J R

  —Excuse me could I just get the patient’s arm again he shouldn’t be . . .

  —Who . . .? No only one says he knows him well’s that boob you had brown nosing around Typhon tried to give the damn company away David somebody, just won this fool Advertising Man of the Year award . . . same damn thing here got the bit in his teeth now he puts the blame upstairs tries to subpoena his boss in this Nobili hearing don’t turn up for it FDC probably just let it . . . Wouldn’t even show up to defend that erratic management suit handed over his whole damn company didn’t he? think he’ll show up to take this boob off the hook? Don’t even defend that paternity suit picture of her in the paper jury take one look he would have won it hands dow . . . Don’t know Crawley said Honduras thought he wanted to buy it damn nerve called me at the bank sounded like he was at the bottom of a rain barrel hardly hear what he . . . No some deal wanted me to help him out just this once set up a string of sounded like only banks your family ever need, said he still had a friend over at Chase . . . got off fast as I damn well could just told him to quit calling the press issuing these damn statements, reads the parent company’s made debtor in possession tells me he’s the damn parent says he’s bringing countersuit next damn thing all he wants back’s the corporate seal, says he . . . Not worth the damn trouble no, marshals sealed some off uptown picked some up at the Waldorf heard Zona’s half-baked detectives found some hid in a school locker someplace but . . . He called who . . .? Well by God can you . . . just says it looks like they followed the damn letter of the damn law damn it Monty 1RS says his social security number’s same one on a million sample cards in dime store wallets, filed under that don’t constitute massive fraud does it? Only damn suit I know against him now’s the short swing stock conversion he pulled in that mill takeover back at the start, disgruntled damn stockholder lost her drawers in it place a ghost town only ratable left’s the damn cemetery since this bunch pulled the mills down shipped the looms to South America on a tax dodge and set up in Georgia with cheap equipment under deductible maintenance, too cheap to supervise it whole damn thing went up on some cracker’s used car lot tried to hang onto their tax umbrella with a shipload of damn Hong Kong sweaters lawsuit don’t touch him does it? Statement in the paper he was working for the stockhol . . . cut the whole damn thing loose cemetery’s part of this fool health plan franchised it out to these funeral people some dancy cowboy Beaton picked up with, this junk car cracker down there wants to sue sitting duck let him sue the damn franchi . . . What I just said calls the Attorney General just sounds like he’s trying to get his ex . . . says because that’s what you do damn it that’s what I mean! Sounds like he’s just trying to get his executive officer off the damn hook Beaton here just hold on, Beaton? What’s this damn suit against this what’s his name executive officer just talking about him.

  —Five. Cash payment in full to all general unsecured claimants whose allowable claims aggregate one hundred dol . . .

  —Beaton! Zona belching over here can’t hear a damn . . .

  —lars or less yes sir, or who choose to reduce their claims to this amount the action against Mister Bast is an insider suit sir, rising from his sale of parent company stock at the . . .

  —Damn insider suit Monty old stunt he pulled on the bank put up his stock as collateral forced us to sell it for him before the damn bottom fell out to get around his option terms, how the devil Crawley let him exercise the damn option before it matured class action is it Beaton?

  —The issuance of yes sir both this and the suit against the company’s president are class actions brought by the same plaintiff, since the mill properties were deeded over for a public park and speedway resentment has grown over the rising welfare burden in the town of Union . . .

  —Didn’t ask for a tour of the damn place Beaton just answer my questions after this hear me? Monty? Didn’t tell you to quit reading did I Beaton?

  —No sir issuance of eight hundred thousand shares of common stock to be distributed ratably to all other generally unsecured . . .

  —Don’t look like it no both class actions probably throw them right out, price of stamps don’t sound like anybody can raise the damn postage run around notify all the potential claimants under this Eisen ruling first decent decision the damn Court’s handed down since FDR packed his damn what’s that Beaton?

  —The arrangement is conditioned upon approval by the company’s shareholders of a one for twenty-four reverse split of the shares of common stock presently outstan . . .

  —Cut that make it one for twenty, trying to make a market in it at a half get this damn thing back on my ear, what’s that Monty . . .? No what damn good would . . . get’s him barred from trading that’s all, don’t serve any damn purpose to . . . Well by God no, just make it look worse for the whole damn business community that’s why damn it! SEC’s civil complaint put the whole damn thing into the hands of a receiver didn’t it? had this Bast and this J R what’s his damn name barred from running any publicly owned companies didn’t it? harshest penalty the damn SEC can ask for isn’t it? Can’t bring criminal charges by God Monty push this too far get every damn fool who ever lost a nickel in the market writing his damn congressman to . . . No but by God that’s what the whole damn thing’s all about! Civil complaints nothing but these damn lawyers having lunch fight over a few damn prepositions but by God push Congress too far like walking in a damn hencoop at night wake them all up, start cackling about criminal provisions pass a damn law before they know it only damn face you’ll see in the Union Club be some black with a tray, already got these two barred from trading on any major exchange haven’t they? do any damn good to add one more to the pile? Federal damn prisons already beginning to look like the damn Harvard Business School inside blacks running loose in the streets cutting throats but every damn paper you pick up’s somebody in a Brooks suit on his way to Leavenouch! By . . .

