phone down on the receiver, and stood over his desk, wanting to upend it. Will looked around, eyes settling on Leroy.
“I’ve got to get out of here.” He pushed a button and some draperies opened, revealing a wall of glass with a pair of wide sliding doors going out to a huge deck. Fashionable teak furniture arranged in seating groups was spotted around the deck.
Will dashed out of the house like he was on fire. He walked to the far end of the patio, leaned on the railing, and raked his eyes across the view: rolling golden hills dotted with huge oaks. A freeway cut across the left corner of the scene. You couldn’t hear the traffic from inside, but you could outside. Will looked at the rushing cars, laughing bitterly.
“I couldn’t get CalTrans to build that son of a bitch one hill over thirty years ago when they did it. Look what they did. Ruined my view, but mostly raped the most beautiful valley on the planet. Assholes.
“I guess I shouldn’t mind losing. I’ve lost before.” He laughed again, a little hysterical. Will turned and took a step away from the railing. He stumbled and ended up sitting on one of the big lounge chairs. He swore again and slowly bent his body over his knees.
Leroy realized what was happening and ran over to him. “What’s the matter, Mr. Duane?”
Will looked up, tears in his eyes. He took a moment to speak. “They’re going to take Numenon from me. I thought it would happen when I got back from the Meeting, but I’ve held on.” He flashed a glance at Leroy.
“They can take it from you?” Leroy looked mystified.
“Oh, yeah. All it takes is a vote of my Board of Directors and I’ll be out. No matter that I founded Numenon and made it what it is for over forty years. Jackasses who couldn’t keep a hamburger joint solvent are going to fire me .” Will paused, hiding his face with his hands.
“I’ve known it was coming, I just didn’t know how much it would hurt …” Leroy handed him a handkerchief.
“I wrecked my marriage by running around with women, but I wasn’t chasing my dick all the time. I gave every waking hour to Numenon. I gave it my soul, my heart.” He made a pfft! and waved his hands. “And now, I’m going to lose it.
“What’s happening?” Leroy said.
“The bad guys are going to win. You know about Sandy Sydney, don’t you?” Leroy did. Doug had told him about the rogue super-secretary who was not only the most beautiful blonde in existence; she was a fiend and recruiter for the devil. “She fucked every one of my executives. If they weren’t bastards before, they’re demons now. That’s what’s taking over the company I founded. The spawn of the devil.
“Sandy Sydney would have gotten me, too, except I had a feeling about her. One thing screwing as many hookers as I have did for me—I can smell one coming.” He chuckled. His face felt like a plaster casting.
“The Meeting was …” he exhaled. “How can you describe the Meeting? Hell and heaven, back to back. I faced myself and saw what an asshole I had been. But I saw something else, too.” Will raised his head, a little hope coming back. “I experienced the glory of the universe. I discovered that I was a man of God, and I had been all my life. I’ve had visions that guided me all my life. They are what made Numenon what it is.”
“When I got back from the Meeting, I wanted to make Numenon into a corporation based on Love. Like your grandfather talks about. Love, respect. Caring for the people and the planet. I sound like a bleeding heart? Don’t I? You know why? I am ! I always have been. But I was too chicken to come out and be who I really was.
Will looked at him, face haggard again. “Ric Chao and Frank Sauvage will be monsters wearing human flesh by next year. They’ll make my Numenon into an economic rape and pillage machine.
“They’ll discredit everything I’ve done. That’s what I’ll get to live with in my golden years.
“And then Cass on
“I’ve got to get out of here.” He pushed a button and some draperies opened, revealing a wall of glass with a pair of wide sliding doors going out to a huge deck. Fashionable teak furniture arranged in seating groups was spotted around the deck.
Will dashed out of the house like he was on fire. He walked to the far end of the patio, leaned on the railing, and raked his eyes across the view: rolling golden hills dotted with huge oaks. A freeway cut across the left corner of the scene. You couldn’t hear the traffic from inside, but you could outside. Will looked at the rushing cars, laughing bitterly.
“I couldn’t get CalTrans to build that son of a bitch one hill over thirty years ago when they did it. Look what they did. Ruined my view, but mostly raped the most beautiful valley on the planet. Assholes.
“I guess I shouldn’t mind losing. I’ve lost before.” He laughed again, a little hysterical. Will turned and took a step away from the railing. He stumbled and ended up sitting on one of the big lounge chairs. He swore again and slowly bent his body over his knees.
Leroy realized what was happening and ran over to him. “What’s the matter, Mr. Duane?”
Will looked up, tears in his eyes. He took a moment to speak. “They’re going to take Numenon from me. I thought it would happen when I got back from the Meeting, but I’ve held on.” He flashed a glance at Leroy.
“They can take it from you?” Leroy looked mystified.
“Oh, yeah. All it takes is a vote of my Board of Directors and I’ll be out. No matter that I founded Numenon and made it what it is for over forty years. Jackasses who couldn’t keep a hamburger joint solvent are going to fire me .” Will paused, hiding his face with his hands.
“I’ve known it was coming, I just didn’t know how much it would hurt …” Leroy handed him a handkerchief.
“I wrecked my marriage by running around with women, but I wasn’t chasing my dick all the time. I gave every waking hour to Numenon. I gave it my soul, my heart.” He made a pfft! and waved his hands. “And now, I’m going to lose it.
“What’s happening?” Leroy said.
“The bad guys are going to win. You know about Sandy Sydney, don’t you?” Leroy did. Doug had told him about the rogue super-secretary who was not only the most beautiful blonde in existence; she was a fiend and recruiter for the devil. “She fucked every one of my executives. If they weren’t bastards before, they’re demons now. That’s what’s taking over the company I founded. The spawn of the devil.
“Sandy Sydney would have gotten me, too, except I had a feeling about her. One thing screwing as many hookers as I have did for me—I can smell one coming.” He chuckled. His face felt like a plaster casting.
“The Meeting was …” he exhaled. “How can you describe the Meeting? Hell and heaven, back to back. I faced myself and saw what an asshole I had been. But I saw something else, too.” Will raised his head, a little hope coming back. “I experienced the glory of the universe. I discovered that I was a man of God, and I had been all my life. I’ve had visions that guided me all my life. They are what made Numenon what it is.”
“When I got back from the Meeting, I wanted to make Numenon into a corporation based on Love. Like your grandfather talks about. Love, respect. Caring for the people and the planet. I sound like a bleeding heart? Don’t I? You know why? I am ! I always have been. But I was too chicken to come out and be who I really was.
Will looked at him, face haggard again. “Ric Chao and Frank Sauvage will be monsters wearing human flesh by next year. They’ll make my Numenon into an economic rape and pillage machine.
“They’ll discredit everything I’ve done. That’s what I’ll get to live with in my golden years.
“And then Cass on
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