JR (74 page)

—Bank president's the Surrogate's brother-in-law and you can't get the God damned money out right Beamish?

—Wait shut up Jack, what do you mean have myself declared my son's legal guardian he's my son, David's my son…

—In these matters of course Mister Eigen the interests of the child are …

—Point is in these matters Mister Eigen's a God damned good father Beamish, kind of a father wants his son to have everything he didn't have.

—Shut up Jack…

—Courage, integrity, perseverance…

—Jack God damn it shut up!

—God damned good man Beamish don't worry about him, just having a touch of the Türschluss syndrome beginning to see the doors closing, all sad words of tongue or pen the same God damned doors Schramm saw closing…

—Jack I can't…

—Schluss die Tür, der kommen in der vindows…

—God damn you…

—Schluss der vindows, der kommen…

—Mister Eigen… !

—Didn't need to do that, Tom.

—Well then damn it what do you think you…

—No sit down Beamish, point is look at us Beamish, God damned point is life is what happens to us while we're busy making other plans, read that in a dentist office once and look at us, eighteen neck built like a God damned bull. What's your neck size.

—The point is Mister Beamish, if you want to know the point of this whole performance Mister Gibbs here wasn't in the war and Schramm

was … he kicked the red covered book across the floor toward the chest of drawers, —Schramm was and he wasn't and he's never forgiven him for it …

—Yes I, I see Mister Eigen I, I don't think I'll have to keep you both any longer right now, of course I'll let you know when we have any expressions of interest as far as disposing of Triangle goes, though the prospects look extremely dim…

—What looks dim, Beamish sit down what looks so God damned dim?

—Simply our preliminary inquiries Mister Gibbs, apparently the asking price has discouraged several prospective…

—How much, wait need any socks?

—No thank you I ah, twelve million Mister Gibbs, as I say I'll let you know when any…

—Cash?

—Jack shut up and let him go, Mister Beamish thanks for …

—God damn it got a right to know these details God damn it Tom, got a legal obligation as Schramm's executor protect his widow's mite right Beamish? How's that for a fit.

—Take it off, Jack look you don't know a damn thing about…

—Twelve million what's the book value Beamish, here want to slip this on?

—No thank you I, I really don't need one Mister Gibbs, twelve million is substantially under book value in my opinion but in light of the declining profit picture I mentioned, rising costs in the paper industry and several very substantial accounts receivable that may simply have to be written off as bad debts, I have some of the figures right here but of course…

—I see those papers Beamish?

—Oh, yes of course but…

—Thanks. How you fixed for ties.

—Oh I'm ah, fine thank you yes, I don't think you'll want to take time to go into all those figures Mister Gibbs…

—Love figures Beamish, rather read a consolidated financial statement than where the hell's that book, don't want to forget this book, ones I like to read best where they're losing money hand over fist looks like a good one…

—Yes as I say certain situations that had been allowed to develop before I joined the company have contributed to …

—Tobacco, wait what the hell's this about tobacco, I thought you said paper industry…

—That was one of them yes it ah, through some family connection of Mrs Schramm's apparently Triangle acquired certain tobacco interests

at what now appears to have been precisely the wrong…

—Nice string of accounts receivable Beamish, what the hell's Duncan and Co.

—Yes they ah, they make wallpaper yes, continuing their credit

seems to have been among the unwise decisions made at a time when Triangle was also indulging such extravagances as purchasing the company plane and…

—Fixed assets seven and a half, got a pencil? Wait, how's that for a fit…

—Jack damn it look take that off will you? and just let Mister Beamish leave if he …

—Wait shut up Tom look, twelve million only get about nine after capital gains though right Beamish? Fixed assets seven and a half

million look, somebody gives you two million one hundred thousand on that and you get eighty percent of the difference what you ask and what they pay back from taxes, two, three, four hundred wait, God damned many zeroes, million, four million three hundred twenty thousand, wait let me got a pencil?

—Jack God damn it will you just take that off and let Mister Beamish get …

—No this ah, this sounds interesting Mister Eigen, I …

—Getting all this down Beamish? Wait damn it …

—Look now you've split it, what the hell did you…

—Three million Beamish can't be right, inventory three million Beamish?

