JR (100 page)

… a figure of speech sir I didn't mean … I certainly will in the fut… yes schoolchildren to visit the company's uptown headquarters yes sir the Boss is quite proud of it and wanted them to meet some of the company's discing … No sir to tell the truth I've never been up there myself either sir but… Done this kind of thing before sir yes sir I'll arrange a photog … No sir I thought we would just give them box lun… He didn't say whether he would be there himself no sir but… Yes sir … Yes sir I certainly will affirmative yes sir I … sir? Hangs up oh Virginia head Duncan off there looks like he's…

—I believe his patience has reached an end Mister Davidoff and frankly mine is …

—Think he just wait Mister Duncan? Sorry this one's full have to go up the hall second door past the soldier boy by the mop closet Skinner's up there give you the key anything else to clear up Beamish let's skip your legalese get to the point, may have Mister Bast out here any

minute few things I have to review with him anybody calls Virginia just tell them who's that…

—They want Mister Piscat…

—Tell them he's been wait give it to me can't tell what he's been, hello… ? Not here right now no he's been… Davidoff yes Davi… Cohen oh calling on Nepenthe yes ran it up to sixteen today think the Boss is sitting tight on about nineteen percent of the issue just wants control so he can … wait no wants to work the nursing homes into this Health Package made to order outlets for Nobili got Hopper here now with his cemetery Brisboy bringing in his funer … what? General who? one thing we need right now anoth … Oh why didn't you say so without the h yes why didn't you say so, thought you were on your way up brought in one of our own legal boys waiting here now to go over

your figures had Piscator run down your Dun and Bradstreet told the Boss you looked a little overextended mentioned controlling interest in another company sounds dead on its … Don't worry about it no just took it as security on the loan help this man Skinner out with his option on a publishing deal got him under management contract real topfli… don't know no joint tenant said the gal he just married picked it up in her div … whose name hers? No didn't see the papers myself the Boss probably has them likes to get hold of those things hims… just Piscator's memo yes didn't seem to bother him mentioned your interest in this company dead on its feet a lawsuit you've been running for twenty years and a wrangle with the IRS all par for the course didn't seem to bother… what? No what just happened … He did? but how… Tough yes sorry to hear it Coen wouldn't think anybody would take it that hard see companies going public every day doesn't change the … doesn't change the book value though does it what's… Didn't mean it to sound like that Coen sounds like a fine man just meant to ask what's General Roll's product line parent company here might be int… expanding in paper products yes what about this Nathan Wise you're tied up with they in continuous forms too … ? Make what… ? What I thought you said yes quite a switch how'd … Pill came along and knocked them off their feet did it? how many hundred thousand gross in inventory… ? Certainly is yes how'd you people happen to get into… what in player pianos? Didn't know they used sheep membranes in the mechanisms no one of our divisions brewery uses them in a yeast filtering process George Wonder out there just died great friend of old Senator Milliken seems to take a lively int… who Milliken's family? Big minority stockholders in Nathan Wise pill came in must have wondered what hit them might be able to work something out for you though we… waiting for a call from the Senator now yes parent company just retained his old hometown law firm out there keep an eye on some other devel… Don't know no have to put you on with our legal eagle here let you two trade legal gobbledy wait where's, Virginia? Where's Beamish sitting right here a minute ago must have gone up the hall Coen have him get back to you oh and Virginia, call I put through to

Senator Milliken what happened to that boy over there unbuttoned down to his what's he doing here…

—He's this messenger Mister Davidoff he brought this stuff from Mister Gall he's waiting for you to sign…

—Yes where's never find a pencil here give it to him get him out of here looks like he'd cut his mother's man in the hat is that Walldecker said he was coming up here for …

—No he said he's this private detective Mister Davidoff he said he wants to ask you some whereabouts of …

—Find out what he wants piano just stopped in there Mister Bast probably coming out any minute Skinner's gal make any sense out of that black yet?

—She said he's from this place Malwi he said it's this country someplace he wants…

—All want something just tell her to find out what he wants oh and Vir…

—He said he's looking for that Mister Schepperman he …

—One thing we really need right now help an artist out once he'll never forgive you follow you to the grave, cost me one job to get rid of that lunatic so he follows me here tries to unload two tons of rusty iron calls it a stabile now he's lining up his friends for a handout every black in sight's an artist, can't do anything else suddenly discover they're an artist just tell that one to wait help Mister Bast with that attaché case Virginia lock's broken papers spilling out didn't see you come in Mister Bast in there clearing up this publishing jam not leaving though are you few brush fires to …

—There's one thing I'd like to get taken care of Mister Davidoff, I've been waiting for a …

—Here sit down put your case just put it here Virginia move this what's this…

—It's that Health Package file you told me to get before when you wanted…

—Don't think Mister Bast wants to dive into that yet waiting for Brisboy to come up with his funeral figures probably want to get into Hopper's cemetery with him over there first and…

—Mister Davidoff there's one thing I want to work out as soon as possible, I'm tired and I still have a good deal of …

—Look tired look exhausted hardly have known you though in this new outfit quite a switch, sort of the unisex look isn't it trying to handle most of these brush fires myself so you could put your time in on this Foundation project this all the music here?

—Yes and I've been waiting for a call to arrange to record…

—Don't worry about it got them on the phone myself lined up your orchestra just holding up studio rental till we find how long you run how many sessions we'll…

—The music lasts two hours and eight minutes.

—Two, hours… ?

