Again silence from the other end of the table.
‘No, maybe not.’ Elli paused. ‘Since Manoukios has shockingly lost his tongue, let me tell you. We are here, because one of you has been assisting an outside coup and stirring things.’ Elli paused for effect.
There were gasps of shock around the table. Dekon expressed everybody’s question apart from the perpetrator who was fidgeting and shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He was so transparent, thought Elli. He was never one to control and hide his feelings. He would be a very bad poker player.
She would have expected him to clam up and look ashamed. But no, not Manoukios. That would have been too much to ask. Too big a demand on his intelligence and ample common sense. God ran out of brains when he made this one, Elli thought.
His belligerence raised its ugly head. Instead of staying quiet, he stood up, defiant and defensive, reckless or unaware that Elli held all the cards. He didn’t care if he betrayed himself in the process.
‘Why should you be the one to still lead this company? I think it’s time for the chair to move to one of the other clans. You are no longer fit to run the company. I move for a vote of no confidence in you and for your removal from the board.’
‘Do you think you have the numbers?’
‘I’ll take that chance.’
‘Would you like to tell us why?’
With a smug expression on his face he launched into his indictment. ‘You have been using company funds illegally for a futile personal project or a quest for which the company will obtain no financial gain.’
There were audible gasps around the table even if some of the other shareholders for whom Manoukios was the spokesperson knew about this. It was still shocking, as it was the first time the authority of the head of the family and the head of the company had been at least openly challenged in a public venue.
Manoukios was on a roll, or so he and his allies thought. He continued, laughably undaunted, blindingly digging deeper holes for himself as he went along.
‘Unless, of course, it is for the pursue of treasure or something valuable in which case it belongs to the company and it should therefore be shared proportionally amongst the shareholders as an extraordinary tax-free dividend. Elli, is it treasure that you crave and are searching for so obsessively?’ There were murmurs and nods of agreement with his last proposal.
‘If you actually check your records you will realise that everything was paid for through my own personal funds. That was a cheap shot, Manoukios.’ Elli ignored his other allegations. It was none of his business.
Elli thought that her mere presence at this meeting and her obvious confidence should have been enough to indicate to him that he, and the person or persons he had allied himself with, had already lost.
He had played with fire and was about to get burned. He had no idea of the fate Elli had in store for him for such blatant and sloppily organised betrayal. She knew how she would have gone about doing it, if she was planning such a coup, and it would not be like this fool has done it. And it would probably have had a bigger chance of success. So typical of Manoukios not to be properly prepared. His habits during his school years still bedevilled him.
‘Manoukios, you always were a greedy fool. Now, shut up and listen. This concerns not only you but all of us. It is not about you, about one person or one family.’ Elli paused. ‘And I will tell you why. It appears you have not done your homework. You have not studied the rules of the company. I am the current 60 % majority shareholder and as such I have absolute control of this company. The rules were created by the founders, so as to prevent future petty challenges causing upheaval by distracting from the company’s management and damaging the company.
‘You are on a slippery slope, Manoukios. To continue on this silly course of ignoring the facts and hoping for a miracle is a waste of all our time and it smacks of a vendetta, of a desperate attempt to settle scores. Perhaps you believe you are in a parallel universe where a miracle will override the company rules.’ Elli’s last sentence was phrased as a question. Her words oozed caustic irony.
Manoukios was still smarting from Elli’s assault, but there was no giving up and no turning back. He had to see this through to the bitter end. He went on a new assault of his own.
‘My dearest Elli, I repeat. Why should you and your clan be the one solely deserving of this honoured position? Tell us, please, where it is written that you and your brood are the chosen ones. Because, and I believe I speak for most of us here, I don’t know of any such situation that should continue in perpetuity.’
Elli almost laughed out loud. Manoukios certainly had a lot of fight still left in him. Playing to the gallery, as they say. Such splendid posturing. She was almost impressed by his performance and sheer stupidity, put on display for all to see.
He was now well on his way to, expertly and determinedly, dig an even larger hole for himself and taking his allies with him. Well, he would do that literally and very soon, Elli thought. And he didn’t know it yet. Elli calmly and tactfully nudged Manoukios along.
‘I think you have not been listening.’
‘Yes, I have, and I plan to challenge those rules in court. I’m going to call my lawyer right now.’
Manoukios began to have the chilling feeling that he had lost the battle. He had to get out and think. With his defiant declaration he was buying himself time before a suspected humiliation at the hands of Elli came. He had to save face before all present.
He had to leave the room quickly, postpone or, if he was lucky, completely escape the sentence Elli would unilaterally pass on him and execute with ruthless efficiency and no remorse. She would have every right to do that. He was the culpable party after all. However, unbeknownst to him, with his statement his folly was now complete and his fate inescapable.
He stood as if to leave, but didn’t get very far. Something was slowing him down with every step he took, and was pulling him back. He could sense Elli’s eyes on him. He knew she had more to say.
He stopped and turned towards those present. His eyes locked on Elli’s. He started to say something, to protest, but whatever he intended to say was cut short prematurely and killed at birth.
Elli had had enough of his stupidity. ‘Sit down, Manoukios, and shut up.’
‘We don’t trust you.’ He said as he sat down, his demeanour one of a scolded child, still defiant but with his protest weakening with every syllable.
Elli waited until she had everybody’s attention. She could feel their eyes boring down on her. She was enjoying herself. She only hoped that they were enjoying the show as much as she did.
‘Manoukios. You have been in Andrew’s pocket for quite some time now, haven’t you? For those who don’t know who I am talking about I am referring to Andrew Le Charos.’ Elli paused. She looked around the table at shocked and in some cases also confused faces. ‘Yes, the Australian shark as he’s otherwise known.’ There were nods of recognition. She continued. ‘You conspired with Andrew to cause trouble not just to me but disruption to the company itself. How much has he paid you Manoukios?’
‘You are bluffing. You have no proof of that.’
‘I’m not bluffing. And I believe I speak for all of us here when I say that by claiming that I am bluffing, you have confirmed that what I said is true.’
Manoukios was shaking his head; his face was going red, causing in the others the fear that a stroke or a heart attack was imminent. His whole body began to tremble, he appeared to be shaken by convulsions, he seemed almost on the verge of madness and it made one expect that he would start to break apart and explode at any moment, like a tremor that opens up cracks in the earth. The others were watching him with fascination.
Elli continued. ‘You can deny it no longer.’
Manoukios was becoming desperate. He felt he was losing his supporters in the room. He had to do something. He had to say something. But maybe it was already too late.