Бруно Травен - Aslan Norval

“I am sure you are right, Mr. Senator.”

“And if I have repeatedly expressed doubts about the feasibility of your canal project, I have to say that your railway project appears just as infeasible in my opinion as well as that of my colleagues. It appears that the cost of the railway project would merely be less than that of the canal project. Neither of your projects can be realized without government funding. As you know, I am sure, tax rates in our country have increased—in many cases up to ninety percent of your income—such that they can hardly be raised any more without causing disarray to our national economy.

“The government could not guarantee the billions you have not yet accurately calculated that you need to complete one of your projects. And with that fact, we are back to square one of our negotiations: If you do not manage to raise the funds for the execution of at least one of your projects, all the money that shareholders invested will be lost. Since we are not talking about a project in the millions but probably an enterprise that will devour more capital than one hundred times our annual national budget, the consequence would likely cause a panic on the stock market with unforeseeable consequences.”

The senator stopped for a moment and looked at Aslan with cold eyes. He asked icily: “Miss Norval, do you want to add anything at this time?”

“I’m afraid I have nothing else to say, Mr. Chairman.”

The chairman rose, used his gavel, and announced: “The investigation regarding the financial capability and security of the Atlantic-Pacific Transit Corporation, Inc., is hereby complete. The final report will be delivered in six weeks.”

He gaveled the meeting closed and left the chamber, followed by his colleagues. A dozen reporters rushed toward Aslan, intending to bombard her with questions. They were careful to stand in a half circle around Aslan so as to remain in view of the cameras.

“Gentlemen of the press, I am sorry that I have nothing important to share with you at this time. I will be forced to change my strategy completely. However, as soon as I have consulted with my board and lawyers, and as soon as we have reached a decision, you will hear from me. Gentlemen, I thank you for your attention.”

She nodded at the reporters with a sweet smile and left the chambers with the poise and posture of a winner. The reporters, of course, had the impression that she had lost and that there was little hope of rescuing her company. The chairman had made that quite clear.

The cameras watched her walk away. When she had left, the cameras swiveled toward the uniformed assistants, who were currently packing up maps, displays, and tables, unwittingly showing more of their beautiful legs and their plump bottoms. The viewers in front of their televisions, the men, at least, could have hugged the cameramen in gratitude. You rarely saw such lovely, shapely girls, let alone within your own four walls.

Accompanied by Amy, Aslan raced to the airport. She was in New York in her own home that same evening.

“First of all, and most importantly, Lita”—she rushed toward her maid—“a hot bath. As hot as I can possibly stand it. God, I am so tired!”

“ Ya lo creo , señora,” said Lita, “I believe you.”

“And as soon as you have the water running, help me undress! I am going to collapse. I’ve never known what it means to be tired.”

She was sitting on the bed when Lita came back from the bathroom, knelt in front of her, took off her shoes, and massaged her feet.

“It is exhausting to remain so tense for so many hours and to know that thirty, maybe sixty million people are listening to you, observing and criticizing each one of your facial expressions.”

“I sat in front of the television the entire time, señora. You were wonderful. Simplemente maravillosa. Really and truly magnificent. Better, much better, and more natural than any actress. However, in the end it looked bad for you, señora. I don’t think the senadores are sympathetic to you.”

“As if I didn’t know that!”

“I say, there is more to this, señora. The caballeros want to give this huge deal to their families and friends. And then they want to ask for their own cut.”

“Well, look at that! I would have never in my dreams thought of such an interpretation.”

Lita draped a bathrobe over Aslan’s naked body and disappeared into the bathroom. After a few seconds she called: “Señora, your bath is ready.”

Aslan sank deeply into the hot water and sighed with pleasure.

“Lita, add more hot water! It feels so good. I felt the same way when I took a hot bath in my hotel in Washington during a break in the hearing.”

“ Que más , señora?”

“Bring me heated bath towels in fifteen minutes. I want to wrap myself in them. And then bring me a salad sandwich, two very runny boiled eggs, grapes, an apple, and a glass of Burgundy. And just so you know: I don’t wish to be disturbed until four o’clock in the afternoon tomorrow. Even if the secretary of the interior and the secretary of state were to be on the phone simultaneously. I am not home. You don’t know where I am. You have no idea. I have disappeared. Just disappeared. Without a single trace. I have to sleep for eighteen hours to remember my name.”

“Señora, I am ready to shoot anyone who tries to disturb you.”

Not eighteen but rather twenty hours later, Aslan called her maid.

“Good Lord in heaven, señora, you really did sleep well!” said Lita as she entered.

“I did sleep well indeed!” Aslan stretched and yawned loudly. “And I am hungry—I could eat three entire dinners.”

“Massage, señora?”

“Yes. A light massage. To get my limbs back in balance.”

“Would you like the newspapers, señora?”

“No newspapers. I don’t want to read my name and I don’t want to be horrified by photographs of myself. Not yet. First, I have to relax. At the beach.”

The next morning, it was a Wednesday, Aslan was in Beckford’s office. She absentmindedly played with the materials strewn all over the tables, where Beckford and the uniformed assistants had thrown them when they returned from Washington by train.

“As I said, Mr. Beckford, I need a few days of a break. At the beach.”

“Safe travels, ma’am,” said Beckford indifferently, while he slowly began to organize the materials, putting them back in their places without much interest. He did so rather sleepily.

“I will drive down in my car. Today. In the early afternoon.”

“Safe travels, ma’am,” Beckford repeated dryly. “Should I send flowers? Red roses or white? As you please.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! It would be better if you tried to have some good ideas, while I recover for a few days. God knows we will need new ideas once the committee announces its decision. And as far as I can tell, their decision will not be positive for the company.”

Beckford grinned. “That’s nothing new. Even the assistants told me that on the train.”

“They seem to be smart.”

“You don’t need much intelligence to say as early as today that the APTC is done for. If I had a dog, even he could guess that.”

“I need quiet. The sleep-inducing waves of the ocean. No music. No radio. No television. The quietest hotel is the best. The Atlantic.”

Aslan got up to leave.

“Do you know what you can do in the meantime, Mr. Beckford?”

“Of course not, ma’am, not if you don’t tell me.”

“Get me all the newspapers that report anything of importance about our project and the hearing in front of the committee.”

“Already done, ma’am. I have subscriptions with six newspaper clipping services, starting with the issues that came out on the first day of the hearing. And I did so three days before the first hearing, so I wouldn’t miss any issues.”