CHAPTER 225: The Amber Folder

 

In the days following Geoffrey Landgraab's death the mood at the company headquarters was not only solemn but filled with tension and anxiety as well.  It was a company where the right hand didn't know what the left hand often did, where rumours of various shady dealings percolated under the surface and that it was prudent to know who your friends were, and who was going to plunge a knife in your back.

Alice Ethington, a pert and efficient blonde girl whose instincts and insights belied her 22 years of age, was not immune to the tension of the office and she too felt that the axe could swing at her at any moment.  Her official role in the company was that of Personal Assistant to various heads of department but in reality she had always been the unofficial eyes and ears of Geoffrey and Nancy Landgraab.

Because of her youthful prettiness people tended to assume she was a sweet ingenue; yes, good at office tasks but few suspected that she was watching, listening and learning about the men who casually flirted with her and the women who would include her in their gossip circles.  Alice had always been this good at watching and listening all her life and she knew when to shut up around those who were more outgoing and influential.

For now she kept her head down and finished off a report she had started compiling last month when she was assigned to some internal security work.  Mrs Landgraab suspected someone in the company was passing secrets to rivals or the press; Alice wasn't told exactly which, but she was told to keep an eye out for anyone acting suspiciously and to go through the files of suspects to see if there was anything amiss.  

It seemed a little futile now; it turned out the informant was Jeremy Saint and he had left the company after turning evidence over to the police, but her report still had to be completed and handed in to Mrs Landgraab.  Alice, ever dutiful and efficient, complied without comment.

Her concentration was interrupted by the arrival of a colleague in her workspace.

"Hi Alice....I say, you look really nice today; that shade of blue suits you." said a young, fairly good looking man who looked nerdy with his heavy horned rimmed glasses and beige cardigan worn over a button down shirt.

"Thank you, Karl." Alice replied, noticing his awkward way of trying to flirt with her.  "Is there anything I can help you with?" she said with a pleasant smile; this seemed to make Karl feel self-conscious.

"It's not me...erm, I mean I'm here on an errand...from the boss." he stammered.

"The boss?  Mrs Landgraab?" asked Alice.

"No...the new boss:  Mister Landgraab:  Malcolm III"

"Oh him...Karl, the office shorthand for Mr Malcolm Landgraab III is 'Big Mal'.  He doesn't mind it."  Alice said as she took the sheaf of paper from her typewriter and put it in a folder on her desk.  Then she stood up.

"Did Big Mal say what he wanted to see me about?" she said as she walked over to Karl.  The young man caught a whiff of her perfume and almost lost his bearings from being intoxicated by her essence.

"Erm...nothing specific, but he asked for you, by name and said it was a matter of some importance."

"A matter of some importance?  It sounds vague enough to be either something trivial...or of dire consequence.  Which would you place a bet on, Karl?" she said with an impish grin.

"I...don't bet, Alice" he meekly replied.

"No...I don't suppose you do" she said looking him up and down before heading off to find Big Mal.

It didn't take her long because he was standing in the corridor right outside of her office.  Moreover, he knew immediately who she was.

"Miss Ethington..." he said, more as a definitive statement than a question.

"Yes, sir?" she replied.

"I hear that you're a young lady who can be trusted...implicitly."  

"Well, sir, that's kind of people to think so..."

"Cut the false modesty" he said, curtly, taking a note of the short hemline of her dress.  She can't be too modest wearing an outfit like that, he thought.

"I need to talk to you about a new assignment; one that requires discretion.  Now let's adjourn to the boardroom and I'll explain what I mean..." said Big Mal, jerking his head towards a door that led to the hallowed ground that was the Landgraab Corporation boardroom.

"Take a seat, Miss Ethington" said Mal as he shut the door to the room shut.  She demurely sat down at the table and Mal sat a couple of seats away from her.

"Miss Ethington, on top of your regular company duties you were recently appointed by my daughter to oversea a departmental security check."

"Yes sir"

"The department you were responsible contained the whistleblower, Jeremy Saint" Mal added, solemnly.  

Alice's head dropped.  "I'm sorry, Sir, I should have been more thorough."

"Perhaps.  I wouldn't be so hard on yourself.  What made you give Saint clearance?"

