—Yes and what on earth . . .
—No I didn’t know I kept you waiting all this time, I mean I thought everybody went.
—I think everyone has yes, I’m just afraid I don’t have the right change for . . .
—Sure wait a second you need a dime? Just a, just a second holy . . . the panels clattered closed again.—Hello . . .? the portfolio came up with a tug at its zipper, the handkerchief wad trailing its soiled initial D to the mouthpiece—David what . . .? hunched half standing, sweater parted behind spilling a crumpled shirttail—what that’s your last name . . .? Yes this is him speaking but look I’m in a hurry what . . . what at Pomerance? Yes okay but . . . No but like first why don’t you talk to Mister Piscat . . . what Piscator’s right there? Put him on will you . . .? No I said can’t you hear me? I said put on Pis . . . No well look you better clear that with Mister Bast see he gets Business Week and this here Forbes both look will you put . . . No well look I can send you some biographical stuif you mean about me? but . . . No well see look I’m in a hurry will you just . . . Okay look if you want to discuss this corporate image and this here company logo thing over lunch why don’t you just take Mister Bast to . . . Look I’m not worried about it, just whatever Mister Bast says that’s what you do, now will you put Pis . . . No well look if he wants you up to the uptown office he’ll tell you see we just took this here hotel suite up at the Wal . . . No well look see right now there’s this Gen . . . Look I’m not worried about it and this midtown office see we’re closing this midtown office down only . . . Only this here secretary Virginia which we want to hang onto her now look I have to get to this meeting, will you put on Piscator . . .? Look I said will you put . . . Hello? Nonny? Where’d we get him boy he sounds like he . . . No okay look not now just tell him to write me it in a memorandum look I’m in a hurry I just want to get . . . No I got it right here wait a second all this, this stuff on my, desk . . . I said just wait a second . . .! Portfolio tipped to a perilous angle, Maine Potato Futures and Hedging Highlights went to the floor as the tape tore away and lined paper crammed margin to margin came out with a tug—holy . . . okay hello? Okay then under assets the first thing is this one dot two million dollar loan we’re getting off of . . . No okay so we can’t draw on it it look we’re like getting this credit established paying it off see and it gets in the papers so everybody . . . no this Mister Wiles he’s this bank director too see so anyway we show it over here in our cash balance and take the interest off these here earnings from Wonder and all the rest of wait a second look did they do that mineral essay of that water they’re using in this here beer . . .? No I did see if . . . No but see if it’s got any of these minerals in it we should get to take this here percentage depletion allowance off the whole . . . What do you mean we’re depleting them aren’t we? I mean if we get some tax benefit off depleting something why shouldn’t we de . . . okay so go ahead and get a ruling on it look, the next thing . . . where? That says mineral assets twenty million why shouldn’t we claim . . . Okay but with all these here mineral claims we’ve got how does anybody know there’s not these mineral and gas deposits worth twen . . . Look okay look that’s the whole thing then look, if there’s any crap about that we just go ahead and drill or whatever you . . . What does it matter for what! for whatever they give out these deductions for these here intangible drilling costs for I mean what do they expect us to . . . Yes okay I’m in a hurry and look anyway I just discussed these Indians’ leases and all with Mister Bast see so you can clear it with him when he goes out there to . . . No see he’s going out to this Indian preser, reservation see this Charley Yellow . . . Okay so what if he hasn’t called you look Mister Bast is this very busy man why should he always call you, why can’t you . . . this girl told you to what . . .? Okay look is it his fault how the telephone company screws up everything? Like the next time just keep trying see because on this setting up this here foundation grant thing I want you and him to . . . No I told him that he says maybe he can join a band or something because see I want this thing set up fast to make this long-term low-interest loan off it so . . . No see in these here commodity futures if I can get our capital turnover way up further with bank loans on these hedged commodities we . . . what? I don’t know what I what . . .? Okay look now can you hear me? look. We’re not working for you. You’re working for us, okay? Okay so with these here futures I’m not telling you to do something illegal see I’m telling you what I’m doing and you find how to do it that’s all, I mean like if we need to set up some separate commodity futures trading company so set one up, now look I’ve got this meeting waiting I . . . No look Hopper look I can’t always have him calling me like if they’re still mad about these here looms we’re selling off at South America see I just gave this son of this union leader up there Shorter I just gave him this Wonder beer distributorship for that whole territory and this Bunky I put him in charge of these rebates on all their returns see because if we have to keep them in business to keep this here whole tax loss carry . . . No see I just wanted to know with this big shipment of fiber they got in if we should just like dump it and take the write-off or like ship it to Hong Kong or someplace to make sweaters or something and import them back see if we did that would we still get to keep this whole tax loss carryforward from . . . what? No no wait just wait a second wait . . . The taps on the glass were repeated and the door clattered open a hand’s breadth,—gee I’m sorry Mrs Joubert just a second I . . .
—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 . . .
J R Page 69
