JR (130 page)

—Yes sir what they've done is reduce the significance of the cost factor, largely write off the waste element and outrage traditional publishing convention by using the entire list as a readymade advertising enterprise, they…

—Have to advertise the damn things how else they going to sell them.

—No sir in the books I mean ads in the books themselves sir, textbooks and novels filled with columns of advertising the prime space goes to their own subsidiaries but most of them appear to be quite tastelessly solicited, what figures I've obtained from our sources indicate a startling amount in billings which no excuse me sir just my briefcase I, yes here are some of the figures, it's created a furor in publishing particularly the textbook area and drawn violent objections from some prominent writers who threat…

—Always objecting to something only damn reason they're writers, make their damn peace the country could get on with its business if this bunch hadn't done it somebody else would here what's these figures, haven't got my glasses…

—Those are, oh yes that's a children's encyclopedia they're bringing out sir, it's doing extremely well even though it seems to be teeming with inaccuracies and a number of prominent educators have

demanded its withdraw…

—Didn't ask your editorial opinion Beaton I said what's the figures.

—Down here sir the initial outlay is in the neighborhood of a third of a million, two hundred sixty-six thousand on promotion sixty-six thousand in production and, yes and six hundred sixty dollars went in research writing and editorial costs yes no wonder the…

—Beaton what's that, that magazine give it to me.

—Where the, oh this ma'am yes this is their magazine She, they took over the old Her magazine and turned it into a …

—Don't stand there blubbering about it give it to me, the cover looks like Emily.

—Here let me see that, looks like Amy if she was some broken down two dollar…

—Two dollars worth of cold fish she wouldn't spread her toes for the King of…

—This Mister Katz's room?

—What the devil does he want.

—You Mister Katz?

—What Mister Katz get him out of here.

—Wait sir he, what's that name who…

—Room three eleven come to do the phones right on the order here, right here c, a, t e s. Katz.

—Never mind yes just put them in as quickly as you…

—Over here damn it! think I talk with my feet? See how much damn difference one more bungled encyclopedia's going to make Beaton? this boob what's his name Duncan's head of sales, thought he went out and set up his own company.

—This Skinner person yes sir he picked up that option but…

—Skinnerflix that's the name of it Skinnerflix what do you think they make, shoelaces? He's making a movie called Two Foxy Girls and Vida's psychia…

—Don't give a damn what they make Zona be quiet, just want to know how this bunch got in here Beaton.

—That piggish little man with glasses last night going around handing out his card that says he deals in women's underclothes plays the part of the psychi…

—Damn it Zona be quiet! Picked up this option to set up in publishing didn't he Beaton? now how the devil…

—Originally yes sir under this D and S imprint but according to a trade journal a novel he just published there, a Western called The Blood in the Red White and Blue had already been published elsewhere with the title Guns of God under different pseudonyms by the same writer who's now being sued for plagiarism by the producers of a motion picture called Dirty…

—Didn't ask for a lot of damn gossip I said how'd this bunch get in there!

—Yes sir he, they allowed this Skinner person to put up a small

interest in another company against a loan to take up the Duncan option sir, when he couldn't meet the loan they exercised the option, seized his collateral and terminated his management con…

—Get something out of you's like pulling teeth what's this collateral.

—A small interest I think it's five percent sir in a company called General Roll, a small company out here in Astoria that makes…

—Don't matter if it makes paper dolls this same bunch grabbed up twenty percent of it here a while back in an estate tax bind you sit here talking about wallpaper and some fool encyclopedia this is what they were after the whole damn time, family owned outfit this twenty-five percent might control it that so hard to figure out Beaton?

—Yes well no sir but it's just a small comp…

—Don't matter if it's as big as your thumb it's sitting there on this old patent claims suit with JMI never read your damn law journals? Why

the devil you think Stamper picked up JMI in that Dallas mortgage deal think he needed a million used jukeboxes? Get hold of this end of it in this receivership there's the whole punched tape industry by the short here young woman plug that in Beaton get me the price on Diamond.