"He was deemed least likely to be a security risk as he had been sent downstairs for 'treatment' in the machine.  I felt that his two colleagues; Fanshawe and Lew were higher risk propositions."

"A reasonable assumption.  For people of your generation trust in machinery is more commonplace than for people of mine.  I never liked the machine downstairs.  I will have it dismantled and we will return to more traditional methods of influence."

"Yes sir"

"But don't concern yourself with that right now.  I have another mission for you."

Alice said nothing.

"What do you know of Edna Sneedley and the League of Decency?" Mal asked.

"It's a moral majority, anti-permissive society organisation, sir.  It's headed by George and Edna Sneedley, a couple of who live in Oasis Springs.  He's the head chef at the Radishon Hotel and she is a housewife who has recently declared an intention to run in this fall's local city council elections.  The League have 5 members and their most high profile exploit was an anti-Communist protest on the Britechester University campus.  The Landgraab Corporation donate to their campaign funds.  Not much, less than the secretarial pool petty cash fund."

"What's our interest in supporting them?" Mal asked.

"It was seen by the late Mr Landgraab that they could be useful in attempts to break the city council stranglehold of Victor and Lily Feng"

Mal didn't instantly reply but instead let out a hum whilst nodding his head.  "Could Edna Sneedley compromise this company?" he asked.

"I'm not sure.  Her politics are definitely ultra-conservative but we fund them via a system of donations that keeps the Landgraab Corporation hidden from the accounts."

"Very good.  You know so much without having to refer to notes, Miss Ethington.  I like that, I like that a lot.  Miss Ethington...Alice...I'm instigating a new directive for you.  Back when I ran the company full time I had everyone associated with it categorised in one of three folders:  Green, Amber and Red.  Green is for those who I do not see as a threat.  Amber is for those who are under suspicion but no immediate action will be taken.  Red is for those who prove to be a threat to the company and my family and who will be targeted with retribution in some form.  Do you understand me, Alice?"

Alice gulped nervously.  "I do, sir"

"For example, you are in the green folder"

"Thank you sir" she said with relief. 

"And Mr Saint will go in the red folder.  I wish for Edna Sneedley to go in the Amber folder."

"What about her husband, George?"

"No need to give him a designation.  He seems to be a harmless and ineffectual sidekick for his wife.  He knows little of our activities.  But I want to see how things with Mrs Sneedley develop."

"I understand, sir"

"I'm glad you do" he replied, suddenly standing up.  "I won't keep you any longer, Alice" she took the cue and stood up to leave as well.  Back in the corridor she paused to speak with him one more time.

"I will get on to this, sir, and thank you for placing trust in me" she said.

"You're welcome.  Don't let the company down, don't let me down" he replied.

"I won't, sir" she said, before she headed back to her office.

I know you won't.  You know the consequences if you do. Thought Mal.

CHAPTER 224: What Now For Beulah Boutee?

On the surface, it was just a regular day in Oasis Springs.  Children were off to school, teenagers and young people on their way to college.  The postman was delivering mail and all was as it was supposed to be.  But that was on the surface; beneath there were people with secrets and desires...

One such person was George Sneedley who was currently dancing around as his alter-ego; either Georgina or Beulah.  It had been a difficult couple of weeks for George:  Geoffrey Landgraab's fall from grace, subsequent mental breakdown and eventual death just hours after George had seen him, had hit him harder than he had admitted to his work colleagues and wife.  Geoffrey, in a manic state, visited Sneedley Burrow in order to find Beulah and found George in drag instead.  He wanted to elope with Beulah but George, reluctantly, had to admit to Geoffrey that he wasn't the woman he thought he was but was instead a man, and a man who had no intention of running off with Geoffrey Landgraab.

Geoffrey was the only person in the world who knew that George was a transvestite and now that secret had gone to his grave...or had it?  George wondered if Geoffrey had told anyone else...but it had been two weeks now and no one had come to George to say that they knew.  Maybe his secret was still safe...