—And eight minutes yes, it …

—Symphony hardly runs forty minutes didn't think you'd want to run over, two hours and, that's four, eight, nine sessions comes to sixty- four, seventy-two and six nines is, should come to about seventy-seven thou…

—Yes and while I think of it I told them to start looking for a bass flute player they aren't very common and I said if they could send one up here I'd …

—Bass, flute player?

—Yes they're not very easy to find it's a rather new instrument and…

—Don't worry about it probably dig one up for you faster than they can oh Virginia want to dig up a bass flute player call the desk might have them take a look in the grand ballroom probably want a kettledrum too don't you?

—Two of them yes and in the percussion we'll want a whip, cymbals, blocks, marimba…

—Better just give your list to Virginia here how many you want of what and…

—Yes well I think sixteen violins and probably ten cellos and, horns, you see this is the horn part right here and…

—Horns?

—French horns eight of them yes and this, this is where the Wagner tuba comes in, it …

—Probably able to rent one of those someplace have to go out and rent all their instruments you know trying to get together a ballpark figure on costs want to get another press release out on this grant name the amount this time probably run a little more than the Boss expected but I guess you people want to make a splash here probably could have gotten you a name band like the Boston excuse me Virginia? that Senator Milliken on the phone? Been trying to reach me here all day calls coming in brush fires see what it's like running the store without, who… ?

—And you see here I've written a pipe organ in in the background if…

—It's that Mister Beamish…

—Beamish? what's, excuse me Mister Bast here hello, Beamish? where … In the lobby downstairs? what… All right yes make it quick Mister Bast and I putting our heads together here on… Duncan yes just went up the hall to… what do you mean the wrong Duncan he…

meant to ask him about that Duncan debt to Triangle five years of back paper orders yes Skinner didn't… for wallpaper yes Skinner didn't… oh he does? All lined up before I came on deck have to run over it with Mister Bast here sounds like… Sounds like another of Crawley's stunts can't take time now to hear about Duncan's family complications no go over it with Mister Bast here probably just want to absorb the debt as a down payment come up with the balance out of future earnings if … Don't worry about it go for anything in paper oh Virginia, take a look

up the hall there for Mister Duncan Mister Bast wants a word with him here little confusion over this Duncan acquisition Mister Bast, Beamish sits here for an hour bends my ear with his legalese never does get to the point has to call back to tell me this publishing house acquisition the Boss meant to pick up this Isador Duncan Company little man gone to the toilet makes wallpaper, wipe out an old debt to Triangle and work out a deal on future earnings…

—Yes I think Mister Crawley and I talked about that yes, he was familiar with the company and…

—Crawley didn't I tell you? hear me just tell Beamish probably another of Crawley's stunts know him like the back of my hand Mister Bast get him juggling stock and he …

—Oh oh yes before I leave that reminds me I meant to, to mention money this money that…

—Don't worry about it not pressing for payment but I had Virginia type up Virginia where's that billing you typed up Mister Bast wants to okay it here it is yes just didn't know if you wanted it billed to this new shipping subsidiary or the parent… —What?

—Just didn't know if you, hear me all right? Thought your battery might be running down there think we better bill the parent till these legal beagles get their whereifs and whereases straightened out on the whole…

—But what is it?

—Boss wants your okay on any billings over two thousand thought he'd told you, started off at two hundred I told him you'd get writer's cramp billing right here on top for this She project just the preliminary est…

—But fourteen thous, it just says title change fourteen thous… — Boss likes his messages brief and to the point yes whole changeover in the magazine's title from Her to She, passive to active image whole new concept came out of in-depth studies on potential readership modern gal's self-image came a long way baby clean break from this old-fashioned passive Her flat on the back missionary position, new concept gets her right up in the saddle putting the boots to here, just the hotel bill next here it's…

—This? but it's, you mean all this and then there's fifteen percent added on what's…

—Agency fee SOP in the ad game Mister Bast wouldn't want us to starve would you long as the Boss is pushing…

—Yes but, but the suite was just billed to the company when I took it I …

—Save you the headaches just had them on the phone here trying to give your General the heave ho got him moved up the hall there as a guest of the hotel long as the Boss is pushing low-cost operations compa-nywide we're willing to take the…

—Yes all right but then what's this seven, is this twenty-seven thousand dollars?

—Whole company logo project yes top priority from the Boss going rate low in fact gave you a break see what Chase Bank Kodak the big boys ran into for theirs want to get that corporate image across zap! instant they see it people know they're dealing with a dependable reliable outfit take your bottle of Wonder beer or an ad for new line of Ray-X products names don't carry much weight alone but back them up with the parent company logo audience knows it's dealing with a reliable dependable outfit builds your stockholder relationships see it someplace and they feel a nice warmth like somebody in the family just died go out and…

—Yes but, twenty-seven thou…

—Carried as a tangible asset on your books you're ahead of the game the Boss came up with that one, agency sent out in-depth interview teams combed your subsidiaries from blue collar to white find out where they felt they fit as new members of the J R Family of

Companies took a few guidelines tried to combine their image of the parent with the profit motif wanted to get away from the trendy block letter IBM ITTs look like tombstones come up with something alive really get across the corporate image real pride of belonging stockholders know there are people sweating their asses off all over

the place to keep their investments rolling to go to bed at night know all's right with the world, presentation here the agency got together for you to review been so busy I didn't bother you with it yes that's, some of the agency teams' sketches they…

—These… ?