Morgan Henry was as tall as Van, but heavier, especially in girth, and had faded red hair and freckles that also had lightened. “I must say that I hadn’t expected a visit from one of the senior directors.” Henry smiled broadly. Too broadly, Van felt. “Either the senior director or the managing director. It’s been several years since Director Desoll was here.”
“That’s true. It’s one of the reasons why I was brought on board. Director Desoll felt that he couldn’t cover an expanding operation as thoroughly as he would like.” Van returned the smile, then took the chair across from Henry without an invitation.
As he sat there, Van used his implant to access the IIS records. The direct key had been blocked, but all IIS officenets had been designed with three additional access points, available only through implants to either Trystin or Van. While Trystin had never mentioned it, it was clear enough to Van that the older man was much more than a former pilot, and that he had probably had extensive systems design training of some sort.
“How are matters going here?” Van asked casually, even as he reached into the files on the main clients, starting with AmalGS.
“It’s been difficult, ever since the Founder’s Day…incident.”
“I’d heard about that, but in what ways has it affected IIS and its clients?” Van was trying very hard to look pleasantly attentive, watch Henry, and search the files—all simultaneously.
“Rather hard to explain…,” Henry replied.
“I understand how complex things can get, but I’d appreciate your thoughts,” Van pressed. As he did, he reached the last entries in the AmalGS file. The multi had accepted a tender offer from DIS, a Taran holding company headquartered in New Oisin. Even at a glance, Van could tell that the financial details made no sense from an economic or a profit point of view. More important, the takeover had been accomplished without advance notice at a routine annual meeting, and that was illegal under Korkenny planetary law, as well as under Republic law. Or it had been.
“They have gotten very complex, Director…Albert…”
“I can appreciate that. How are your billables? And your retainers? They appeared somewhat down on the last semiannual report.”
“They will be down more.”
“Can you brief me on what is happening with AmalGS? I’d be interested in why you didn’t vote against the takeover by DIS? That would certainly dilute the earnings…and it appears as though the retainer arrangement has been repudiated.”
A faint sheen of perspiration had begun to coat Morgan Henry’s forehead.
“It’s not that simple. Or it is. We didn’t have a choice.”
“Perhaps we should meet with Managing Director Smythers, then, to discuss the matter.”
Henry shook his head. “He retired last month. Gerald Addams is the new managing director.”
Van nodded. “That would be satisfactory. Why don’t you arrange an appointment for us tomorrow morning?”
“I can arrange it for you, ser. I fear I could not make that. My daughter…she’s having some delicate medical procedures tomorrow.”
“Oh…I’m sorry to hear that. What sort of procedures, if I might ask?” pressed Van, if solicitously.
“There’s a brain lesion of some sort, very near the part of the cerebellum…very delicate.”
Van had his doubts, but didn’t want to walk in and call the local partner a liar in the first hour of meeting him. “I can see your concerns. If you’d like to arrange that for me…I’ll just wait here.”
“Ah…yes. I’ll see what Maura can do.”
After Henry left his office, Van concentrated on the other client files. He only had begun to study the file on Korkenny, Ltd., when Henry returned.
“Managing Director Addams will be most pleased to see you at ten o’clock, if that is convenient.”
“Excellent.” Van smiled. “Now…I’d appreciate your views on how the Founder’s Day incident affected Korkenny and IIS.” Van had decided not to force the client issues. Not yet. He’d read, if quickly, the files on AmalGS, and they made little sense. He had the feeling that neither would the others, not without an extensive examination, and he didn’t want to use strong-arm tactics on Henry until he knew more.
Henry settled into his chair, forcing a smile. “You know what happened?”
“Only that some extremists assassinated most of the Republic ministers.”
“All of them. They even destroyed the entire front of the Parliament in New Oisin. The new PM has already started reconstruction work. It may take years to restore it.”
“I understand. How did this affect Korkenny and IIS?”
“Prime Minister Eamon declared martial law. Then he froze all asset transfers outside the Republic until the Intelligence bureau could identify the sources of funding for the assassins. That, of course, stopped our transfers of retainers and commissions to IIS Cambria. The freeze was lifted two weeks ago on all planets except for Sulyn, and, of course, those to the Keltyr. We anticipate being able to make those transfers in the next week or so. We have to wait for others. Because IIS is majority foreign-owned, they could only make payments for direct services provided by the local office…”
Van nodded. He had the feeling that the last sentence was the most truthful, and that Henry was hiding more than he was revealing. “There wasn’t much news about the freeze of assets.”
“No, ser. It was part of the economic security regulations. The Ministry of Economic Security sent them to all multilaterals and financial institutions. The financial institutions had the responsibility for enforcement and for educating their customers…”
Van had never heard of a Ministry of Economic Security. It certainly hadn’t existed a year before. “Go on…What else?”
“We all had to certify compliance. Failure to comply was a class one felony…”
The more Van heard, the more uneasy he became. The next day was definitely going to be a trial.
Chapter 59
Van didn’t sleep that well, even in the luxury of the Watford Mark, but at least he didn’t have nightmares. That might have been because he dozed, hardly sleeping deeply enough to dream. He