Yesterday George bought a woman's exercise leotard on an impulse.  He hadn't planned to stop by Pack's Boutique and look at women's clothes but he found himself drawn to the shop and felt compelled to go in, and once there his curiosity had been aroused by the leotard with its figure hugging stretchiness.  On his first visit to Pack's he had had a panic attack; partially from sensory overload of seeing so many colourful and fashionable women's outfits that he, deep down, wanted to try on but also from this struggle within himself between the traditionalist who favoured modest, classically tailored women's clothing and a stirring within him to embrace the new fashions of 1966.  As Beulah he had spent a lot of time in the company of Nancy Landgraab and she was extolling the virtues of shorter hemlines, bright colours in man-made fabrics, heavier eye make-up and pantyhose over stockings.  Some of Nancy's influence was starting to affect George...or rather Georgina's...ideas on style.  In his new skin tight exercise outfit, he was enjoying dancing around.

After an hour of prancing and dancing about he changed into his favourite pink satin dress and read some cookbooks in order to learn more recipes for his work.  Once more he felt sensual and feminine in this outfit.

Then he went for a walk down the road.  He was confident now he could pass for a woman because no one batted an eyelid and no one looked at him strangely.  He was accepted as another passer-by and he loved the experience of venturing out in public dressed as a woman.

He sat down on a bench by the communal garden at the end of Bedrock Straight and just enjoyed the peace and fine weather.  Then he got to thinking about where to go with his cross-dressing.  When he had that confrontation with Geoffrey and heard about his death his first instinct was to gather up all his outfits, make up and wigs and throw them in the trash, but his desire to cross-dress was too strong to abandon.  However, Beulah was a creation on the fly when Geoffrey encountered him and it was Beulah, not his original feminine alter-ego; Georgina, that had dominated.  If a police investigation was being very thorough then they might want to question Beulah...so George resolved that it would be Beulah who would go in the trash and not 'Georgina'.

Beulah Boutee was no more.  The fake Southern Belle routine would be ditched along with some things that made her distinctive.  George then decided on how to make-over Georgina to distance herself from Beulah.  A change of hair colour?  A different style approach?  Maybe work more on losing weight to appear more svelte or else resort to using an old fashioned corset to give the appearance of a figure?  All things to consider going forwards.

George went home and took a look in the mirror, silently saying goodbye to Beulah.  It was fun for a while but she was also partly a construction of Geoffrey Landgraab, whose attention and devotion to the character pushed George into creating her.  As Geoffrey was no longer with the world, Beulah would be metaphorically buried with him.

Reverting back to George just before he had to go to work, he looked to the future not with worry but with excitement.  What would the new Georgina be like?

Meanwhile the campaign trail had been productive and the donations were starting to trickle in to the Sneedley For District Representative campaign so Edna decided to head to her favourite drinking spot and celebrate in a small way with a few drinks.

Edna noticed a man sitting next to her; an older gentleman with very bright and clear blue eyes who had an air of relaxed confidence about him as he sat at the bar dressed as if he was going to play golf.  She had never met this man before but recognised him from newspapers, television and his own portrait which was prominently displayed at Affluista Mansion; home of the Landgraabs.

"Excuse me, sir, but would I be addressing Mr Malcolm Landgraab III by any chance?" she said.

"That's me...who's asking?" he said, calmly.

"Mrs Edna Sneedley; I am an acquaintance of your family.  May I offer my sincere condolences over Geoffrey's untimely death.  He was a great benefactor, ally and...dare I say it...friend to myself and my husband, George."

"Thank you, Mrs Sneedley"

"Call me Edna"

"Alright, Edna.  You said Geoffrey was a benefactor and ally:  For what?"

"Oh I organise a charitable organisation called The League of Decency.  Your late son-in-law and his wife, Nancy, were great supporters in our quest to improve society by opposing loucheness, immorality and sexual impropriety."

"My Nancy has supported that?" said Mal, with a wry smile.  "I'm sure she has donated handsomely, I mean."

"Yes, a wonderful woman...an example to us all.  I know you have a lot on your plate to deal with, Mr Landgraab, but I would very much like it if the Landgraab Foundation were to continue supporting our cause."

"I will go over your file when I get to the office and review the company arrangement with you.  As you may gather, I have a lot of other business to attend to at the moment"

"Mr Landgraab, sir...you are due to tee off at 3:30pm" said a man in a pale grey suit who wore a matching peaked cap.

"Thank you, Leonard.  Mrs Sneedley, I must go now but I will look over your file when I'm in the office.  Goodbye and thank you for your message of condolence." With that, Mal Landgraab stood up and followed his chauffer to the waiting limousine parked downstairs.

