time Mr Thrasher. I hope you are successful in finding someone else to take over whatever he wanted doing. Perhaps it might be prudent to try to match the task to the person with a little more care on your next attempt. Good bye.”
William turned and walked to the door. Grasping the handle, he twisted it and started to pull the door towards himself.
“His money can’t buy him his life either. He’s dead and for whatever reason has nominated you as his successor in whatever quest he was pursuing. He isn’t trying to use his money to buy you or corrupt you. He needs you to perform a service for him and for that service he is willing to pay well; that is all. I have no idea what the tasks are that you have been set. With regret, you need to be aware that Ernest insisted that the shortlist was very short; you. You appear to be intelligent, erudite and thoughtful. The regret constituent of my previous sentence is that you have no choice. As I explained to you earlier, when you queried how flexible the arrangement was, you are legally bound since you signed the original document. Please Mr Bacchus, sit down.”
William hesitated by the door for a moment. Had one single signature, given to enable him to exercise his curiosity, really left him out of control?
“Mr Bacchus,” the solicito r’ s hand extended across the desk indicating the seat opposite him,
“Please sit down. I have a couple of other items to cover and after that you can decide if you want to tell me to ‘get stuffed’ and take your chances in court or to show that the faith that Ernest has placed in you was not misguided.”
William walked back across the office and sat in the seat opposite Gerald Thrasher. Continuing, Thrasher started to read from a sheet of paper in front of him.
“We have covered the compensation clause sufficiently for the moment, now onto the confirmation of fulfilment of the terms of the bequest. This will be dealt with by a person or person named in the bequest. Now, confidentiality. I have been asked to prepare a simple document for your signature confirming you will use your best endeavours to maintain the discretion required by this manner of undertaking.” Thrasher passed a single sheet of paper across to William and indicated where he should sign. William looked at the sheet in front of him and then looked up and stared into Thrasher ey es . Without shifting his gaze he tapped the paper in front of him and asked,
“What is in the bequest that would require me to sign a document that confirms that I will try to keep everything detailed in this legacy secret? I have had to sign a legal document before you would even agree to meet with me. When I arrived, I discover that by signing this document, I have committed myself to Ernest Sanderson’s wishes before I know the first thing about them. I have agreed to commit myself; irrespective of any other commitments I might have, for a period of time of which I am not aware. I have been gifted a vast amount of money, a bookshop and the promise of other properties. However; I have to complete one or more tasks to satisfy the terms of the bequest and release this munificent gift. I am to have access to funds to compensate me while I perform this task or tasks and this sum is very generous. I will be told when I have completed whatever has to be completed and when I can, therefore, resume my former life. Further, I now discover that it is obligatory that I sign a document confirming that I will keep the contents of the bequest as secret as is practicable. All of this I am legally bound to do. Would you describe that as a fair summation of the facts Mr Thrasher?”
Thrasher nodded. William continued,
“As you are the bringer of this aggregation of restrictions and requirements, I have one final question before I agree to sign any more of Mr Sanderson’s pieces of
William turned and walked to the door. Grasping the handle, he twisted it and started to pull the door towards himself.
“His money can’t buy him his life either. He’s dead and for whatever reason has nominated you as his successor in whatever quest he was pursuing. He isn’t trying to use his money to buy you or corrupt you. He needs you to perform a service for him and for that service he is willing to pay well; that is all. I have no idea what the tasks are that you have been set. With regret, you need to be aware that Ernest insisted that the shortlist was very short; you. You appear to be intelligent, erudite and thoughtful. The regret constituent of my previous sentence is that you have no choice. As I explained to you earlier, when you queried how flexible the arrangement was, you are legally bound since you signed the original document. Please Mr Bacchus, sit down.”
William hesitated by the door for a moment. Had one single signature, given to enable him to exercise his curiosity, really left him out of control?
“Mr Bacchus,” the solicito r’ s hand extended across the desk indicating the seat opposite him,
“Please sit down. I have a couple of other items to cover and after that you can decide if you want to tell me to ‘get stuffed’ and take your chances in court or to show that the faith that Ernest has placed in you was not misguided.”
William walked back across the office and sat in the seat opposite Gerald Thrasher. Continuing, Thrasher started to read from a sheet of paper in front of him.
“We have covered the compensation clause sufficiently for the moment, now onto the confirmation of fulfilment of the terms of the bequest. This will be dealt with by a person or person named in the bequest. Now, confidentiality. I have been asked to prepare a simple document for your signature confirming you will use your best endeavours to maintain the discretion required by this manner of undertaking.” Thrasher passed a single sheet of paper across to William and indicated where he should sign. William looked at the sheet in front of him and then looked up and stared into Thrasher ey es . Without shifting his gaze he tapped the paper in front of him and asked,
“What is in the bequest that would require me to sign a document that confirms that I will try to keep everything detailed in this legacy secret? I have had to sign a legal document before you would even agree to meet with me. When I arrived, I discover that by signing this document, I have committed myself to Ernest Sanderson’s wishes before I know the first thing about them. I have agreed to commit myself; irrespective of any other commitments I might have, for a period of time of which I am not aware. I have been gifted a vast amount of money, a bookshop and the promise of other properties. However; I have to complete one or more tasks to satisfy the terms of the bequest and release this munificent gift. I am to have access to funds to compensate me while I perform this task or tasks and this sum is very generous. I will be told when I have completed whatever has to be completed and when I can, therefore, resume my former life. Further, I now discover that it is obligatory that I sign a document confirming that I will keep the contents of the bequest as secret as is practicable. All of this I am legally bound to do. Would you describe that as a fair summation of the facts Mr Thrasher?”
Thrasher nodded. William continued,
“As you are the bringer of this aggregation of restrictions and requirements, I have one final question before I agree to sign any more of Mr Sanderson’s pieces of
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