—Yes I'm afraid inventory control had been rather poor until…

—Poot must have been God damned nonexistent, all right you take ninety percent of that two point seven million get eighty percent of the difference back on taxes for two hundred forty thousand add it up

… here Tom, drop in on Mrs Schramm give her these… he'd reached under the bed, —still plenty of good wear in them…

—What in hell is …

—Add it up your asking price is four and a half million and four and a half back on taxes you've got nine all you'd get anyhow, write off

some of those accounts receivable as bad debts and you might cut off another half a million, how's that.

—Yes in fact it ah, it looks very interesting Mister Gibbs…

—Damned strong elastic too, God damned out of fashion hardly see them anymore right Beamish? Where the hell they came from must have been…

—You know God damned well where they came from, that dimwit- ted little piece Rhoda what do you…

—Wait forgot good will Beamish have to get paid for good will, problem Tom you've got no God damned good will, little good will for Rhoda ought to get yourself one…

—What the hell do you mean good will for Rhoda, if she'd been here waiting for him like she was supposed to that night we wouldn't be here now.

—Been here that night he probably would have painted one ball orange and hung her up there instead all just God damned revenge, I'm his friend wasn't here God damned revenge, you let him leave

alone God damned revenge, wants to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery more God damned revenge right Beamish? Decline from status to contract, right?

—Well ah, it's simply a wish Mister Gibbs, not legally binding on the family or executors and if …

—No God damn it wants to be buried there that's where he goes, out there holding the point of the whole God damned defense perimeter that's where he goes, wait turn that light back on get that cup…

—Hurry up then, what…

—Get this God damned manuscript wait a minute, Beamish ever see Schramm's movie Beamish? One God damned thing he ever wrote a Western didn't even have his name on it, movie Dirty Tricks didn't even have his name on it …

—I'm afraid not Mister Gibbs I, I don't usually go to …

—Jack damn it will you…

—Same God damned thing as all this but a Western, God damned general in there above the battle taking bets just like the Lord, Schramm out there holding the point while everybody praised the Duke who this great fight did win, want to get these shirts wait a minute…

—Damn it Jack will you hurry up?

—But what good came of it at last quoth little Peterkin, wait get that book quick little God damned red book on the floor can't lose it again, why that I cannot tell said he but 'twas a famous victory know who wrote that? Same man Southey, same man who wait…

—Well what the hell are you bringing one shoe for.

—Got a friend needs one shoe, same man who wrote my name is Death, the last best friend am I, how's that. Put that on Schramm's stone, how's that…

—Just move so I can lock the door will you? Watch your step here in the dark Mister Beamish…

—Thank you yes I, I want to thank you both, Mister Gibbs for your interesting approach on Triangle and…

—What? Oh that's you Beamish, haven't got a free hand listen, stone in Arlington cemetery here's what it says, es ruht im Feindesland how's that Beamish.

—And I'd watch that throat Mister Gibbs, it sounds…

—Never see a German military cemetery Beamish? Got them all over the God damned place, bury them where they fall same God damned thing revenge, es ruht im Feindesland point is who asked the bastard there in the first place…

—Yes I'm ah; afraid I don't understand German but of course…

—Means forgot those panties Tom, means he rests in the land of the enemy, thought you wanted to take them up to Mrs…

—Jack look out, can you see the stairs there Mister Beamish? I'm on my way downtown and I'd be glad to drop you off if you…

—Wait I'm coming too Tom, just have to stop and pick up some research material, Beamish? Es ruht im Feindesland how's that. Name rank serial number es ruht im Feindesland how's that.

—Well it ah, I think we'd have to discuss it Mister Gibbs, the cemetery authorities might consider the sentiment somewhat inappro…

—God damn what I'm trying to do discuss it, Tom can't discuss a God damned thing standing around out here in the dark let him in, got this book here Beamish wants to discuss the Malleus Malefìcarum, Hexen- hammer Beamish fifteenth-century legal mind at work questions and answers Tom said he wants to discuss the questions and answers how can I read him the God damned thing out here in the dark…

—Jack damn it you're dropping everything will you just wait here till I …

—Listen… hear that? Sound like a telephone hear that?

