— Beaton? Beaton can wait, he’s used to it. Now I see this whole thing as, sorry… he’d stopped abruptly to frame nothing in a square of fingers up before her, — whole feature on your youngsters buying their share in America built around the concept of corporate responsibility present and future tense, and… he recovered his half step ahead to emphasize — and giving the stockholders and the security analyst boys a sneak preview imagewise of our entry into the fastest growing market in the economy, once this new corporate restructuring is nailed down I guess you saw the site of the new parent world headquarters building up the street, you saw the sign? Nothing but a big hole there now but the next time you talk to your dad, I think I’ve got him pretty steamed up about getting a foot in the door with this Romance of Cobalt we’re sponsoring, it’s what I had this Skinner in here for just now, good solid background in the textbook field and of course you know Duncan and Company, really solid old line prestige publishers this Skinner’s digging up a topflight name writer for the project right up in the class of this name painter with the lobby mural out here. I even had to fight getting hold of that for us till even the Beatons around here got the picture we could subsidize name art and get a tax break at the same here, this way, I’m down this way…
— But Mister Beaton is…
— Probably something I can help you clear up in half the time Beaton would…
— No it’s a, something legal.
— Meant to tell you yes, we’ve got this minority suit all squared away, it came across my desk last week and…
— This what?
— I put an authorization right into the works don’t worry about it, corporate democracy in action and all the rest of it, I saw what you’re getting across to your youngsters right off the bat you get Beaton in on something like that he…
— I don’t think I quite…
— Don’t worry about it. Bring Beaton in on something he’ll pick it to pieces till you don’t recognize it, just hasn’t got what it takes to make an on the spot decision I’ve heard the Governor himself tell him, trouble with you lawyers, all you do is tell me why I can’t do something instead of how I can and Beaton…
— Oh how is he? She’d paused where the carpeting started.
— Beaton? He’s…
— Uncle John, I meant to…
— Oh the Governor, don’t worry about him they don’t make them like him anymore, they won’t match those steel gray eyes of his with all the corneal transplants in the world right now all he’s burned up about are those bridge games he’s missing on the train down this way, I’m down this way…
— I, thank you Mister Davidoff, I do think Mister Beaton has some papers for me to sign, it’s just a family matter…
He caught his balance and plunged into the stream of carpet beside her, regaining that half step ahead as though to avoid a confrontation of heights as his, no longer buoyed by the sharp punctuation of his heels, seemed to drop in consonance with the confidential lowering of his tone. — Of course you won’t have to get into these other details with Beaton, means well but he hasn’t got what it takes for an on the spot decision like your dad or the Governor glad I was on deck when you came in, of course I know your dad could use me in that Washington spot but he probably needs me here to keep an eye on the store while this corporate reorganization goes through things coasting along without the top man for these on the spot decisions… He rounded the corner in a side step, — next time you talk to your dad you might want to suggest…
— I’ll tell him you’ve been awfully helpful Mister Davidoff, and now…
— Yes you might want to put in a word… he got in ahead of her with an arm out for the phone. — Better grab Crawley while I have a minute, straighten him out on this oh Miss Bulcke, straighten him out on this brush fire in Gandia tell Beaton Mrs Joubert is here… he dialed, — tell him she’s in a hurry.
— Yes he’s expecting you Mrs Joubert. How nice to see you.
— Hello Shirl? Hold on. I’ll be rounding up these proofs while you kill some time with Beaton. Shirl? Put Crawley on, I…
— Mister Beaton was in Mister Cutler’s office, Mrs Joubert. I think he expects…
— Shirl just tell him I’ve got Mrs Joubert here on the, Shirl? Hold on. Cutler’s back?
— He’ll be with you in just a moment Mrs Joubert.
— What’s Cutler doing back.
— Mister Cutler is still away, Mister Davidoff.
— Well what’s Beaton doing in Shirl? Hello? Crawley?
Buttons blossomed with light at the telephone’s base and Miss Bulcke pushed one. — Oh I meant to press hold…
— Hello?
— Hello…?
— Hello? Hello? Shirley what the hell is going on here.
— I think it’s Mister Davidoff calling you Mister Crawley, he…
— Well I can’t waste the, just tell him I’ve got someone with me… and the phone disappeared under a massive hunch of tweed. — Now sir. This is your aunts’ telephone stock is it? twenty, thirty, joint tenants all the way are they? fifty…
