[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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stated that Malrue Parlin, though painfully affected by Miss Lodis's
estrangement from herself and her family, was willing to take over the stock.
She was not unmindful of her right to purchase at the original value, but
would pay twice that, solely to accommodate Miss Lodis.
In Telzey's opinion, the legal department flipped when it read the reply. It
had, of course, been putting up with a good deal during the week. It called
promptly for a planet-to-ship general conference, and pointed out that the sum
Malrue offered was approximately a tenth of the real value of Gonwil's share
in the concern. In view of the fact that an attempt to murder Miss Lodis
already had been made, Mrs. Parlin's reply must be considered not a bona fide
offer but a form of extortion. A threat was implied.
However, Mrs. Parlin might be showing more confidence than she felt. If
violence again entered the picture, she was now not invulnerable. To some
extent, at least, she was bluffing. To counter the bluff, she should be shown
unmistakably that Miss Lodis was determined to defend herself and her
interests by whatever means were necessary.
The legal department's advice at this point must be to have Miss Lodis
register the fact that against her wishes she had become involved in a private
war with the Parlin family, and that she was appointing the Kyth Agency to act
as her agent in this affair. The events and investigations of the past week
provided more than sufficient grounds for the registration, and its purpose
would go beyond making it clear to the Parlins that from now on they would be
in jeopardy no less than Miss Lodis. It had been discovered that while the
rule which prevented the sale of Lodis Associates stock outside the concern
could not be broken in court, it could be rescinded by a two-thirds majority
vote of the shareholders, and Miss Lodis and the Parlin family between them
controlled more than two thirds of the stock. No doubt, forcible means would
be required to persuade the Parlins to agree to the action, but the agreement
would be valid if obtained in that manner under the necessities of a
registered private war. Miss Lodis could then sell her shares at full value to
the Bank of Rienne or a similar institution, which would end the Parlins'
efforts to obtain them, and take her out of danger.
Registration, the legal department added, was serious matter, of course, and
Miss Lodis should give it sufficient thought before deciding to sign the
application they had prepared. On the other hand, it might be best not to
delay more than a day or two. The Parlins' attitude showed she would be safe
only so long as they did not know where she was.
"
"Has she discussed it with you?" Dasinger asked.
Telzey looked at him irritably. Her nerves had been on edge since the
conference ended. Things had taken a very unsatisfactory turn. If Malrue
Parlin would only drop dead!
She shook her head. "She's been in her room. We haven't talked about it yet."
Dasinger studied her face. "Your father and I," he remarked, "aren't entirely
happy about having her register for a private war."
"Why not? I thought you & "
He nodded. "I know. But in view of what you said, I've been watching her, and
I'm inclined to agree now that she might be too civilized for such methods.
It's a pleasant trait, though it's been known to be a suicidal one."
He hesitated, went on. "Aside from that, a private war is simply the only
practical answer now. And it would be best to act at once while the Parlin
family is together and on Orado. If we wait till they scatter, it will be the
devil's own job roping them in again. I think I can guarantee that none of the
three will be physically injured. As for Miss Lodis's feelings about it,
we your father and I assume that your ability to handle emotional disturbances
isn't limited to animals."
Telzey shifted uneasily in her chair. Her skull felt tight; she might be
getting a headache. She wondered why she didn't tell the detective to stop
worrying. Gonwil had found her own solution before the conference was over.
She wouldn't authorize a private war for any purpose. No matter how expertly
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it was handled, somebody was going to get killed when two bands of armed men
came into conflict, and she didn't want the responsibility for it.
Neither did she want to run and hide for years to keep Malrue from having her
killed. The money wasn't worth it.
So the logical answer was to accept Malrue's offer and let her have the stock
and control of Lodis Associates. Gonwil could get along very well without it.
And she wouldn't have consented to someone's death to keep it.
Gonwil didn't know why she hadn't told them that at the conference, though
Telzey did. Gonwil had intended to speak, then suddenly forgotten her
intention. Another few hours, Telzey had thought, to make sure there wasn't
some answer as logical as surrender but more satisfactory. A private war
didn't happen to be it.
She realized she'd said something because Dasinger was continuing. Malrue
Parlin appeared to have played into their hands through overconfidence &
That, Telzey thought, was where they were wrong. The past few days had showed
her things about Gonwil which had remained partly unrevealed in two years of
friendship. But a shrewd and purposeful observer like Malrue Parlin, knowing
Gonwil since her year of birth, would be aware of them.
Gonwil didn't simply have a prejudice against violence; she was incapable of
it. Malrue knew it. It would have suited her best if Gonwil died in a manner
which didn't look like murder, or at least didn't turn suspicion on the
Parlins. But she needn't feel any concern because she had failed in that. The
shock of knowing that murder had been tried, of realizing that more of that
kind of thing would be necessary if Malrue was to be stopped, would be enough.
It wasn't so much fear as revulsion a need to draw away from the ugly
business. Gonwil would give in.