—Just wait here till I get that door…

—Sound like a telephone…

—Just… the door shuddered, —wait…

—No I can't now goodbye… !

—Bast … ? Oh, I didn't see you up there, sorry to bother you again but there's something Jack wants to …

—No come in it's all right I … he eased down to 24-12 Oz Btls Fragile!

—I was just, looking for something…

—Little like Pittsburgh isn't it Beamish, pull up Moody's Industrials and sit down, gentleman wants to discuss something Bast, Bast?

Manuscript in a blue cover where the hell is it, promised to give me an expert opinion you think it's so God damned difficult here's an expert opinion, man who reads legalese where the hell is he?

—Yes it's, it's up on top of those boxes Mister Gibbs, the one that says Flakes up by the refrigerator, I put it up there so it wouldn't get…

—Jack will you just put that stuff down and get what you came for?

—Here brought you a shoe Bast, go around flapping that sole's ready to come off so I brought you a shoe.

—Yes it, in fact it came off this afternoon but, one shoe?

—Left one's all right isn't it? Thought you just needed a right one, damn fine shoe belonged to the late King George V where's that bottle Bast, hold these a minute… ?

—Look Jack you're not going to take all that stuff downtown, what did you stop to get.

—Bottle Tom, just have to do a little research Raindance and Mister Fred…

—Well look I can't wait for you, I …

—No wait wait coming down with you God damn it, stay here with Bast and we'd both end up where the God damned bright waters meet like Paul and Virginia, just one thing … he got past Mazola New Improved, —Asked me about Stella Bast got the book here tells all about it … and he came down heavily on the armless sofa. —Listen, got

it marked right here listen, it may be asked, as to illusions in respect of the male organ, whether, granted that the devil cannot impose this illusion on those in a state of grace in a passive way, he cannot still do so in an active sense, the argument being that the man in a state of grace is deluded because he ought to see the member in its right place, when he who thinks it has been taken away from him, as well as other bystanders, does not see it in its place…

—Mister Gibbs I, I think Mister Eigen is ready to …

—Like those other bystanders don't you? Listen, and what, then, is to be thought of those witches who in this way sometimes collect male organs in great numbers, as many as twenty or thirty members together, and put them in a bird's nest, or shut them up in a box, where they move themselves like living members, and eat oats and corn, as has been seen by many and is a matter of common report, ever see that Tom?

—No and I'm…

—Make a nice musical listen, for a certain man tells that, when he had lost his member, he approached a known witch to ask her to restore it to him. She told the afflicted man to climb a certain tree, and that he might take which he liked out of a nest in which there were several members. And when he tried to take a big one, the witch said you must not take that one, adding, because it belonged to a parish priest. Make a God damned lively musical wouldn't it?

—Bast look I'm going to have to leave him here, I have to get down to …

—Wait God damn it Tom leave poor Bast here alone trying to write his opera needs a God damned libretto, stringer whereon mad thingers said I'd help him dig out the piano just trying to help him out with Schramm gone right Bast? All those God damned bystanders there's your chorus…

—Well it, it's not an opera any more Mister Gibbs it, I'm not working on an opera any more I've made it a cantata and…

—God damn it see that Tom God damn it see that? God damned wise man pulls out nobody to tell him what to do next right Bast? Write a cantata you don't need a plot, problem everybody running around wants to be told what happens next don't need a plot, looking for the wise man tell them what am I supposed to do now God damned wise man find out he's doing the same Cod damned thing walks up the shade and he's gone, rest of us sitting here looking at his footprints think he took it with him and he's gone…

—Mister Eigen while you're here I, I wanted to ask what I should do about the electri…

—Abraham Lincoln walks at midnight rest of us sitting here staring at his God damned footprints right up the, where the hell did he go, got footprints all over the mail never saw so God damned much mail Bast where…