—I can’t even move my knees no now will you get this stuff . . .
—No but you’re not hardly even listening Bast I mean . . .
—Well what do you mean! How could you be sued for . . .
—I just told you erotic management how do I know, I mean that’s what Piscator said wait where’s, I wrote all this stuff down like they just stuck in everything they can think of see look hey, our next quarter earnings that they’re grossly overstated like where we put in this here forecast for J R Shipping Corp where there’s all these rules about shipping U S exports in American bottoms, see so we were like building it up to ship all these bellies in these here American bottoms I mean what’s so erotic about that.
—I don’t know I don’t know what you’re talking about, look Piscator’s the only one who can do anything why don’t you just . . .
—No but he already did it boy, I mean he goes and files this here affidavit which he said it means I allowed myself to be served I mean how did I know what that means it sounds like some crumby lunchroom, so like then some dumb newspaper says this here company spokesman confirms I maybe went to Honduras which I never even heard of it so these here new directors get this court to attach all this stock in this here voting trust to like make sure I’ll be there today to defend everything, like this here Judge Ude I mean he wouldn’t even give this postponement while we figure up some laws I mean holy shit how can I go to court!
—To court! but you, look this might be serious look . . .
—That’s what I been trying . . .
—No but what can, what did Piscator say they wouldn’t just come and arrest us I don’t even . . .
—No wait see it’s these whole different things, see where these here stockholders say you screwed them it’s like this thing you did just for yourself see only this thing today I wouldn’t get arrested because everything I did I’m like acting for the corporation, I mean that’s the thing of this here limited reliability you know? See where these new directors get pissed off at me for this here erotic management only I’m like acting for the corporation doing all this stuff for these here stockholders with this limited reliability it’s like the corporation did it itself which you can’t go put a corporation in jail, I mean it would be like sticking this bunch of papers in jail see so . . .
—So I can go to jail and you’ve got nothing to worry about you don’t even go to court you just . . .
—No no that’s what I’m telling you hey! I mean if I don’t show up and they get this here judgment and take all this stock off me where I lose control then I can’t even . . .
—Yes but that’s, then it’s over! It’s all over!
—No but wait a sec . . .
—Today right now you’re supposed to be there aren’t you? and you’re not? So you lose it you lose your stock you lose the whole thing the whole mess you’re out of it why didn’t you tell me!
—Okay but wait a . . .
—Okay what do you mean okay it’s the best thing that ever happened why didn’t you just tell me instead of, look what’s going on anyhow! You knew about it about the court the whole thing but you show up today with this field trip you pretend everything’s . . .
—No but how did I know this court thing’s going to happen today! I mean boy is Mister Stye going to be pissed off, like I mean him and Davidoff fixed up this trip ahead of time for this whole publicity thing for where we like bought the school off that Superintendent that Mister Teakell before he just got killed in this car wreck see it’s going to be like this here showcase . . .
—Stop it! you can’t buy schools you can’t even buy . . .
—No well see the deal is where these taxpayers have this here referendum wait I got this thing out of the paper, see they’re pissed off about all these school taxes so there’s this referendum where J R Foundation like takes over the school and J R Corp like buys the plant off it on this ninety-nine year leaseback deal where we pay these here operating expenses which they’re all deductible anyway see, so then we have like this here whole showcase of these new D and S subsiderary’s textbooks and these here other education enervations you know? What’s the matter . . .
—Just let me get my foot . . .
—I mean where school’s always this bunch of crap which it never has anything to do with anything real you know? So like when Whiteback quit we got this here Mister Stye which he’s like this branch manager, I mean he used to be this insurance man so he knows what everything’s worth, you know? Like there’s this neat idea where instead of getting these dumb marks you get paid see like a dollar is A, fifty cents is B C is a quarter D is like nothing see then instead of E you have to pay a nick wait what are you doing hey . . .
—Just move your knees I’m getting another seat, I just can’t listen to . . .
—No but wait a second! I mean what . . .
—You just told me it’s over didn’t you! The whole thing it’s all over can’t you stop . . .
—No but you didn’t let me finish where we get to countersue hey! I mean like they sue us so we sue them right back I mean that’s what you do! I mean for like antitrust and conspiracy and all where they fixed up this here whole voting trust thing just to screw me out of ev, hey? hey what’s the matter . . .
—I don’t, don’t feel very . . .
—You got all white hey wait get your knees wait let me get my, just hold this stuff a second sit back I mean just to get me by the short hair you know? Where they use these old loans to make us get these here new ones which we’re building these here assets where you’re like dribbling on your chin hey, I mean then they start yelling we’re overextended and fix up this here voting trust where I’m like this captive borrower which stop jiggling your knees I’m trying to find this here article, look . . .
—I, no . . .
