Outstanding Subject
Part 8

Vero


It was over nine o'clock when Sam calmed down enough. He sat down while his mind sifted the events of the last two days; he looked at his hand, bandaged carefully by Cathy, sighed, looked at his watch and was surprised by how late it was.

He went to the restroom and looked in the mirror; his eyes were like an air vision of a torrent of lava running onto swamp. The only reason the bags under his eyes they didn't meet with corners of his mouth was because he didn't smile. A thread of water poured out for the tap, and he collected a little of it with his healthy hand and he splashed on his face. Then he returned to his office. In the corridor, he met Toby

-Hey Sam! What are you doing here?

Sam was tired of Toby giving a hard time, and how he had made fun of him the previous morning, he was tired of the pressure, tired of this whole situation. And he was not in the mood to try with Toby again. Sam entered to his office and threw himself in the chair behind the desk.

-Is it okays if I stay here gruffly and unsociably for fifteen more minutes?

-Ten minutes, - Toby told him - then we will go in search of a doctor to look at your hand and inject your ass with the tetanus vaccine.

Toby walked toward Sam,'has he been crying? Sam was not of the type of people who cry. ..but , those eyes...'

Sam took of the penholder his pen. Played with his Mont Blanc , rolling it from one side to another between his thumb and index finger. He felt stupid, infantile, and was at the point of exploding..

-When I learned about the ROGELIA, - Sam began - in some way I felt guilty. I helped build the structure of the deal. In the same way that I did with any other asset acquisition. I said they that should creates a separate corporation for each one of the oil tankers and then mortgage the boats - Sam spoke in calm tone ,without taking his eyes off the Mont Blanc.

-Sam?

-No Toby let me continue.. I tried to persuade them to, instead of buying these ships, buy other ships, better ships. That was my idea, Toby! - Sam began to raise his voice - If they paid 11 million extra dollars, this would not have happened. If they have lost before this happened, if they has only spent 11 million extra dollars on better boat... - Sam rose and walked to the window - I believed maybe they wanted to buy safer boats, but we never gave them the option...I was so stupid - he murmured. Then he returned to his desk and picked up the file on the damages caused at the Peninsula of Valdez

Toby, seeing that Sam was discharged his frustration and anger, didn't want to intervene, not yet. He knew that Sam had not yet finished.

-I listed cases of accidents such as The Amoco Cadiz, The Braer, The Exxon Valdez, The Aegean, and The Ago Merchant. - He looked at the file that he had in his hands -. I reminded those cretins of Loch telling me "we're not indifferent to the concerns of the environmentalists" I would like him to say it to my face now! Those damages are incalculable, but they wanted these ships, that were as little as they've ever paid for a fleet. Well, here is a reason why it didn't cost a lot of money! - He exploited, throwing the file violently on his desk. - They thought only in covered liability.

Sam paced his office, like a lion in small cage.

- But I tell they there's a broader liability to think about. People drove past Exxon Stations after the Valdez. I suggested there's a Suez tanker ready to launch in the Koje Island shipyard in Korea. Chevron just dropped the option, and it's sitting there in its cradle. I believed they're really going to thank us for my suggestion.

Sam rubbed his forehead and eyes with his fingers while he calmed down a little.

- I would like to know the PR firm of Cameron and Loch would deal with this problem now. I fulfilled my duty as lawyer, Toby, in spite of what Ashley says. I clarified the points that I believed were needed for them to know. - Sam smiled - I think in Enrique VI "As first measure, let us kill all the lawyers" I believe that he had a reason.... ,

-Look Sam, nobody acquires a professional career without losing some. That is never pleasant but it isn't the end of the world.

-Toby, if the body that is in the morgue confirms to be Arthur Grutt, I believe that I will be in so much shit that maybe I will never get out.

-Do you know the story of the two siblings, the optimist and the pessimist?

-You're telling me stories like I'm Seth Gillette.

Toby did not register the cynical comment.

-One of the brothers is the boy happy with the world. The other one, sad. Their parents are desperate. They want the little optimist to understand reality, and want to make the little pessimist happy. A psychiatrist suggests to put each kid in their own room, the pessimist with all the toys that he ever wanted to have in all his life, and the optimist with ten tons of horse manure. To teach each one that the things are never as bad neither so good as they believe. The parents do. After five hours, they see their children. The pessimist is crying. When their parents ask him why, he tells them that he has played with all the toys and he's bored. In the other room, the optimist is singing at the top of his voice, digging in the manure as fast that he can. The parents ask him why he's content, and he responds them "with so much shit, I should have a little pony in here somewhere." -

-That means that you will help me? - Sam asked surprised

- What are friends for?

Sam agreed pensively.

-Sam, goes back to your place and relax a little. I need you tomorrow in good mood to work on the ROGELIA case. Your concerns are worthy; they are many questions about that catastrophe. Unless something more solid arises to add to your theory of conspiracy, our priority is to see that this doesn't happen again. Takes your things and we will go to get you that vaccine.

part 9

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