Edna was pleased she had got to meet no less a person than Malcolm Landraab III and that she could get him to secure more funding and support for the League of Decency.  Meanwhile, she ordered another drink from the bar and proceeded to canvass the other patrons of the Solar Flare Lounge for their political support.

"I dunno, lady...I'm not really political..." said a young man who gave his name as Gunther Munch.  

"I understand, I wasn't political myself until recently but do you know that crime is on the way up in our fair city?  And also drug use?  These are the ills of the permissive society..." said Edna.

"I think my brother has had plenty of the permissive society...I've been missing out..." replied the forlorn looking Gunther.

Edna's conversation was abruptly stopped when she overheard two familiar, but unwelcome voices from behind her.

"So, Suzy, you're the toast of the town following your Landgraab expose.  How are you going to follow that one up?"

"Well, Penny, I could go back to fashion journalism; there's some really exciting fall trends I've had a sneak preview of, but believe me the Landgraabs are only the first of the big families in Sim City which are concealing secrets..."

"Ugh...Suzy Kent and Penny Pizazz; two of my least favourite people in this town.  My advice, Gunther is to stay clear of loose women like that!"

"We can hear you, Edna" said Suzy.

"You were meant to" replied a haughty Edna in response.
 

"Your slurs have no effect on me, just so you know"

"Well I think it's disgraceful that you should print that scurrilous hit piece on a fine man; Geoffrey Landgraab, God rest his soul!"

"Everything in that article can be verified and, besides, Geoffrey's death has nothing to do with me but more with the corruption of his family."

"Tsk!  Shocking gossip and malicious slander!" said Edna, taken aback.

"You have no idea what's going on in this town, Edna, no idea!" said, Suzy who was standing her ground.

"This, Gunther...this is what I have to deal with!  Vote Edna Sneedley for City Council on September 7th!"

CHAPTER 216: Big Mal (Downfall part 4)

 

"Thank you, Leonard, you can drop me off here"

"Would you like me to wait for you, sir?"

"No.  I'm staying here for a while.  You can go home now, thank you and here's a little bonus for you" the old man sat in the back of the Cadillac limousine reached in to his jacket pocket and pulled out a wallet.  He handed the chauffer a $20 bill.

"Thank you, Mr Landgraab"

The old man, whose full name was Malcolm Landgraab III, stepped out of the car and watched the limo drive off before he strode purposefully towards Affluista Mansion.  Once it had been his home and now he had business there...

"Mom, a big limo just pulled up outside our house...who is it?" said Malcolm Landgraab IV.

"It's your grandfather" replied Nancy.

"Oh...this is going to be...interesting" the youth replied.

Nancy went dowstairs to answer the door, Malcolm Sr did not look happy.

"Daddy!" she said, enthusiastically.

"Nancy..." he said, walking straight past her and in to the mansion.  "I find myself being dragged from my retirement in Sulani to deal with this mess you've found yourselves in.  Where's Geoffrey and the boys?"

"Geoffrey's at the company building and Malcolm's here" she replied.

"And Jonathan?" asked Mal.  Nancy looked downwards and said nothing.

"Oh, we still don't talk about Jonathan, is that it?" said Mal, gruffly.  "Fetch Young Malcolm, here, what I have to say affects him."

Young Malcolm was not far away and heard everything his grandfather had said.  He took two steps to make his presence known.

"Grandpapa" he said, in a flat tone.

"Drug dealing, eh?" said Mal.  "Is that your 'independent business' is it?"

"I applied the lessons of business that you taught me, Grandpapa:  See a market, exploit a demand..."

"You forgot lesson number 3:  Don't get caught" said Mal.  "Who is this Suzy Kent?"

"A muck-raking journalist..."

"They're all muck-raking, boy.  Is there some personal connection between you and her that's gone sour?"

"What?  No!  I've met her twice in person but she's one of those moralistic busy-bodies, thinks she's clever and oh-so moralistic.  I can have her dealt with, Grandpapa."

"Like you dealt with your former business colleague?  I know what you've been up to; I have my spies in the company who keep me informed.  You've outsourced your problem solving to Them, haven't you?"

"They have methods we don't..." Malcolm began to explain but Mal cut him off.

"I know that!  I've dealt with them long enough but you always keep them at arms distance!  I never let them get inside my head...please tell me you haven't let them inside your mind!"

