William Gaddis - J R

— Yes it sounds interesting it, but could I ask you one more thing about…

— Of course, yes, probably be able to add another good forty minutes or so and give your music a chance to change the pace a little, see what you mean yes, take the dik-dik here, might have a little fun with the dik-dik…

— No what I mean was what would happen if that happened and a receiver took over the company, what…

— Company? What company.

— This, this Eagle Mills, if you had a bond would it…

— What, this Eagle outfit? Just reorganize it if they want to keep things running, probably put out a new issue of common and convertible preferred hand out a few shares of each for every bond, the rate they’ve been losing money up there they must have generated one hell of a tax loss carry-forward position but that’s no damned use all by itself is it, now here he is, little fellow running out ahead there, see him? Of course you’ll never see a purple dik-dik but there’s no damned law against a little artistic license is there.

— Yes, no I mean no but then if you did have some of these bonds would you be able to get any money from…

— What, these? Eagle? Just depends if the man who came off with the biggest bite had the sense to convert all his preferred to common and pick up some more common if he needed it to step in and take over certainly shouldn’t be hard, local people up there sitting on most of this paper would probably hold onto their preferred because of the dividend position wouldn’t care a damn that they couldn’t vote it, what got them into trouble in the first place of course sooner or later you’ll want to see the whole film itself but you might take these along for what you’d call inspiration I suppose?

— Yes I do have to leave, I just had one more question about…

— No no no sit still, sit still, we’ve already gone to a good deal of expense on this and a little more won’t hurt, of course it’s not hurting Stamper anyway because it all comes right off taxes as an educational expense project, educate these Parks people and a few of these big conservationist lobbies and environmentalists and clean up this tourist glut that’s turning these great public lands and wilderness areas into rubbish heaps and outdoor latrines like camping in a lot of damned parking lots, turn a few wild pigs loose in these National Parks we’ll clear things up in no time.

— Yes I, yes I did just want to ask if…

— Just told you Bast, can’t throw your balance of nature off and leave it off now can you, get these zebras and the rest of these fellows in there without something to hunt them and they’d all go berserk. Ever see zebras grazing with lion in the grass a few hundred yards away? Know damned well they’re there and know damned well why they’re there but you don’t see them pack up and run do you? Don’t see an apple tree pack up and run when you come to pick an apple do you?

— Well no, no I never…

— Know damned well you don’t, whole problem facing us now is the rate Africa’s developing it’s going to be nothing but a lot of niggers driving around in hats and neckties no place left for the game at all, pushing these fellows right off their own land like a lot of damned Indians if we don’t set them up over here pretty quick there won’t be any place left to hunt them at all. That answer your question?

— Yes well, no not exactly you see I just wondered if when you say someone would come in and take over, how they…

— You still on this Eagle outfit? Just walk in and take over.

— But then what would they, I mean would the people who had these bonds be able to…

— Loosen up their cash position a little, lease-back arrangements and that kind of thing, and clean up their net properties accounts, probably things in it they’ve forgotten they own. Grandeur Bast, that’s the quality you want to get across in your music here, restore these great public lands to their natural grandeur, stock the National Parks with some of these fellows we’ll clean out all these trailers and tin cans and these damned filthy kids with their hair and drugs and beads and motorcycles of course Stamper’s idea is a damned sight simpler, says why not just go in and hunt them. Use tranquillizers and pellet guns but they don’t have the instinct for survival that a good healthy animal’s got, lie down in the dirt and sing you a song and there’s no damned challenge in that…

— Yes well, your phone yes maybe I’d better…

— Just sit still a minute yes… Shirley? If this is Davidoff again just tell him to… who? Better put him on yes just hold on a minute Bast, start turning down calls from the press you see your credibility go right down the, hello…? he recovered from a gesture apparently intended to direct attention to the litter of slide transparencies which got no further than a book on the desk there, A Moveable Feast left opened to page 190.—Talking about the piece in Forbes this morning I saw it yes, got the whole thing blown out of proportion this talk about fabled mineral wealth and outside interests the whole thing’s tribal, want the key to this Gandia situation it’s right there in Gandia this Doctor Dé’s an Idi… no no just Idi, i, d… first three letters yes, hill tribe up there in Uaso province been at the Blakus’ throats for a thousand years and this Nowunda’s Blaku, Dé sees his chance to get up in the world and starts these secession rumors probably find him floating face down in the river the whole thing will die down, I know Afri… any time yes, goodbye… he came forward again to rid himself of the phone — now, sir. Where were we.

— Oh. Yes there was one more thing I said I’d ask about it’s a, I think it’s under the portfolio there…

— This? Looks like a, what the hell is it. Coronal extension measuring tape, fit tape in groove behind head of organ and measure distance around…

— No what I meant was, it’s a, I forget exactly what you call it it’s, there it is…

— Don’t need this I suppose do you… the calibrated length of paper dropped to the wastebasket. — Now, this…?

— Yes where it says Alberta and Western…

— Debenture, series B debenture didn’t know they’d even brought out a series A. Never see a nickel on this one, wouldn’t fool with these people they’re worse off than your Eagle outfit there, now of course you understand I wouldn’t ask you to do something like this for nothing Bast.

— Something like…

— This music you’re doing for us yes, gives me a little chance to do my part for the arts too doesn’t it, might even be worth five… and he paused, gaining his feet with a look from collar to heel down the figure bent over the split portfolio jamming in papers, — might even be worth two hundred dollars to you, what would you say to that sir.

— Well I…

— Glad to be able to do it, help along a struggling artist you’ll want to take these along with you too… He freed both hands to scoop the slide transparencies into their box and reached for a button, — Shirley? Give Mister Bast a handful of stock powers on his way out here and, yes, you want me to open a discretionary account for your aunts here then, Bast? Just keep it in the street name save them a lot of bother…

— Yes well however it’s done, I…

— Put it out of your mind then Bast, get right down to your music, eh?

— Yes I, I’d certainly like…

— Might hear a sample in a day or two do you think? Yes and as you go out take a look at the dik-dik, little fellow right up there over Shirley’s head, give you an idea… He sank back to the chair and his fingers galloped across the teak, cleared the blotter’s green and sprang. — Shirley get me Doctor Handler on the phone here… his other hand dropped to the wastebasket, — yes and look in the Directory of Directors for somebody named Decker, W Decker, sounds familiar. And then get me Beaton up at Typhon will you? His hand came up trailing the calibrated length of paper and hung there till he settled it as a bookmark. — Larry? Is, yes hello is the doctor in? Tell him Mister Craw… what? What do you mean call Tuesday, this is… No damn it I certainly am not a patient! Tell him this is his broker calling… yes! Yes hello Larry? Say, I think I can unload those old Eagle Mills bonds for you at eight or nine cents, pick up your tax loss for any… oh you did? Yes in that case I might be able to unload your Boston and Maines, probably get you twelve or fifteen on them, got somebody who seems to be looking around for those things yes, I’ll let you know… and again his empty hand stalked the green, — Beaton? Got me, Shirley? Got me Beaton? While you’re there Shirley see what the pink sheet has on Alberta and Western Power, thought they’d thrown in the towel, they… oh, Beaton? no but what the hell is this I hear about somebody bringing a class action against Diamond? Shirley…? You still on?