JR (63 page)

—What are you doing?

—What does it look like, I'm talking on the telephone.

—You better hurry up, Mrs Joubert's going to …

—Look hey tell her I had to go see the nurse okay?

—Okay, you going to the Post Office after? Boy wait till you see what I'm getting hey.

—We can go over at gym, hey and tell Mrs Joubert I went to see Miss Waddams okay … ? and the door shuddered closed on him writhing for the depths of a pocket, stacking coins to size, the black nail crescent in the dial, the coin drop and chin dropped deep, —Hullo? Virginia? This is

… J R yes I just called to see who called, is Mister Bast there … ? and a fitful silence, hunched for a thumb to reach a nostril. —He's not? Okay then who … which one… ? No see there's this one named Bunky which I don't want to talk to him but the… yes the old one, no I know the number, it… No I know it's long distance, who else? Who… ? Moon like in moon you mean? e, y, h, Mooneyham? holy … no just what's the number… and the pencil stub worked… —okay and who… ? Yeah Mister Crawley, what did he just have some wisecrack to make about Alberta and … no sure tell him I already knew it, he thinks he's so … Of what? n, o, b, what is it Italian? No I'll have Mister Bast look into it, at thirty-eight he said … ? No but tell Mister Bast to call me at this here new branch number collect at two fifty … no that means ten of three exactly tell him it's urgent, he … Okay I know so when he comes in tell him I said he should pay you … no sure in cash I know, sure … no sure I know what it's like, sure… and a sharp crack at the glass shot a line down it. The door clattered open. —Holy shit hey what are you trying to do, you cracked the glass.

—Corne on hey help me out… the jar that had cracked the glass was thrust inside. —A quarter hey, Miss Waddams is waiting, I even had to snitch another bottle.

—What do you mean, right in here? Go find…

—No come on, there's nobody hey, look I'll stand right…

—Look I already went, find Anthony.

—I already found him, he's all out. Thirty cents hey?

—I told you I already went… and the door clattered closed on the turning dial, the succession of quarters raised to the slot, sneaker wedged high against a hinge, finally —Mister Hopper please, this … No not him, the old one… Hullo? Mister Hopper? This is … yes, you recodnized my voice … ? No my secretary just told me you called, is there … No sure I can hear you okay, we been having trouble with the connections from this… what? No our mail didn't come in yet today, what… No well that's too bad, I… Yeah well that's too bad but… No well I mean I'm sorry these hometown Eagles lost this here game but

when the … No but when the Weekly Messenger says it's because they lost their home field see I think that's just this attempt to embarrass you Mister Hopper since the bank's taking it over in this here leaseback deal we … No but see in terms of this here loan to Eagle management, we… senior management yes see we … Yes me and Mister Bast that is to say, see we… the what? No well like the status like you call it of this Eagle pension fund buying this here stock in Wonder is … this here brewery yes, they make … Yes no I'm sorry Mrs Begg doesn't think that's exactly the kind of investment we … no I know she's this stockholder but… No but like me and Mister Bast we're neither of us a drinking man so why she thought he looked like he … what … ? No but like being this here banker Mister Hopper you can look at it better in terms of the profit picture instead of just what they make at this here brewery that is to say, am I right? Oh and hey I meant to ask

you… what? I said say I meant to ask you you know that there big track of land with the railroad tracks which we just found Eagle owns this

big right of way around that big cemetery so I was talking to our attorney about … no about the cemetery see we … What, the cemetery? belongs to what… ? The Ancient and Loyal Order of what…

? Honest? of which you're the Grand what… ? Honest? Sure no but I mean what would we do with a cem … No but what… No but sure I mean we don't want this lawsuit with this here Ancient and Loyal Order and all, like if we … How many … ? Holy, I mean this here Order must be tremendous, do they all come there to … No I said like are they mostly old… ? Oh you mean like from the whole countryside up there who … No so okay so while we're waiting for this loan to management maybe we can just settle this here lawsuit, you understand what I mean … ? No I mean like on a friendly basis once this here loan is … No I know you can't hear me very good so anyway what I'll do I'll talk to our attorney and have him write you the whole deal so we can … No that's our accountant, our lawyer is this Mister Piscator, he already wrote you about all the … no Pis cator, pis …