"No!" Malcolm said, lying to his grandfather.  He thought the old man just didn't understand how powerful he could be with the Visitors' help.  Malcolm had seen what he could do with his followers that day at the Orchid A-Go-Go club when he got them to stare down Suzy Kent or Humphries or whatever that witch was called now.  

"Good to hear...you NEVER let them inside there.  You must maintain the power dynamic with them:  They need us, need our resources and can't save themselves without our help so you don't let them gain advantage over you.  I think you turning to them for help in dealing with your problems risks inverting that dynamic, young Malcolm.  Your father shares the same weakness, unfortunately..."

"They can be very persuasive, Daddy.  You've not seen things from where we're standing right now but they've become...more demanding of late." said Nancy.

Mal didn't directly respond to what Nancy said.  He looked between his daughter and grandson and then spoke.  "One thing remains unanswered:  How did this Suzy Kent know about our activities and family history?"

"She obviously bribed or cajoled my former business associate, Madelyn Buchanan...backstabbing bitch that she is!" exclaimed Malcolm.

"That Buchanan woman only knows about your drug dealing, Malcolm.  Did either of you two bother to read Kent's article?" asked Mal.  Nancy shook her head.

"Why would I waste my time reading that nonsense?" said Malcolm, contemptuously.  

"Because it's very revealing, boy!" snapped Mal.  "She mentions Dirk Landgraab starting the company, our family history and makes reference to my father and where he found his wealth!  No one outside of this family knows about these things so where did she find this out from?  Hmm?  Any guesses....apparently not."

"Let's bring her in and use the machine on her, Grandpapa"

"I agree with Malcolm; we can break her will in a few hours" added Nancy.

"This family is facing massive fraud allegations and two murder enquiries and you want to add kidnapping to the list.  YOU TWO ARE NOT THINKING!" Mal bellowed.  He took a moment to calm down whilst the others stood by, not saying a word.

"Right.  This is not a time to double down on what has got us to this point" Mal started to explain.  "We need to consolidate, close ranks and not pour gas on the fire.  This Kent woman can wait for now.  What do we know of your whistleblower, Jeremy Saint?"

"He's middle management, we thought we could trust him...he underwent security checks and we had him subjected to the machine for treatment." said Nancy.

"And why would you do that if you trusted him, eh?  Why brainwash someone who's already on your side...unless?" said Mal.

"Well...because...we had to groom him for our purposes, Daddy." 

"But you said you trusted him..."

"Eventually.  But...but..."

"He's friends with Suzy Kent, Grandpapa" interjected Malcolm.

"Well, well, well, he's friends with Suzy Kent.  And you let this man rise through the company ranks, knowing who his close associates are."

"But we used the machine on him to make him hate her and another friend of his:  Detective John Action."

"Clearly that didn't work otherwise HE WOULDN'T HAVE TURNED OVER OUR COMPANY SECRETS TO THAT SAME DETECTIVE ACTION!" Mal yelled.  "Incompetence!  You should have had Saint monitored at all times!  The machine can only break a person's will for so long...we haven't figured out how to make the brainwashing permanent yet.  Was this all your idea, Nancy?"

"No...it was...it was..."  she began to speak but found it difficult to say the words.

"I can guess...it was Geoffrey's idea." said Mal.  "Leave us, Malcolm, your mother and I have to have a discussion in private."

"Mom...I'm so sorry about my role in this but I can explain!"

"Later, perhaps, son.  You leave your grandfather and I to talk."

"Is the upstairs lounge still there or have you converted it into something else?" Mal asked Nancy.

"It's still much the same as the last time you were here" she replied.

"Good." said Mal, heading straight upstairs.  Nancy followed him.

As soon as he had reached the top of the stairs, to the only room on the third floor, he sat down in one of the lounge chairs.  Nancy felt anxious about what her father wanted to say to her and, in a defensive action, went and stood by the easel where she had begun a figure painting only the day before.  She couldn't sit down with all the nervous tension she felt.

"You're looking well, Nancy.  Very well.  You've kept yourself in good shape, I can see you maintain your looks and it hasn't escaped my notice that you've had some 'enhancements' as well."

"Thank you...Daddy" said Nancy, nervously.