—Yes sir but that's nurse what is it…

—It's this monitor to monitor the patient's heart so the pacer can be adjusted to …

—Told them to bring in a Quotron where the devil is it.

—A what did he say?

—Quotron damn it can't she…

—It's a machine to get current stock prices on nurse it was supposed to be …

—Like this little television? It's out there they said to don't use it it might interfere with the monitor just lie real still sir.

—By God lie here not know the. price of anything what was the damn Dow when you came in Beaton?

—Two eighty sir they opened on another heavy selling wave but the

…

—Two eighty by God where the damn bargain hunters call the ow!

—Just a small needle lie still sir …

—Hello operator trying a line here…

—See it's mainly like a precaution on account of the patient's age if the pacemaker's set wrong it could send him into…

—Why I want you to look right into this General Roll outfit hear me Beaton? What happens in most damn families probably split ten ways by now ready to cut each other's throats this twenty-five percent probably do it, want that cleared up before this hearing examiner's word comes down Stamper thought they stood a damn good chance leave us standing there with JMI in one hand and…

—This picture's not Emily at all it's some revolting nurse what's that smell.

—Got that clear have you Beaton?

—To a yes sir to a point but the, how we can expect Mrs Stamper's

cooperation on the JMI end she's been quite belligerent since the…

—Don't need to know a damn thing about it does she? Crawley handled those Dallas mortgages picked up the JMI stock in his street name didn't he?

—Yes sir but…

—Could you move your briefcase sir I think maybe the patient had an accid…

—Right in with the rest of this street name collateral Crawley handed the bank when we were trying to bail him out of those damn bellies here what are you doing there young woman where's that damn phone, told Monty to call as soon as he …

—It's that package they just brought in nurse, open it.

—Like the Trimline phone with the Touch Tone Mister Katz? Have it in antique beige, aqua…

—Antique by God stand there asking damn fool questions just put in a damn phone!

—Company regulations have to ask the subscriber if …

—Look put in any of them just the quickest you can will you? I was going to say sir the estate's lawyers have asked for an accounting and Mrs Stam…

—It's this old cheese it came for the patient, it smells like…

—It's a Stilton you ninny who sent it.

—I had it sent ma'am, I knew he enjoyed…

—The patient can't have any now sir he's…

—That's no reason I can't is it nurse? Get me a plate.

—Installation on a WATS line operator? Authorization's three five nine sev…

—I said get me a knife and plate!

—By God somebody get her a spoon give her the whole damn jar Beaton? Want to hear this auditor's report get this whole thing settled before I go up hear me?

—WATS line operator party name Katz that's c, a…

—Beaton!

—Please ask the patient to lie still he's…

—Yes sir I was going to say indications that Mrs Stamper expects to litigate the…

—Litigate her damn head off she'd already filed for divorce hadn't she? Damn fool married six months tells her I don't know what you're going to do but I'm going fishing, clears out for the Indian Ocean so she leaves a note don't know what you're doing but I'm getting a divorce wants to litigate let her litigate with Crawley, join the rest of that gang trying to get blood out of a turnip lawyers know what's good for her they'll keep her out of court before that National Parks stunt of theirs comes up, fool movie million damn zebras running around tried to make it look like some conservation project Crawley's a big enough damn fool probably believed it himself, told you to call Frank Black on this new House bill didn't I?

—Yes sir but in light of this consumer group's action to force him to register as a lobbyist I thought you might want to wait until this X-L Lith…

—Wait till this bunch takes over the damn country? By God Beaton you're getting softheaded, only one damn consumer group it buys something or it don't buy it what the devil you think a market economy's all about, tell this bunch to go read that act again section three hundred eight no requirement there makes him a lobbyist don't pay him a lobbyist fee do we? Pay him a retainer for legal services what do you call this X-L Lithograph appeal a damn teaparty? Fined triple damages and costs in a pollution suit when this Mooneysomebody's drunk don't even show up to defend it told Frank Black to get a reversal come up with a consent order, lawyer yourself that what lawyers are for?

