Arthur Hailey - Overload

Eventually the accumulated oil and vapor exploded.

"I thought there was a safety interlock . . ." Nim began.

"Hell!-of course there is." Paulsen sounded as if he were about to weep. "It's designed to prevent exactly what happened. But-can you believe this?-the damn fool operator overrode it manually. Said he wanted to bring the unit on line faster."

"Jesus Christ!" Nim could understand Paulsen's anger and frustration. He asked, "How much damage did the explosion do?"

"Plenty-to the internal boiler structure, much of the duct and flue work, more than half the water-wall tubes."

Nim whistled softly. He felt sympathy for Paulsen, but knew that words would do no good. He also realized that a four-month estimate for repairs was optimistic.

"This changes everything, Ray," Nim said, "especially about rolling blackouts."

"Don't I know it!"

Mentally, Nim was running over problems and logistics. Although Big Lil was an oil burner and eventually could fall victim to the OPEC embargo, it was by far the most economical oil-fueled generator the utility had. Now, Big Lil's output would have to be made up by other units which would use more fuel. Therefore, suddenly, GSP&L's total oil reserves represented a great deal less electric power than before.

Thus it followed, even more than previously: All oil stocks must be used cagily, rationed strictly.

"Blackouts should start within the next few days," Nim said.

Paulsen nodded. "I agree." He got up to go.

"Ray," Nim said, "I'll let you know as soon as the chairman comes in."

* * *

"My recommendation," Nim said at a hastily called conference on Friday afternoon, "is that we begin blackouts on Monday."

Teresa Van Buren protested, "It's too soon! We've already announced they won't begin until the week after next. Now you're saying you'd advance that ten days. We've got to give the public more warning."

"Warning be damned!" Paulsen snapped. "This is a crisis."

With wry amusement, Nim thought: For once he and Paulsen were in agreement, ranged against the others.

There were five of them, seated around a conference table in the chairman's office suite-J. Eric Humphrey, Paulsen, Van Buren, Nim and Oscar O'Brien.

The general counsel had been called in to consider any legal implications of the blackouts.

Prior to this conference, Nim had had several meetings with department heads to review the latest figures on GSP&L's oil stocks. They showed supplies were diminishing faster than anticipated, probably due to unseasonably warm weather and heavy use of air-conditioners.

Nim had also telephoned a Washington, D.C., lawyer-lobbyist who represented GSP & L on Capitol Hill. His report was: No breakthrough, or any sign of one, in the United States-OPEC deadlock. The lawyer added, “There's talk around here of plans to issue a new currency-an external, gold-backed dollar to satisfy OPEC. But it's talk, no more, and not enough to get the oil moving."

Nim had passed on the Washington report to the chairman and the others.

"I agree with Tess," Oscar O'Brien said, "that we ought to give as much advance warning about blackouts as we can."

Eric Humphrey queried, "Suppose we hold off until next Wednesday and start the blackouts then? That's five days from now, which should give people time to prepare."

After more discussion they agreed on Wednesday.

"I'll call a press conference immediately," Van Buren said. She addressed Nun. "Can you be available in an hour?"

He nodded. "Yes."

The remainder of the day proceeded at the same frenetic pace.

* * *

Amid the rush of decision-making and conferences, Nim postponed his intended call to Karen, and it was not until late Friday afternoon that lie found time to phone her.

Josie answered first, then Karen came on the line. He knew she would be wearing the special lightweight headband, earpiece and microphone which, with a micro-switch close to her head, enabled her to use the telephone without assistance if she wished. By arrangement with the phone company, Karen was able to reach an operator directly and have any number dialed for her.

"Karen," Nim said, "I'm calling about your father. I made some inquiries to see if there was anything I could do, but I have to tell you that there isn't. What's happening has gone too far." He added, hoping it would not sound banal, "I'm sorry."

"So am I," Karen said, and be sensed her dejection. "But I'm grateful to you for trying, Nimrod."

“The only advice I can give," be told her, "is that your father get himself a good lawyer."

There was a silence, then she asked, "Is it really that bad?"

There seemed no point in lying. "Yes, I'm afraid it is." Nim decided not to pass along Harry London's statement that a criminal charge would be laid within the next few days, or London's estimate of a two-hundred-and-thirty-thousand-dollar loss to GSP & L. Both items of news would be known soon enough.

“The strange thing is," Karen said, "I've always thought of Daddy as the most honest person I know."

"Well," Nim acknowledged, "I'm not making excuses for your father. I can't. But I guess, sometimes, there are pressures which do strange things to people. Anyway, I'm sure that whatever was behind what he did will be considered in court."

"But he didn't need to; that's the tragic thing. Oh, I've enjoyed the extra things my parents have made possible with money, including Humperdinck. But I could have managed without."

Nim didn't feel like telling Karen that obviously her father had seen a way to expiate some of his guilt feelings, and had taken it. That was something a psychologist or the courts, or maybe both, would have to unravel and pass judgment on. Instead, Nim asked, "You still have Humperdinck?"

"Yes. Whatever else is happening, Humperdinck hasn't been repossessed yet."

"I'm glad," he said, "because you'll need the van next week."

He went on to tell her about the new schedule of rolling blackouts beginning Wednesday. "In your area, power will go off at 3 pm Wednesday and stay off for at least three hours. So, to be safe, you should go to Redwood Grove Hospital sometime during the morning."

"Josie will take me," Karen said.

"If there's any change," Nim told her, "I'll call you. Also we'll talk about other blackouts later. Oh, by the way, I checked on the Redwood Grove emergency generator. It's in good shape and the fuel tank is full."

"It's truly wonderful," Karen said, with a flash of her normal brightness, "to be cared about so much."

"I really do believe," Ruth Goldman observed, turning pages of the Chronicle-West Sunday edition, "that people are beginning to face reality about an electrical crisis."

"If they'd listened to Dad," Benjy asserted, "they would have done it sooner."

The other three-Ruth, Nim and Leah-all laughed.

"Thank you," Nim said. "I appreciate the loyalty."

Leah added, "Especially now it means you're vindicated."

"Hey!" Ruth told her, "that vocabulary class of yours is paying off."

Leah flushed with pleasure.

It was Sunday morning and the family had gathered in Nim's and Ruth's bedroom. Ruth was still in bed, having recently finished breakfast, brought to her on a tray. Nim had got up early to cook poached eggs on corned beef hash, a family favorite, for everyone.

Two days ago Ruth had flown back from New York following her second visit there for treatments at the Sloan-Kettering Institute. She had appeared pale on her return, and still did, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She admitted to having experienced some pain as a side effect, as had happened on the previous occasion, and was obviously tired.

It was still too early to know the effect of the treatments, and she would go back to New York in another three weeks. Ruth reported cheerfully, though, that the doctors she had talked with were "very hopeful."