That's him yes, Arnold, so anyway I'll discuss it like with Mister Bast and then he'll write you the whole … who, Bast? No I don't think he'll be up there again that quick, see he's been real busy with … No I know, you really wouldn't think so because he's … I know we're real lucky to have him with us because like everybody always seems to like him because he's … Yes and he told me all about this neat time he had up there and … what? I said he told me how you arranged this here banquet and took him to these baseball games and all and he really…

Sure well I'd like to once we get some of these hard driving demands of business done but, yes I have to go now … A sling paused at the glass, flapped dispiritedly, eyes peered over gauze and were gone. —No I said I'd like to sure but I… No I have this meeting yes… and one hand scooping the stacked coins into the other, the foot down from the hinge and the pile of books, papers and that battered portfolio pulled together, the door came open slowly and he looked one way up the

corridor and back before the silent tread of his sneakers got him to the culvert of the door marked Boys to watch sling and billowing step reappear, pause again at the booth to shake it open on the first ring and get the phone with a free hand on the second.

—Hello… ? It's what operator… ? No but I haven't talked any overtime, I haven't even… No I didn't even, I don't even know anybody in Union Falls and I… But I don't have sixty cents, even wait wait wait, operator? Operator I wanted to call New York and I just happened to pick up the … but I can't dial again I just, I don't have the right change, since you're right there could you … No it's collect, yes … and the door clattered closed on the number, —Yes say it's Mister diCephalis calling in answer to … yes, d, i, capital C, e… no small d, it's… what? No wait, wait, then let me give you a number they'll… my number yes, it's zero, zero, six dash … No it's not a telephone number no, it's my coded… No they'll understand, it's my coded… hello? Operator? hello… ? hello… ? and the door struggled slowly open, to clatter closed a minute later on the pile gripped tottering on a knee and that hand rising to drop coins, stack them, knot the handkerchief as the other dialed and dropped to distribute office requisites.

—Hullo? Let me talk to Mister Piscator please, this… yeah this is J… Yeah this is him, I sound like I'm where… ? Tell him that yes tell him that's why I'm in a hurry because I … hello? Nonny? look, I just talked to this broker Mister Wiles about this whole Ace and Alberta … what? No didn't she just tell you … ? No well some of these overseas connections are real good but… no I can hear you fine, look I called you to… No well that's what I called about, I just heard the whole thing went … Okay but where does that leave me? I mean if I was the biggest holder they had in both … what? I already told you because it was real cheap, now so where does this … possible what… ? But what

good are leases on mineral exploration rights if I… okay but what good are tax write-offs for mineral exploration if like what am I supposed to do, go out there with a hat and a shovel looking … not a hatful of no I said a shovel and go looking for these here virgin… what? No I mean these minerals what's the difference of that and you said probably all Alberta and Western has left is this bunch of rights of way and leases

to … No I know I can't so look, when you find it all out you can … no now can you hear me? I said tell Mister Bast. Did he call you yet about

… No I know it but see he's been doing a lot of reading up on all this and he … No, sure I know it's inconvenient but see we're changing that office up there over to these picturephones which the telephone company says they take longer to … No I know he doesn't but see we're still a little shorthanded down there too so Virginia's been… Not down in Virginia, no I said Virginia the secre … no I know she's not the brightest secre … No from Mister Bast, he was supposed to call you once him and Mister Wonder got together and got this whole deal

all… No I know this other brother did but see I just got this call from this Mister Mooneyham at… he did? What did you tell him … ? No but

