

— Yes sir it shouldn’t present any difficulties, all his security holdings have been placed in the foundation accounts the papers are right here sir, we…

— Right where! by God Beaton that’s all I’ve been trying to get out of you here for the last hour.

— They’re right here yes sir your niece has, excuse me Mrs Joubert… he hurried the papers from her lap where she opened her bag for a handkerchief, caught it up eyes unblinking over its lavender border crumpled in her hand.

— You look tired Daddy, she said to him paused half turned from her as he might have at a window if there’d been one there, looking down, fingers long like those crumpling the handkerchief coursing the bridge of his nose as he brought his gaze past hers down the long line of her throat, — and Daddy if you’re leaving today I have to work things out more clearly for Francis, couldn’t we try to…

— Yes I know… his hand came down, left his lips pursed with concern.

— Because you know all of you know, the only thing I’ve ever…

— Beaton? just a minute Amy… and her hand, edging back a black fall of hair from her temple, hung there empty behind him. — This last option here, the one I just picked up have you…

— It’s yes sir it’s all taken care of we, I don’t think…

— What’s that Beaton?

— Oh, oh nothing sir Mister Mon…

— Look pretty damn rattled over nothing, that what you’re paid to talk about here? nothing?

— No sir no, I meant…

— What the devil did you mean, just said you’ve got all his stock distributed in these two foundations didn’t you?

— Yes sir it’s, we’re still waiting for delivery on one certificate from Mister Crawley but there’s no…