  —Please you’re overexciting the patient he’s going up in a few minutes, if this shot doesn’t quiet him they . . .

  —Get that damn phone back here! Monty? damn babying let go of me there, fifty other damn companies to worry about play nursemaid to this outfit taking too much of my damn time thought you could take on this recapitalization program when you get up here may have your hands full with Typhon ought to get right over there see where Pythian stands on the . . . don’t know maybe Cutler could handle it, litigation coming in corporate structure like something a damn monkey put together think he’d be . . . haven’t no not since they . . . not a damn word from her no got her picture on one of this outfit’s magazines here damned if I can . . . hasn’t mentioned it no, Beaton?

  —Management appreciates your patience during this most trying and difficult period sincerely yours yes sir.

  —Talked to Emily since they got back?

  —Yes sir. In fact sir, I think you should prepare yoursel . . .

  —Says he’s talked to her just need some more time to come around she . . . Know that damn it but she’s got the boy back don’t she? Didn’t think she’d be so damn mean about it either maybe Cutler can talk some damn sense to her now they’re settled . . . only damn reason she wouldn’t come in sign those powers when she took off for Geneva just had to prove she Beaton! damn phone ringing there have to tell you to pick it up? maybe’s Broos, Monty . . .?

  —Yes sir but it’s the room phone I, hello . . .?

  —Know she’s Freddie’s damn guardian on this well as you do Monty, anything went wrong no signature on these powers have the other trustees by the short hair give her leverage to control both foundations everything in them any damn reason something should go wrong . . .?

  —Then you’re at the Maine end Colonel yes, what . . . They have? When do you ex . . .

  —Planned to miss three dividends in the first place didn’t we? No damn voting rights on it unless we miss the fourth one, pay that everything’s under control got Beaton here keeping an eye on the . . . who Freddie? Any word on Freddie Beaton?

 
—You mean the actual reconstituting hasn’t even excuse me, no sir Mrs Cutler is placing ads in the pap . . .

  —Still out loose Monty no Wiles thought he saw him in Tripler’s elevator while back with Emily must have been wrong, Beaton says she’s got ads in the pap . . . must have got it from the doorman when she moved that drunk into their old place up on Seventy . . . Joubert no don’t know she . . . don’t know must have paid him off, damn lulu need it for lawyers job in a Swiss bank there dipped in the cash drawer bought back into Nobili when this outfit ran it up to nineteen turned right around wiped it out with their own Far East market nothing left but what . . .?

  —Lost in transmission but that’s prepos . . .

  —Same damn fool yes got the bit in his teeth there tried to give them away too, launched a big drug donation dates running out thought they’d deduct at retail, IRS disallows it lets them write off at cost under eighty thousand wholesale value damn near two million, drugs show up in every black market in the Pacific dates expire damn druggists returning them hand over fist get the wholesale price back nothing left of the company but this happy pill Zona’s on lose that patent suit all they’ve got’s this damn green aspirin FDA’s got them up on not worth . . . Depends what Broos comes up with Beaton standing here gossiping on the damn phone trying to reach him on . . . what, called Broos . . .?

  —But he’s, but by train . . .?

  —Must be that White some damn face was it? Whitefoot? Idiot we sent down there get him out of that damn bank when we took over stuck him in the FCC what’s he . . . same little wop he was mixed up with was on the state banking committee just pushed this girl out a . . . Ask Broos when I get him try to straighten it out yes . . .

  —No not unless something positive develops Colonel goodbye, thank you for . . .

  —Hang this damn thing up Beaton think I want to lie here listen to it whistle? Who the devil was that.

  —Yes sir that was a call from the . . .

  —What about that stockholder letter didn’t hear a damn thing about selling off that tobacco outfit.

  —Yes sir that was deleted upon representation by the attorney for a Mrs Schramm that majority interest in Ritz Tobacco had not been conveyed in the acquisition of Triangle Paper in which she also had an interest as legatee, and while their earnings forecast based on the introduction of two new cigarette brands Ace and Mary Jane with extremely high promotion budgets is astronomical the company’s past record hardly justif . . .