—Okay wait I’ll read it listen. The small closely held company which rose almost overnight from the ruins of a failing upstate textile mill to become the multimillion dollar multiface, facet, faceted J R Corp appears threatened by a credit squeeze whose dramatic repercussions could be felt throughout the corporate and financial world it was reported here today, I mean that was like Tuesday. Attracted by the smell of here it is listen hey, smell of profits and the corporate daring which have characterized the company’s abrupt entry into such diverse areas as pap wait where does it tell about me down here someplace I thought I marked it, reputation both as a ruthless corporate manipulator with a shrewd see this is me hey, a shrewd eye for tax situations, and a man of vision whose almost clair, clair something see this is still me, clairsomething ability to cut through to the heart of a problem and post an answer in profits before the competition has understood the quest continued on where’s the rest of it wait, I even marked it where I have this here bulldog jaw and all might prove there’s more truth than why’d I mark that for it’s, wait no wait this is you hey listen. You listening?
—Just get this stuff off my . . .
—Okay just a second listen hey. Might prove there’s more truth than poetry in the bard’s words music hath charms to soothe the savage dot dot dot when intimates report funloving millionheiress Boody Selk shedding her swarthy sitar strumming playmate to slip on an eyecatching topless by daring new designer Harry Bosch for her latest teetateet with suave young business exec Edward Bast, seems Ed dabbles at the ivories between corporate mergers we hear his dad’s a prominent conductor on the Long Island Railroad who does a little tunesmithing on the side but with Ed’s head for figures these days he may be planning a merger of a diff . . . hey wait what do you . . .
—Think I, feel like I’m . . .
—No wait sit up I got this here picture too Davidoff sent me to show you from some magazine it’s right under here she is look hey, surfacing from a fun stay in the Greek islands boy that’s some pair of look out! you’re coughing right on . . .
—Feel like I’m going to . . .
—I mean you got spit on these holy, hey wait swallow real hard qui
ck let me get this stuff away try to swallow real hard hey, let me get this handkerchief . . . and he huddled away, dabbing the wad down a rise of tawny buttocks against the sparkling Aegean, licked his lips—you okay now hey? hey Bast . . .?
The train shook abruptly to a halt and he held the heap close, wedged a toe deeper into the hinge of the seat ahead to bring his knees up under it—I mean you don’t need to get so mad at everything, I mean you even got spit on where it says about a man of vision and all . . . and the handkerchief wad wiped that, came up clutched tight for the back of his hand to wipe across his nose and he hunched deeper under the pile peeling up ragged ribbons of newspaper, magazine pages torn jagged—with his sure instinct for the pulse of the market in a companywide search for ways to serve the customer better see this is me too hey, but it is his outstanding talent as a manager’s manager which is held most in awe by his corporate peers see then it tells about this whole paper empire see that’s what it’s called here Paper Empire, I mean it starts off with this here surprise coop where we took over Eagle see then it tells where I thought up buying X-L for this here advertising on all these matchbooks to like fermiliarize everybody with this here rapidly expanding line of products where we went after these timber reserves when we went after Triangle and this here Duncan and hey? did I tell you hey? I mean where this here D and S subsiderary now they want me to write this whole book to publish? Like they said they want to name it How To Make a Million see only I think earn, like How To Earn a Million I mean it sounds more dignified you know? Like this biographical stuff which they fixed it up a little like where they stick in my golf game is in the eighties and all see they’d help me out with this book, I mean this Mister Davidoff said they’d like write it for me you know . . .? And his elbow, come to rest high on the seat’s back, left a hand dangling by his nose where the thumb promptly sought employment—like this here thing Virginia just wrote all about me in She where Mister Davidoff said it’s to like create this masculine image for this here feminine reader appeal which they wrote it for her see, I mean it’s like this intimate picture of her boss which she’s like been with me since the start up to this rise of success and all like I thought it would give the magazine this real success feeling about it if it was like tied onto my own success you know? I mean like where it said in the paper about leading this parade wait a second . . .
The train jolted, glided ahead, stopped, his free hand caught the heap against lock steps past his elbow, came up with a tattered streamer—listen hey. Men who have worked with him I mean that means me that him, with him for years say his chief characteristics are enormous powers of concentration and a dogged persistence in attacking a problem until he comes up with a completely satisfactory answer . . . the thumb dug deeper, emerged for brief examination—which gives the clear impression here it is hey, impression of a man who sees where the parade is beading long before the paraders themselves do, and calmly steps in and leads isn’t that neat? Qualities which u, uniquely fit him for the career in public life which has already created a groundswell I mean what’s a groundswell, which faces only one major ob wait, obstacle, see like some of these words I didn’t have them yet only I keep reading this stuff over again obstacle, an innate modesty that is evident in his words crediting his own success to a mysterious thing which is hard to identify, the vital creative force of the whole J R Family of Companies I mean see I never quite exactly said that you know? See but then it says when discussing the profit picture which has made his company’s stock a leading glamour issue overnight however, a gleam of quite pardonable pride appears in his hey? Bast . . .?