"Geoffrey looks tired by comparison.  Based on what I see of him in the news." continued Mal.

"He has a lot to deal with"

"Yes, I'm sure he does.  Are you still committed to one another or do you find yourself heading in different directions?" 

"Father!  Everything's...fine" said Nancy, shocked.  She didn't mention her growing suspicion that Geoffrey was infatuated with their cleaning lady.

"I want to see how the land lies around here" said Mal.  "You see, there will be some changes soon..."

"Changes?"

"I'm afraid, Nancy, that we can't just ride out the crisis out this time.  Too much information has been leaked now and not even our army of extremely well paid lawyers can make it all go away."

"But they'll mitigate the damage, certainly" said Nancy.  "The police and press don't know even a fraction of what we do.  My side of the company is still functioning well and hasn't been implicated."

Mal shook his head.  "What is needed is a scalp to throw at the authorities.  We need a fall guy..." he said.

"We've got a couple lined up; middle manager types who have done some 'delicate' work for us in the past and who will we will compensate handsomely..." replied Nancy.

"No.  That won't do." said Mal, coldly.  "It's an election year in the city, the D.A. is desperate to get a win in a big case to help his gubernatorial chances.  The press won't settle for a middle manager being thrown to the wolves either.  Someone higher up needs to take the fall.  Someone with the Landgraab name..."

Nancy went pale and started to feel nervous.  "Not Malcolm!  Not my boy!"

"What young Malcolm needs is firmer guidance and coaching.  One day the company and all that's in it will be his.  He is the future." said Mal.  "You are the present.  Geoffrey is the past."

"You mean one of us must go on trial..." said Nancy, gulping.

"Geoffrey must" said Mal, blankly.  "It was on his watch that all of this has happened.  He made serious errors of judgement.  You have always been headstrong and impetuous, my dear, so I hold you to a different standard.  Geoffrey has been logical, methodical and calculating over the years but his touch has deserted him recently.  Can you not see that?"

"He has let things slide...father, I believe Geoffrey might be having an affair with one of our staff"

"That wouldn't surprise me.  It's common with the modern executive with all their reliance on gadgets, secretarial pools and opportunities to stray more than in my heyday.  I have thought about this hard, Nancy, and I don't want to have to do this but I feel I must for the sake of everyone else."

"What will happen to the rest of us?" asked Nancy, with trepidation.

"You will be kept out of this and continue to help run the company.  I will come out of retirement to act as interim CEO and Malcolm will be kept on a shorter leash but will be gradually given more responsibility and put on the correct path.  And we must come to an accommodation with Jonathan..."

"No, father!  He is not part of this family anymore!  He will not take one step into this house!" said Nancy, defiantly.

"I don't know what happened between you and him but he's going to be put under immense pressure by our enemies and the press to spill the beans about our family and as things stand he has no incentive to be kind to us!  I will figure something out with him"

"You don't know what he did!" declared Nancy with venom in her voice.

"Whatever it was it's nowhere near as bad as the situation we find ourselves in now!"

"That is my plan, Nancy, and we will stick to it.  As for Geoffrey, I will make sure to mitigate the trouble he will go through."

At that moment Malcolm had appeared at the top of the stairs.  "Grandpapa" he said "there's a Visitor at the door."

"Tell them to go away" replied Mal.

"No...I mean a Visitor."

Mal realised what young Malcolm was referring to and he nodded and said "I'll be right down"

When he got to the front door he found a solemn looking young man lurking out the front of the house and Mal figured this was the Visitor in question so he approached him.

The young man spoke first.  "What we have heard concerns us greatly, Malcolm Landgraab the Third"

"Ugh, why can't you people ever use contractions?  Call me Mal Landgraab so you don't confuse me with my grandson...and to save time as well."

"You have returned from your retirement, Mal Landgraab, we are troubled by what we have observed in the newspapers."

"I'm here to sort the matter out so you have no need to worry"

"But we do worry, Mal Landgraab.  We have an arrangement."

"My arrangement with you was made through John, I shall speak with him"

"John Tom O'Connor has returned home, Luke Kendall is now in charge.  My name is James Sprague and I act as liaison"

"Well, you go and tell Luke that I have things firmly in hand.  Oh, and in future, under no circumstances are you to involve my grandson in your schemes."

"He came to us, Mal Landgraab."