look see instead of just trying to get back that Wonder stock this brother loaned him as collateral for X-L suppose we just take over the whole … No but I just told this broker to get me the book value on it and all so see if we… Okay can you hear me? look, once the pension fund buys out Wonder it could just sell the stock right back and it would be overrefunded so … what? Overfunded I said yes so we'd never have to put anything in it again, see and then the … no back to the Wonder employees, see then the pension fund would be all set and these here Wonder employees would like own this stock of their own company and we get to keep this almost three million dollars of these unpaid dividends against Eagle's tax loss credit carryforward understand what I mean? Which then instead of just trying to clear up that X-L thing we could move in and … what do you mean lose the brewery, we … Oh. Okay I didn't think of that but look, if you think they might buy this stock and vote it to put up these new officers that would declare this big dividend and the whole thing would collapse, is that what you said? Okay then look, if we set them up this employees' stock option plan where they buy this here stock but see we keep the voting rights so we can… What do you mean go to jail? why should … no now … no now look … No now look Nonny, see I'm not asking you what I can do, I'm telling you what I want to do and paying you to find out how I can do it, understand what I … what? No didn't you get it yet… ? No it's coming to you from Eagle, I just talked to Mister Hopper up there and he said the check's in the mail and look, he's got this here old lawsuit up there about this cemetery which it's right in the middle of this right of way, you can get the whole story on it later from Mister Bast see but the thing is settle it, see but… for anything just settle it, see but not till we have this okay on this here loan to management, I mean don't make it sound like we're holding out see but like it's just this like regular thing you happened to … Sure I think you know your business or why would I … No there's just a couple of things like this new issue on this string of these nursing homes that this broker sent me all the … No because it's real cheap and then there's some Italian drug company this other broker says is … no I didn't look into them yet but look … A figure loomed in the glass panel over his shoulder, —look

… he hunched lower, —I have this meeting I have to … what? Back in what country … Oh, oh sure tomorrow this was just this short… for this meeting yes, I… to incorporate what? Just a second … he cracked the door open, and over a shoulder —You need this here phone Mister Gibbs… ? and at a nod, —okay just a second… and the crack closed, — sure go ahead then if you think that's … In Jamaica? how come you … no I said go ahead, you can tell all this to Mister Bast when you and

him … no well I just think he's been too busy lately to get a new suit he

… okay… and the door shuddered open. —Just a second Mister Gibbs, let me just get this stuff…

—No wait, wait looks like you might have change of a dollar there, I…

—Sure, quarters? Or no you need a dime here, three quarters and wait a second let me look at that nickel a second, I just… no it's okay, here.

—Thanks… funny, I don't seem to have a loose dollar.

—How come? you put on the wrong suit today?

—I suppose that's a way of putting it yes, here…

—No that's okay Mister Gibbs keep it, you can owe it to me okay? And he got upright with his armload, out of the booth. —Hey what happened to your shoe though, you hurt your foot?

—Gout.

—Honest? What's that.

—Catch it from horses … he sagged into the booth, —And thanks for the loan.

—No that's okay but, you okay Mister Gibbs?

—I don't know why you'd think otherwise… and the door started closing —here wait, is this something of yours?

—What, I …

—It may even once have been a handkerchief, it …

—I forgot I, yes it's…

—Just out of curiosity, could I ask why you have it knotted like this over the…

—Oh well sure see it's, well see I always do that because like especially right now in the cold season Miss Waddams is always talking about you know? he bent in, freeing it. —There are all these germs probably on the telephone from everybody talking with their mouth right up to it see so …

—And that indescribable wad of, of cloth protects you from contamination?

—Yes well, see like it's the only one I have see so …

—Then let me make you a gift… and the initialed square came unfurling from the breast pocket of the jacket, —on condition you drop that one in the first wastebasket you see.

—Well sure I, I mean that's neat thank you, that's neat…

—It's certainly not neat but it's a little neater than the one you're giving up, so you don't have to thank me.

—No but, but I mean people don't usually give me things, you know?

Gibbs stopped the door, staring at him there, and then he cleared his throat —well, well then, you're welcome…

—And hey Mister Gibbs? came back as the door shuddered, —Mister Whiteback wants to see you when you can he said, I just heard him tell…

—Thanks, Gibbs muttered, a hand already on the phone as it rang. — Hello… ? But the… now wait a minute operator, I can't owe you twenty cents overtime I haven't even dialed yet, how can … No listen, I have an important call to make and I … well all right God damn it here's your twenty cents, will you… Well why not, is … All right all right listen, you've got your twenty cents, now will you just give me a