— Yes all right but what on…
— Okay but just a second I… the doors clattered closed, — Look I’m in a hurry but boy Nonny I mean don’t you ever say I told you to do something illegal I mean what do you think I got you for! I mean if I want to do something illegal what do I want with a lawyer I mean holy shit where do you think we are over at Russia? where they don’t let you do anything? These laws are these laws why should we want to do something illegal if some law lets us do it anyway like selling these looms in this U S aid progr am at South America that’s this U S money coming back here like did we invent this tax break we get with it? I mean if we put a hundred thousand like a million dollars in this here drilling exploration did we invent we get to take off eighty percent for these intangible drilling costs? If we found oil or gas or something we’re supposed to just leave it there if they give us this here twenty-two percent depletion allowance to go ahead and deplete it? I mean these are these laws which you’re supposed to find out exactly the letter of them and that’s what we do exactly the letter! Okay? Okay that’s all and look find out about this whole extra twenty percent rapid depreciation if we can use it somewheres on all this here printing equipment from this Her magazine if this other loan comes through and we can generate up some cash selling off their plants and all, did you get me this stuff on Western Union…? Okay I know send it anyway what about this movie company Erebus and this guy Ben Leva, and that whole savings and loan… Okay okay and look that letter from the FTC you forwarded me? about these wooden matches from X–L that snap off these complaints they’re dangerous? Okay look tell Mooneyham that’s how we’re advertising them now with this added snapoff safety feature like they tell you when you smoke in the woods and… no well sure raise the price, I mean it’s this added feature isn’t it…? Okay if that happens just forget it then because look I was just going to tell you, we’re going all into these paper matchbooks anyway as many as they can print of them as soon as we… for these advertisements of all these different products what do you think! I mean why do you think I went after this brokendown matchbook company in the first place for! And look tell them they can start right off with this here new aspirin we… I know it that’s what I’m telling you! Tell them to go ahead like it is that’s how we’re advertising it, just it’s green that’s all we’re saying. It’s green…! Okay it’s true isn’t it? Why should it have to mean anything! It’s green, explanation point. That’s all we need to… I said it’s green explanation point! That’s all we… That’s what I just said didn’t I…! the doors crashed open, — gee Mrs Joubert I…
— Well it’s all right… she turned, eyes risen abruptly into sight over a lavender border of the handkerchief she held there — but what on earth…
— No well see it’s just, I’m just trying to help out this here friend see and…
— And why on earth is that dirty handkerchief stuffed in the…
— No well see with this here cold season coming on like maybe that’s even where you got yours you know? from these here…
— Mine?
— From how your eyes look sure you probably got it from these here germs somebody holy, holy wait a second I’ll get it all, holy…
— Well why do you try to carry all this around with you? I’ve never seen such a…
— No wait I’ll pick it all up see it’s just this here portforlio split and all my…
— I don’t suppose your paper on Alaska’s there anywhere is it, but no wonder you never can find anything saving old newspapers and all sorts of…
— No but didn’t you see this Mrs Joubert? about this here tender for Diamond Cable like taking over education and all? See I thought I’d bring it to class and…
— Oh yes I didn’t see it, yes do bring it in.
— And this here Alaska paper I’m going to hand it in like even if I have to write the whole thing over, you said you needed a dime before?
— No I really need change enough to call Washington but…
— What Washington D C? It’s like station to station it’s eighty cents the first three minutes then each minute after is twen, you going to talk more than three minutes?
— Well I don’t really…
— Here fifty, seventy-five… the coins came moist, — eighty or if you want to hang around like only twenty more minutes Mrs Joubert see then it goes down to fifty-five cents for…
— No no I can’t wait really, thank you… she sank into the booth, drew her legs away from his sudden breath retrieving Hedging Highlights underfoot and then pulled closed the doors and reached up dialing, sniffed, shook the doors half opened again and reached up, dropping coins. — Yes hello? I’m calling Mister Moncrieff yes will you say it’s his daughter please…? His… yes his daughter Emily yes… Yes I will… she waited, and then brought the doors almost closed on him again out there sweeping together papers, brochures, envelopes, — hello Daddy…? Oh… oh I’m sorry, I thought… Yes I see well, well how long do you think the meeting may last? It’s something quite urgent and… Oh, no then I’m afraid not… No I’m, I’m afraid not no. Thank you… and she sat staring at Dialing Instructions where a knifeblade’s hasty scars spelled fuck, her handkerchief up and then her eyes caught by movement stopped in the angle of the panel glass fixed patiently intent down the top of her dress, cracked the doors opened and breathed.
— Hi did you get your party okay?
— No but, it’s all right but I’m afraid I owe you…
— No that’s okay but like don’t you think it’s funny where they always call somebody your party like they’re this here party? The armload came up and shifted in a turn, — you coming out this way Mrs Joubert?
— No I, yes I might as well, get a train I think there’s one…
— See because there’s these here couple of things I needed to ask you, he came on half a step behind — like are we going to get to futures soon?
— Get to what?
— In class I mean like where you buy these different futures like potatoes and bellies and copper and all see what I wondered is…