"Nevertheless, if he tries to contact you again, say no to him.  And then refer the matter to me.  Do you understand?"

"I understand, Mal Landgraab"

With that bit of business done, Mal returned to the mansion.  Now the next pressing bit of business was to wait until Geoffrey came home.

Geoffrey arrived in the early evening, exhausted.  He found Malcolm doing his homework in the kitchen.  Usually when he arrived home his son would greet him with a shrug or indifference as he had his head buried in either homework or some personal project of his own.  This time Geoffrey found Malcolm to be more attentive when he entered the room.

"Hi Dad...we have a guest with us." said Malcolm.

"Oh yes, who?"

"Grandpapa"

That news wasn't warmly received by Geoffrey, although he did his best to hide it.  If Big Mal was here, it must be serious and Geoffrey knew why:  News of the scandal had reached Sulani already.

"Where is he right now?" asked Geoffrey.

"I'm here, Geoffrey my boy" came Mal's voice as he entered the kitchen.  "Geoffrey, good to see you.  How are you bearing up?"

"As well as can be expected.  How much do you know?" asked Geoffrey.

"Virtually all of it."

"OK then, well at the moment I'm trying to keep a lid on things the best I can" said Geoffrey.

"Isn't it a bit late for that?" said Mal, knowingly.

"What do you mean?" asked Geoffrey, suspiciously.

"Sit down, Geoff..." said Mal, motioning Geoffrey to one of the dining chairs.

"I'm not going to sugar coat this..."

"That's not your style, Mal"

"For sure.  It's like this, Geoff.  This is the biggest challenge this company has ever faced since the Civil War.  Things got ugly back then with Congressional hearings, threats of indictments and the company being ruined over war profiteering.  I needn't bore you with the details, you know the family history.  We're in those times again even though the charges levelled against the company...and the family...are different."

"We just have to ride it out, Mal.  I've got top men...top men...in the legal department..."

"You don't have to tell me, I hired half of them in the first place.  Now listen here, Geoff, you've done a lot of good work here since I retired.  For many years before that you were my right hand man..."

"I thought you didn't want to sugar coat things..."

"I'm just stating a fact.  You were groomed as a young man to be in the inner circle of this family; I know it was hard growing up without much whilst your cousins were living in mansions, I get it.  You had ambition and I saw the potential in you.  And you've done well in keeping Nancy in line whenever she gets impulsive and threatens to wreck everything through her greed.  But you've lost your touch in the last couple of years.  No, let me finish.  Jonathan gets banished, Malcolm indulges in crimes far beneath his station in life, Nancy is once again making decisions based on pure emotion and not sense and you're turning increasingly towards the Visitors for help.  And I know about you and the cleaning lady"

"What?  I've not cheated on Nancy with her!  Honest, Mal!"

"Maybe not yet but it's on your mind.  I know also that Nancy's been going to fancy events without you.  But bigger than all that is the witch hunt that is forming amongst our enemies and I can tell you let things slide, which has led to the current mess.  You let a fashion journalist, a negro cop, a mild mannered functionary and a home brewing drug dealer who works for a pornographer get the better of you.  Stop me if I say anything that isn't true, by the way."

Geoffrey said nothing.

"I've come up with a plan that will save the company and protect the family.  I will not see Nancy and Malcolm out on the streets in poverty or being humiliated."

"But as for me..."

"As for you, someone has to take the fall.  There's no other way.  It has to be someone prominent and close to the top, if not the top.  It has to be you"

"What's your plan for me?  I get arrested and go to prison for the rest of my life?"

Mal shook his head.  "Not the rest of your life.  Plead guilty to the fraud, blame the murder attempts on some fictitious flunky who doesn't exist but who we'll say has fled the country and Malcolm does community service for his part in the drug dealing.  As you said, you have top lawyers:  We can get that sentence down from life to 20, I'll make sure you are sent to an open prison and you'll be out in 7 to 10 with a very handsome renumeration for your loyalty and dedication to the family."

"That's it?  That's the deal?" exclaimed Geoffrey.  "I'm paying for the mistakes of others here!"

"Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, Geoffrey.  You nearly cost us the kingdom:  In less enlightened times they'd cut your head off for treason.  You're lucky:  Take the hit, bide your time and you'll be out to enjoy retirement."