Cousin Malrue hadn't been overconfident. She'd simply known exactly what would
happen. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
Page 58
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
stated that Malrue Parlin, though painfully affected by Miss Lodis's
estrangement from herself and her family, was willing to take over the stock.
She was not unmindful of her right to purchase at the original value, but
would pay twice that, solely to accommodate Miss Lodis.
In Telzey's opinion, the legal department flipped when it read the reply. It
had, of course, been putting up with a good deal during the week. It called
promptly for a planet-to-ship general conference, and pointed out that the sum
Malrue offered was approximately a tenth of the real value of Gonwil's share
in the concern. In view of the fact that an attempt to murder Miss Lodis
already had been made, Mrs. Parlin's reply must be considered not a bona fide
offer but a form of extortion. A threat was implied.
However, Mrs. Parlin might be showing more confidence than she felt. If
violence again entered the picture, she was now not invulnerable. To some
extent, at least, she was bluffing. To counter the bluff, she should be shown
unmistakably that Miss Lodis was determined to defend herself and her
interests by whatever means were necessary.
The legal department's advice at this point must be to have Miss Lodis
register the fact that against her wishes she had become involved in a private
war with the Parlin family, and that she was appointing the Kyth Agency to act
as her agent in this affair. The events and investigations of the past week
provided more than sufficient grounds for the registration, and its purpose
would go beyond making it clear to the Parlins that from now on they would be
in jeopardy no less than Miss Lodis. It had been discovered that while the
rule which prevented the sale of Lodis Associates stock outside the concern
could not be broken in court, it could be rescinded by a two-thirds majority
vote of the shareholders, and Miss Lodis and the Parlin family between them
controlled more than two thirds of the stock. No doubt, forcible means would
be required to persuade the Parlins to agree to the action, but the agreement
would be valid if obtained in that manner under the necessities of a
registered private war. Miss Lodis could then sell her shares at full value to
the Bank of Rienne or a similar institution, which would end the Parlins'
efforts to obtain them, and take her out of danger.
Registration, the legal department added, was serious matter, of course, and
Miss Lodis should give it sufficient thought before deciding to sign the
application they had prepared. On the other hand, it might be best not to
delay more than a day or two. The Parlins' attitude showed she would be safe
only so long as they did not know where she was.
"
"Has she discussed it with you?" Dasinger asked.
Telzey looked at him irritably. Her nerves had been on edge since the
conference ended. Things had taken a very unsatisfactory turn. If Malrue
Parlin would only drop dead!
She shook her head. "She's been in her room. We haven't talked about it yet."
Dasinger studied her face. "Your father and I," he remarked, "aren't entirely
happy about having her register for a private war."
"Why not? I thought you & "
He nodded. "I know. But in view of what you said, I've been watching her, and
I'm inclined to agree now that she might be too civilized for such methods.
It's a pleasant trait, though it's been known to be a suicidal one."
He hesitated, went on. "Aside from that, a private war is simply the only
practical answer now. And it would be best to act at once while the Parlin
family is together and on Orado. If we wait till they scatter, it will be the
devil's own job roping them in again. I think I can guarantee that none of the
three will be physically injured. As for Miss Lodis's feelings about it,
we your father and I assume that your ability to handle emotional disturbances
isn't limited to animals."
Telzey shifted uneasily in her chair. Her skull felt tight; she might be
getting a headache. She wondered why she didn't tell the detective to stop
worrying. Gonwil had found her own solution before the conference was over.
She wouldn't authorize a private war for any purpose. No matter how expertly
Page 59
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
it was handled, somebody was going to get killed when two bands of armed men
came into conflict, and she didn't want the responsibility for it.
Neither did she want to run and hide for years to keep Malrue from having her
killed. The money wasn't worth it.
So the logical answer was to accept Malrue's offer and let her have the stock
and control of Lodis Associates. Gonwil could get along very well without it.
And she wouldn't have consented to someone's death to keep it.
Gonwil didn't know why she hadn't told them that at the conference, though
Telzey did. Gonwil had intended to speak, then suddenly forgotten her
intention. Another few hours, Telzey had thought, to make sure there wasn't
some answer as logical as surrender but more satisfactory. A private war
didn't happen to be it.
She realized she'd said something because Dasinger was continuing. Malrue
Parlin appeared to have played into their hands through overconfidence &
That, Telzey thought, was where they were wrong. The past few days had showed
her things about Gonwil which had remained partly unrevealed in two years of
friendship. But a shrewd and purposeful observer like Malrue Parlin, knowing
Gonwil since her year of birth, would be aware of them.
Gonwil didn't simply have a prejudice against violence; she was incapable of
it. Malrue knew it. It would have suited her best if Gonwil died in a manner
which didn't look like murder, or at least didn't turn suspicion on the
Parlins. But she needn't feel any concern because she had failed in that. The
shock of knowing that murder had been tried, of realizing that more of that
kind of thing would be necessary if Malrue was to be stopped, would be enough.
It wasn't so much fear as revulsion a need to draw away from the ugly
business. Gonwil would give in.
Cousin Malrue hadn't been overconfident. She'd simply known exactly what would
happen. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]