He’d come forward freeing his hand to drop between them and scratch, to rise and wipe the frayed edge of the sweater’s sleeve across his nose and leave the lip trembling there turned toward the inert profile jolting between him and the dirty pane where the trembling lip tightened at the abrupt encounter, where the eyes hesitated as though caught by a passing gleam in the near darkness beyond—okay don’t even listen then . . .! he hunched back, thumb snagged back at a nostril—if you don’t want to even hear this letter where you get to go to this here banquet for helping out the arts and all, I mean where I went and fixed up this big grant to play this here music you’re always yelling about after all I did for you boy, what did I do with it . . . and the portfolio pocket tore a little farther.—It gives us great pleasure to like there’s this here other one too for where we gave out all those old Nobili drugs down at Asia so Davidoff writes right across it be glad to stand in for you on this one if Mister B is otherwise occupied, I mean how does he know maybe I want to go to this here where does it say it, this Brothers Keepers banquet and accept this award it’s mine isn’t it . . .? The thumb dug savagely—like everybody’s always going to all these banquets I never even got to go once . . .
The train shuddered to a halt, moaned at the platform, jolted the silence beside him moving on with—you want this rest of this here cupcake hey . . .? and he crammed it away, dug the sneaker toes tighter to come up cantilevered and scratch—his dedication to the traditional ideas and values that have made America what it is today . . . he came down brushing crumbs from the tattered magazine page.—A quiet, soft voiced rather modest man who looks out from a calm impassive face and beetling brows, with deep set eyes that have such a startling clarity which makes them seem almost hit, hypnotic. They have a blue steel chill about them that suggests an austere, indrawn indwellingness. But they can sparkle with an engaging warmth and the bulldog set of his jaw breaks in a boyish grin when asked about his youth . . . he hunched closer to blow at an icinged crumb,—ful, youthful surroundings and the influences that shaped his formula for successful marketing bluntly expressed in a recent interview as, simply, what works. As the moving force behind his publishing subsiderary’s slash in textbook prices and the, the ubisomething new children’s encyclopedia as well as a sweeping breakthrough in education about to be announced by the parent . . . his thumb rose to burrow, his free hand traced back up the lines to—a calm impassive face and beetling brows . . . he sniffled and looked up, edged forward to peer past the form rocking beside him to the window mirrored with dirt and the darkness beyond lips shaping—beetling brows . . . and the eyebrows gathered in a wince, widened with—a blue steel chill . . . as the train gasped to halts, moved on,—but they sparkle with what did it say . . .? and the eyebrows went up and down desperately projecting—engaging warmth that was it, and the bulldog set of his jaw . . . the narrow chin thrust forward, came up, protruded like an exhibit of orthodontic despair, all of it giving way suddenly to a face beyond the glass thumbing its nose from the platform.—Holy, we’re here holy shit wake up hey Bast wake up!
—What what . . .
—Quick wake up we’re here they all got off boy that wiseass, hey wait we have to get off! Quick get your stuff . . .
—Leave it there I don’t . . .
—You can’t leave that hey! wait hold the case together . . .
—Here let me get your shoulder I don’t feel very . . .
—Hey wait we’re getting off! you okay hey? Boy it’s cold wait a second . . . he squared his armload sheltered behind We kick ass yours too as the train receded into the desolation of the evening, paused again at the breadloaf inscribed Father Haigt eat’s it to mash streamers of paper into the portfolio and tug at its zipper—boy if there’s one thing I really hate it’s the wind you know . . .? They reached the concrete steps, came down them.—You okay hey? I mean can’t you carry some of this stuff I have to stop at the, holy shit it’s closed look the candy store, it’s closed!
—Don’t want any candy where’s a cab.
—No I mean the paper I can’t get the paper, I mean now how are we suppose to we know what happened at that court thing and that underground . . .
—I don’t care what happened where’s a cab!
—There’s not any there’s not even buses hey wait up, I mean didn’t you hear what happened? where this same new bank from the city which took over th
ey called Gottlieb’s loan which he couldn’t pay it off so they seize his Ace Transportation assets which that’s both his cabs and all these school buses I mean it’s this same bank that wait where you going . . .
—Where do you think I’m going I’m . . .
—No but wait up . . . leaves swirled behind him, rushed past in the street where the sweeping lights of a car hurled his shadow over the figure mounting the curb ahead—hey Bast? I mean it’s this here same new bank from the city can’t you even listen a minute! It’s this here new branch of one of these same banks that’s screwing us too I mean they never lose these banks don’t, I mean where we’re getting screwed Crawley’s getting screwed everybody’s getting screwed except these here banks they never get screwed, they’re always in there getting this percent of everything I mean I should have thought of it my . . . he stumbled,—I mean I got all this stuff I can’t hardly see where, hey . . .?
A car passed joining their shadows in a leap, flinging them aside to raise the shell of the Marine Memorial ahead in crumbling detail—I mean some bank getting some bank I should of thought of that by myself hey? Like where this newspaper just said the parent company I mean that’s me, how the parent is going after this SSS Savings and Loan with these big cash reserves that’s how I thought of it ljust saw it in the paper, like where the paper’s always saying the parent this the parent that I mean that’s me the parent! See I hardly got started hey once we get things fixed up I had all these plans . . . his teeth were chattering—I mean like banks we could have these different kind of banks like this regular bank and these blood banks these eye banks these bone what, where you going . . .
—Have to sit down I, I feel like I . . .
—Wait get back up here where there’s no wind hey . . . he stumbled against the crumbling edge of the Memorial’s shell—let me put this stuff down where we can wait you going to sit here a second?