Maybe Ill put it under my pillow tonight. Right. Do you work around there? Just a question, Mason said. Chapter Six And now Im right in the middle of it, sink or swim. A minute later:Stone? Tom Young. Whats wrong over there? Ive been reading about that hit list thing in the papers. He made sure no one was tailing him, and then he reached the door of the Italian restaurant with the single green awning, situated precisely at midblock. It was too late for lunch, too early for dinner, and thus the timing was perfect for Devines visit. And youre basing this on what? he said. At eight oclock tonight. Some of the guys who aint got just shit, clabber or mud for brains are gonna be there. They dont like all this strike talk either. Hell, if it was gonna come to a strike, we’d go for compulsory arbitration first. That’s what Arch always said and I agree withhim. Nobody knows how a strike’s gonna turn out. For all you know it might bust the union and the first thing you know you’d be signing a yellow-dog contract to keep your job. You know, sign something where you’d agree to get out of the union if you’re in it or not join it if you’re not. He was coming undone. I hadnt heard that in him until just now. Big bad Showalter was starting to feel the pressure. He was beginning to realize that badge and gun could protect you only so far. Not too bad, the young man said. Freddie says that after they were there a week a special meeting of the Councils board of directors was called. This was right in the middle of negotiations with the city. Well, the first order of business was Freddie. A motion was made to fire him, it was seconded, there was no discussion, the vote was six to five, and Freddie was out of a job. After that they appointed a new executive director. He was a nobody, Freddie said, a rank and filer who knew as much about negotiating a contract as a hog does about a white shirt. I guess you remember how Freddie talks. Silver Camry, a couple years old. Wait here, Ill be right back. Sustained, Judge Sedgwick snapped. And were now adding tens of thousands of new users a day. We raised half a million in our Round A and five million in our B a year later. Im projecting a home run for a Round C, at five times that, at a great valuation. Next, we tack on some tasteful piggyback ads and banner bucks for peripheral revenue streams. With enough capital I can dominate my space. And then we execute different but compatible product silos under separate corporate entities, all under Hummingbirds umbrella brand, to provide a sort of dating-to-grave experience. You want to invest? It’s still relatively cheap. Last chance. Friends and family androommate discount. Mason twisted the paddle, turning the dog over in the water, forcing him to let go his hold. Eleven..