JR (132 page)

—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 back 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?

—But, but no sir I, why why would…

—See how she was mixed up with this outfit got her picture all over their damn magazine there don't she?

—Oh, no no sir that's…

—It's not Emily I just told you that it's some revolting nurse I said get me some crackers, most disgusting magazine I've ever seen tummy bulge sagging tits laxatives this revolting creature doing yogi tricks in a body stocking here show him this Beaton. There, does that look like Emily?

—Here sir it's, there's a surface resemblance but I believe this is the wife of the parent company's personnel manager the man who's just been lost in, who's taking part in this Teletravel trial apparently he used his influence to get her this position with an aid program to Ind…

—Which position show him the top one Beaton show him el hedouli, can you see Emily doing that? Ninny wouldn't lift her leg for the king of…

—Shacked up with that drunk uptown didn't she? Sure he's out of the damn picture Beaton?

—According to information from the doorman he was never seen there again after she…

—Monty still mad how she flew the coop like that, told him maybe Cutler can talk some damn sense to her, why the devil she'd…

—Cutler's worse than she is, he wouldn't get into her pants without an engraved invitation why do you think she chose him she's still a cold ninny that's why, you've seen her since they came back isn't she Beaton?

—No she, I haven't seen her ma'am I've only talked to her on the pho…

—She still sounds like a cold ninny doesn't she? Did you hear what she said about me at the…

—She sounded very cold yes ma'am she, she sounded frozen inside in fact when…

—Go out spend fifty cents on their wedding present stack of damn placemats Zona what the devil you expect where's that handkerchief, damn it Beaton told you to …

—And I want my detectives back too they lost that ape when you took them and if anything happens to him Beaton I want to know it, his price could double and leave me sitting with my thumb in my…

—Yes ma'am of course in the event of his death his estate would be assessed the full market value you've established on any work remaining in his posses…

—Anything remaining anywhere belongs to me what about that heap of junk he went out and spent my good money on.

—Yes ma'am he sold a large section of it we immediately attached the bank dep…

—Unloaded it on this same damn outfit we're talking about Zona, fool art foundation they set up paid out twenty thousand for it handed ninety more to some damn band want that money put in escrow Beaton, find out how legal that damn founda…

—You put that money in escrow Beaton I'll put you in escrow I'll put Mister Katz there in escrow I'll …

—By God…

—Please I think you'll have to leave if the patient can't…

—Beaton you tell him if he tries that I'll sue him for, dried up old Raggedy Andy with his tin heart I'll sue him for impersonating himself for impersonating Mister Katz he's nobody, he's a lot of old parts stuck together he doesn't even exist he started losing things eighty years ago he lost a thumbnail on the Albany nightboat and that idiot classmate

of his Handler's been dismantling him ever since, started an appendectomy punctured the spleen took it out then came the gall

bladder that made it look like appendicitis in the first place now look at him, he's listening through somebody else's inner ears those corneal transplants God knows whose eyes he's looking through, windup toy with a tin heart he'll end up with a dog's brain and some nigger's kidneys why can't I take him to court and have him declared nonexistent, null void nonexistent why can't I Beaton.

—Well it, it would be a novel case ma'am I doubt if there are precedents and the time it would take to adjudi…

—By God Beaton shut that woman up get the damn phone!