William Gaddis - J R

— I don’t think your gal here feels too well Boss, if oop!

— Oh I’m sorry Mister Davidoff, I…

— Just water don’t worry about it, I’m trying to get the Boss in to have a word with your, Boss? I think her gang in there would think it was pretty great if you could just take a minute to welcome them aboard, they…

— Wait what’s all this, attributing the stock’s activity to long overdue technical adjustments taking place in, what am I supposed to be saying here.

— I thought we should make it as general as possible Boss, the…

— Who asked for a press statement on Diamond stock.

— The, the press did, they…

— Who’s paying you, the damn press?

— No sir no, but…

— Happens the people that are paying you want a statement on nickel futures ever hear of that?

— Yes sir, we…

— Stockpile requirements ever hear of that?

— Yes yes sir the, we’re work…

— Want to see it in the morning papers hear me? Where’s my damn hat…

— Yes sir we, the government, I mean the Governor Boss, the Governor might like a look at our material for this book The Romance of Cobalt, we’re lining up a topflight name writer who can handle the whole…

— Call me at the hospital after the hearings Monty, going in for these damn corneal transplants.

— Can Mister Stamper reach you tonight at home sir?

— Same train Bulcke haven’t missed that game since my last operation, Amy? Take care of yourself hear me?

— Thank you Uncle John you, you do the same…

— The Governor may get a look at the new painting we have for the lobby, a real topflight name painter we, here let me get the door for you sir…

— Get out of the way.

— Right sir the, better get on deck about these lunches that gang looked pretty hungry and Boss, when you talk to them we’re playing up the idea of them as new owners I think we can put together a nice feature for the next Annual Report… he came sidestepping up the corridor beside them as though selling something on the street until a flight of yellow cut a corner ahead — oh Carol, that photographer checked in for pictures in the board room?

— two edged sword which at one fell swoop has severed the…

— Oh Mister Davidoff… she’d reached the door, held it open, — Mister Eig…

— Boss is right behind me I want these pictures lined up before he comes in and those box lunches, we get the ham and cheese? That gang looks pretty hungry this thing about over? Where’s Eigen tell him to turn off that projector where’s the photographer…

— riddled with red herrings and blind alleys…

— Nobody’s in there the projector’s running by itself, Mis…

— Can you, here. Lights? Somebody get the ow! here get up, sit over there… he spilled the hunched tenant from the chair at the head of the long table as heads rose from balled sweaters, Annual Reports, gum wrappers, to follow Mrs Joubert to a corner chair against the drapes.

— Dave? We all set in here?

— Oh, right Boss we just, Carol? You’ve got the picture off but the sound’s still on, that little white button…

— of industrial ingenuity rising like a glittering peak above the surface, for like the iceberg…

— Hey didn’t we already see this movie someplace?

— We getting tested on this Mrs Joubert?

— Like remember where that tree’s falling right on top of you like?

— All right boys and girls? or I should say Diamond shareowners, begging your pawdon… down the length of walnut his truckling glittered beneath expressions of intent vacancy. — The top man in your company has taken a minute to come in and welcome you aboard, this is Mister Moncrieff boys and girls reporting for work. That’s right reporting to you, you’re the owners aren’t you? The rest of us only work here, we work for you and all the other shareowners running your company exactly the way you want it run…

— Today, the riches which belong to us all…

— that you and your other fellow Americans no longer play a passive part in our nation’s great economy, Carol…?

— we call knowhow, modern technological advances enabling the hand of man to…

— By your active ownership you participate directly in our great free enterprise system, giving jobs to thousands of, Carol…!

— two edged swor…

— One second, better turn that sound off myself…

— wedding of the grand alliance of technological knowhow and the free enterprise syssssrrrrp

Faces surfaced from sweater wads, balled gum wrappers, glazed illustrations of the earth’s riches to turn to Mrs Joubert against the litter of shekels and denarii tentatively sitting her chair’s edge, hands crossed over crossed knees. — Perhaps we…

— Could we ask some questions yet? a hand went up, — because I was just wondering…

— Perhaps we can hear Mister Moncrieff first, I know he’s a very busy man… she raised her eyes the length of the table where he stood chin sunk on watered silk sequestering papers from the lounging thrust of a burst elbow.

— Thank you. I want to welcome you all as Diamond stockholders, as ah, as Mister Davidoff said the company’s management and directors are your team. I see you all have copies of our Annual Report there so you know our earnings increased fifteen cents a share last year to a dollar ten. Our earnings this year and for the foreseeable future look even better and, yes since we’re working for you and the other stockholders you’ll see them reflected in your regular dividend checks I’m sure you all, I’m sure your teacher Mrs Joubert has explained all that to you… he cleared his throat as their faces turned to the cautious opening of the door — we’re, as I say we’re your team and this man, come in Beaton, you might not pick him for a lineman but when I’m carrying the ball there’s nobody I’d rather have out there running interference for me. I want you all to meet our Secretary and General Counsel Mister Beaton… and he inclined for a whispered confidence. — Yes well thank you all for coming in, I’m sorry I can’t spend more time with you now but… he saved his glasses from the hand abruptly thrust up at him, — if you have any more questions I’m sure Mister Davi…

— I just wondered down here where it says…

— All right everyone, we’ll have to let Mister Moncrieff…

— The photographer? Davidoff reappeared, gaining speed.

— No but just down here where it says the figures in these columns show stock beneficially owned based on information furnished by nominees and do not include stock held by family members of these nom…

— What’s he got hold of there.

— That’s the, must be our last proxy statement Boss a little kit we put together for them on the, boys and girls? We can’t get into too many details now, we just wanted you to meet the topflight managerial talent your directors have working here for you, we’re all here to keep your profits rolling in and even if you just have one share right now any time you think we’ve stepped out of line don’t forget that one share means you can haul us right up on the carpet and…

— Don’t need to press that point Dave let’s just get the…

— Is that what this here bylaws means where it says…

— What’s, where’d they get that…

— Must have ah, just dropped it in the kit Boss give them a feeling of, like joining a club isn’t it boys and girls that doesn’t mean you have to try to read every word though does it, you’d need a lawyer like your friend Mister Beaton here to explain it let’s just, one more second of Mister Moncrieff’s time let’s just ask him the secret of his success shall we?

— Well I’d just say boys and girls, as long as you’re in the game you may as well play to win.