— Broos…? the phone came up clenched to a deaf ear, — no damn time to start nitpicking, if this contract’s not signed sealed and delivered while Monty’s still running things here his signature on it’s no more damn good than Jefferson Davis,’ already got enough damn problems leftwing press adding two and two getting five sounds like a few blacks jumped the gun over there blew up a damn bridge or something, Blaufinger on the phone here first damn thing he’ll want to know’s if there’s any talk about sending in troops to stabilize the situation. The answer’d better be we’re damn well not and I want Frank Black to make that good and damn clear to the press corps down there and anybody else that noses in hear me? Civil war breaks out seceding this Uaso province it’s nobody’s business but these damn Africans’, we can’t get in there and support secession don’t mean we want some damn fool introducing a resolution on the floor supporting the established government either hear me…? he hunched further getting the phone to his other hand, — what’s that…? getting it clenched to his other ear. — You do some arm twisting get that damn resolution tacked on there hear me? We’re the ones that’s building the damn smelter the government’s not, we’re the ones taking the chance they’re not, you hear me…? and the phone came tendered at arm’s length where Miss Bulcke caught it. — You hear that Beaton?
— Excuse me sir General Blaufinger is still…
— Here I’ll take it.
— Mister Moncrieff is on the line now, thank you for wait…
— Hello, General…?
— Beaton you hear that? Resolution exempting private investment in a hazardous business climate you make damn sure that’s cleared up before Monty signs, hear me?
— Rumors General, just rumors, we… three planeloads? No they couldn’t be ours, the whole… but half the armies over there have US stamped all over them there’s no reason to be afraid the… no of course not General I didn’t mean to imply… Yes I know you did General even our own history books treat it as a brilliant campai… I’ve never discussed it with General Box no, but… Yes I’m sure he would General but we want him out of there right after this groundbreaking, these reports have already jeopardized the contract and if you can’t restrain Doctor Dé until we have the… now just a minute General, we…
— 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…