  —Just trying to hold us up let her have it, one damn thing we don’t need’s another tax loss what the devil you standing there for told you to get hold of Broos didn’t I? See where that damn new strip mining bill stands Monty tells me Stamper’s people already in there scraping up lowgrade coal where those damn Indians were camping out set up to gasify it make electricity teach the buggers to smash those washing machines, told you to keep an eye on that didn’t I?

  —I have yes sir but apparently no electricity will be available in the vicinity of the reservation itself for, excuse me this phone line’s caught here, it’s intended to supply power for the city four hundred miles away where the power station itself is being located, and since all available water on the reservation will be needed to move the coal there by pipeline those who might attempt to stay on the reservation land would have to carry water some distance on their backs to irrigate the corn which has been their only excuse me sir, hello? I’m calling Senator Broos for Gov . . . pardon? Thank you yes as soon as possible he’ll be here for a few more minutes I think yes, goodbye. They say the Senator will call right bacl sir he’s on the floor for a rollcall vote on the arms procurement budg . . .

  —Told him to hold that up till we see where these damn Ray-X projects come out thought they were calling you on this tellything.

  —Yes sir this call a minute ago a Colonel Moyst at the designated receiving point in Maine sir, he . . .

  —What the devil’s going on stand here babbling about Indians watering their damn corn got him sent off did they?

  —They yes sir at least they claim a successful sendoff at the Texas end but the receiving point is reporting severe difficulties with the reconstituting procedure they fear the, the passenger may have been lost or dissipated in transmission and are requesting someone be sent as a tracer but as yet no one has volun . . .

  —Damn fools like that other project could have proved it with a car horn, couldn’t just string a wire across the line to Arkansas where’s the damn research director ought to send him.

  —I’d certainly agree yes sir but it’s too late, he just left the Texas installation by train and is expected at the designated receiving point in about three day . . .

  —Three days by God arms budget be history, these DOD projects both collapse company’s not worth an old shoe anybody fool enough to unload it on be left with these damn fixed price thermocouple contracts in one hand and get hold of Box, get him together with that who the devil general they had on their board there both go down talk to . . .

  —General Haight yes sir but excuse me, I doubt that would work in light of the strong feeling remaining between them over which one stopped General Blaufinger’s advance at Saint Fiacre in the Ardennes offensive of nineteen for . . .

  —Had him up before Broos’ committee with these other damn clowns didn’t they?

  —No sir General Haight was permitted to submit an interrogatory he won’t leave his suite at the Waldorf, I understand he refuses to pay his bill there he’s told them to file a claim against the company which contends the hotel invited him as a guest gratis for publicity purposes but he’s begun his memoirs and moved in all his filing cab . . .

  —Damn fool started the run on their stock got all these damn campus activists forcing universities to dump it didn’t he? Showed up down there had them throwing rocks at him wanted the place named after him for some fast depreciation real estate deal they pulled didn’t he?

  —As I understand it sir he wanted the university renamed to honor his achievement in the arts in return for a collection of his own paintings, which he presented with extremely high evaluations for tax purposes supported by letters from a correspondence school comparing his brilliance to Norman Rockwell, apparently all the correspondence students got similar letters and of course since the law changed the IRS has flatly disallowed his paintings as . . .

  —What changed what law Beaton what are you talking about.

  —By God another county heard from she still here? thought she’d turned into a . . .

  —The law which now permits him to deduct only the cost of his materials ma’am, paints brushes canv . . .

  —What all I can deduct is the housepaint that ape used on those filthy atrocities I paid good money for? You mean the law changed while you stood there with your thumb in your . . .

  —No no ma’am no, as a collector of course you may deduct the full market value of the paintings we’ve already established with your cousin on the museum’s board this law applies to the artist himself, if Mister Schepperman were to donate his own paintings to the museum for instance, he would be allowed only the actual cost of the materials he used in producing them just as an author is allowed paper costs, erasers typewriter rib . . .

  —Ape he wouldn’t donate the sweat off his . . .

  —Damn it Zona be quiet, got your damn cheese got your free pills don’t you? Got your damn parking space back what the devil else . . .

  —Parking space what am I supposed to do squat in it? You get Nick fired expect me to . . .

  —Fired him when these fool detectives of yours said they kept seeing your damn car parked outside this outfit we’re picking up the pieces of what the devil was he doing there, making pastoral calls? Boobs even carting off their trash said they had some more leads Beaton?

  —I doubt it sir, they’d spent two days in Brooklyn tracing the owner of a car with license K four six six when this was identified as simply a concerto of Mozart’s, and of course these tapes they . . .


  —Told you don’t want to know about that damn it say you brought them along?

  —Yes sir but as you, I mean to say they’re only fragments a few words and long gaps filled with splashing sounds that obliter . . .

  —Just play them damn it see if Emily shows up anyplace, ever hear her voice on them?