—Yes sir but…

—Always some damn but, you just get onto him hear me? Want to be damn sure this new House bill bars any more judicial reviews of this environmental nonsense on this gas line consortium Stamper's people put together before we pick up their offer on this Alsaka subsidiary, damn fool explosion that bunch set off out there's got every bleeding heart in the country wetting their damn pants tell that young woman to get me a handkerchief, monkey putting those phones in where the dev-il'd he go …

—Under the bed sir I think he …

—Didn't ask what you think just get them put in what's all this you're waving around.

—Yes sir you asked for the auditor's report on J R Cor…

—Can't waste time listen to it all now just want to know if they got the damn figures straightened out, told me down at the bank they never saw such accounting procedures, head of the company himself two places off with the damn decimal half the time SEC have him on fraud?

—No sir I understand they were unable to establish evidence of intentional wrongdoing since the errors were as frequently to the company's own disadvantage as not and the generally unortho…

—Had an accountant didn't they?

—Yes sir but apparently he was unused to dealing with transactions of these magnitudes, he seems to have been retained simply because he was the brother-in-law of the head of their public relations firm which in turn had been retained by his brother their general counsel Mister Piscator who is now handling Pomerance Associates' suit against the parent as a substantial creditor, so that the entire…

—Didn't ask for a lot of damn gossip Beaton take care of them like everybody else what the devil's this, flimsy damn tissue blow a hole right through it said a handkerchief didn't I? Perfectly good linen handkerchief in my coat there young woman told you to bring that stockholder letter Beaton, supposed to go out today it's not even

finished?

—I have the final draft right here yes sir, do you…

—Quit wasting time gossiping and read it then.

—Nurse leave Mister Katz alone and get me some crackers.

—Got this WATS line open operator try the hey man this Doris?

—Beaton what are you waiting for.

—Yes sir. Agreement in principle concerning the restructuring of debt and recapitalization of the company was executed by the company and a banking consortium of the company's principal lending…

—Know that part get to the next paragraph.

—Hey man I thought you on long lines…

—Your company's new management proposed, as an alt …

—Damn it Beaton what's going on down there.

—Katz you mean him he's right in the bed here man, got a call from Wash…

—Beaton!

—Here give me that! hello… ? Yes sir he … this is Beaton yes sir he's right here. Mister Moncrieff sir, he's…

—Hold it to my ear damn it! can't hear him under there can I? Monty… ? No got your desk cleaned out there yet… ? No going up in a few minutes got Beaton in here on damn it hold that close can't blow my nose across the room can I? what… ? Got Beaton up here on it now trying to reach Broos find out what the devil's holding up this damn loan guarantee before we… don't know yet waiting to hear on this cable transport scheme, comes up with something I want that Diamond tender to … shouldn't have a problem Zona up here usual gracious self eating her way through a five pound Stilton says Boody's all taken care of hold on, Beaton? Didn't tell you to quit reading did I? Quit when I tell you hear me? Monty… ?

—Yes sir proposed, as an alternative to straight liquidating bankruptcy, that the company file a petition seeking an arrangement with creditors under chapter eleven of the Bankruptcy Act. A chapter eleven proceeding is one which permits a debtor to continue in possession of its property and to operate its bus…

—Saw all that in the paper Monty damn nonsense nobody ever won an interview why the devil'd you give them one, used to dealing with these nickel and dime politicians down there can't make up a new scandal try to rake up an old one see what they printed about me last week? Took off on this management contract with Pythian interlocking directorates went back a hundred years to the Bitterroot strike

dragged in everything but the damn kitchen sink, leftwing press want to make it sound like this smaltite contract's why you're quitting what's the damn difference a contract's a contract, just want to be damn sure this one's honored see that smelter we built them over there's declared surplus sold back to Typhon, ought to be in operation right now finished their fool war country's running like a company town labor