William Gaddis - J R

— Well she, of course she was shocked at the manner in which he met his death Mister Gibbs but ah, after all she’s quite comfortably off even without this trust portion in the estate reverting to her and I hardly think…

— She’s the one in such a God damned hurry to convert everything into cash isn’t she?

— I wouldn’t really put it that way Mister Gibbs no, in fact if a sale can be arranged I’m the one who suggested it as the most expedient way of settling the estate. There are a number of modest bequests to be taken care of like these to your and Mister Eigen ’s children but quite aside from that the company’s profit picture has been steadily on the loss side and I wouldn’t say Mrs Schramm really had a, has a head for business she’s not really…

— Tell you what she’s got a head for Tom, where’s that picture.

— Shut up Jack, while we’re on it Mister Beamish these bequests, if they’re made directly to the children how do we…

— Yes unfortunately Mister Eigen, Mister Schramm drew up his will without the help of an attorney and since the children are minors the bequests can’t go to them directly without…

— Point is Beamish… came from the floor now near a battered chest of drawers, — three shirts here never been worn, point is Mister Eigen’s afraid his wife will step in to help and the boy will never see a nickel, what’s your neck size?

— Yes unfortunately if Mister Schramm had simply left the bequests to you in trust to be spent at your discretion on the children’s education it wouldn’t be necessary to…

— Point is I’m afraid of the same God damned thing, says it’s to be used for the kid’s education she’d buy a swimming pool and say it’s to teach swimming…

— No I don’t think you need fear…

— Buy a fur coat say the kid’s learning to be a trapper…

— Jack shut up, what…

— Yes well since the shares in question would probably not qualify under the prudent man rule, once you’ve obtained letters of guardianship and been bonded in order to take possession and furnished the judicial accounting required to sell them, the proceeds…

— But wait how long does, how do you furnish a judicial accounting if you don’t even…

— Get a lawyer Tom, right Beamish? Always find a lawyer glad to oblige for a small consideration, only talking about a couple of thousand dollars for each kid anyway aren’t we Beamish?

— Yes I, I believe it’s something in that neighborhood…

— Neighborhood everybody lives there’s lawyers right Beamish? Go to court with your judicial accounting, get your letters, get bonded, finally aren’t any God damned proceeds point the whole God damned problem’s the decline from status to contract right Beamish? Whole God damned problem right?

— Well there are ah, of course certain legal expenses are involved but ah, once you and Mister Eigen have yourselves declared your children’s legal guardians and the proceeds are deposited in a court approved bank account administered jointly by yourselves and the Surrogate…

— 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?