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— Can you, here. Lights? Somebody get the ow! here get up, sit over there… he spilled the hunched tenant from the chair at the head of the long table as heads rose from balled sweaters, Annual Reports, gum wrappers, to follow Mrs Joubert to a corner chair against the drapes.

— Dave? We all set in here?

— Oh, right Boss we just, Carol? You’ve got the picture off but the sound’s still on, that little white button…

— of industrial ingenuity rising like a glittering peak above the surface, for like the iceberg…

— Hey didn’t we already see this movie someplace?

— We getting tested on this Mrs Joubert?

— Like remember where that tree’s falling right on top of you like?

— All right boys and girls? or I should say Diamond shareowners, begging your pawdon… down the length of walnut his truckling glittered beneath expressions of intent vacancy. — The top man in your company has taken a minute to come in and welcome you aboard, this is Mister Moncrieff boys and girls reporting for work. That’s right reporting to you, you’re the owners aren’t you? The rest of us only work here, we work for you and all the other shareowners running your company exactly the way you want it run…

— Today, the riches which belong to us all…

— that you and your other fellow Americans no longer play a passive part in our nation’s great economy, Carol…?

— we call knowhow, modern technological advances enabling the hand of man to…

— By your active ownership you participate directly in our great free enterprise system, giving jobs to thousands of, Carol…!

— two edged swor…

— One second, better turn that sound off myself…

— wedding of the grand alliance of technological knowhow and the free enterprise syssssrrrrp

Faces surfaced from sweater wads, balled gum wrappers, glazed illustrations of the earth’s riches to turn to Mrs Joubert against the litter of shekels and denarii tentatively sitting her chair’s edge, hands crossed over crossed knees. — Perhaps we…

— Could we ask some questions yet? a hand went up, — because I was just wondering…

— Perhaps we can hear Mister Moncrieff first, I know he’s a very busy man… she raised her eyes the length of the table where he stood chin sunk on watered silk sequestering papers from the lounging thrust of a burst elbow.

— Thank you. I want to welcome you all as Diamond stockholders, as ah, as Mister Davidoff said the company’s management and directors are your team. I see you all have copies of our Annual Report there so you know our earnings increased fifteen cents a share last year to a dollar ten. Our earnings this year and for the foreseeable future look even better and, yes since we’re working for you and the other stockholders you’ll see them reflected in your regular dividend checks I’m sure you all, I’m sure your teacher Mrs Joubert has explained all that to you… he cleared his throat as their faces turned to the cautious opening of the door — we’re, as I say we’re your team and this man, come in Beaton, you might not pick him for a lineman but when I’m carrying the ball there’s nobody I’d rather have out there running interference for me. I want you all to meet our Secretary and General Counsel Mister Beaton… and he inclined for a whispered confidence. — Yes well thank you all for coming in, I’m sorry I can’t spend more time with you now but… he saved his glasses from the hand abruptly thrust up at him, — if you have any more questions I’m sure Mister Davi…

— I just wondered down here where it says…

— All right everyone, we’ll have to let Mister Moncrieff…

— The photographer? Davidoff reappeared, gaining speed.

— No but just down here where it says the figures in these columns show stock beneficially owned based on information furnished by nominees and do not include stock held by family members of these nom…

— What’s he got hold of there.

— That’s the, must be our last proxy statement Boss a little kit we put together for them on the, boys and girls? We can’t get into too many details now, we just wanted you to meet the topflight managerial talent your directors have working here for you, we’re all here to keep your profits rolling in and even if you just have one share right now any time you think we’ve stepped out of line don’t forget that one share means you can haul us right up on the carpet and…

— Don’t need to press that point Dave let’s just get the…

— Is that what this here bylaws means where it says…

— What’s, where’d they get that…

— Must have ah, just dropped it in the kit Boss give them a feeling of, like joining a club isn’t it boys and girls that doesn’t mean you have to try to read every word though does it, you’d need a lawyer like your friend Mister Beaton here to explain it let’s just, one more second of Mister Moncrieff’s time let’s just ask him the secret of his success shall we?

— Well I’d just say boys and girls, as long as you’re in the game you may as well play to win.

— I hoped he’d say hire smart people, Davidoff winked disappointment past his shoulder to them.