raise. Ask him – no, tell him – that you expect a salary equal to that drawing
account he was proposing to siphon out of the business.’
Briney looked startled, then laughed. `He’ll have a stroke.’
‘Perhaps, perhaps not. But he is certain to be angry. Count on that and be braced
for it. Don’t let him get you even the least bit angry. Just tell him calmly that
fair is fair. For the last two years you have been doing all the hard and dirty
work. If the business can afford to pay Mr Fones that big a drawing account for not
working at all, it can certainly pay you the same amount for working very hard
indeed. True?’
‘Well… yes. Mr Fones won’t like it.’
`I don’t expect him to like it. He’s trying to hornswoggle you; he’s certain not to
like it when the same swindle is offered to him. Briney, that’s a touchstone for a
fair deal that my father taught me: does it feel like a fair deal if it’s turned the
other way round, mirror image? Point this out to him.’
`All right. When he comes down off the ceiling. Mo, he won’t pay me that much.
Wouldn’t it be better for me to resign?’
‘Truly, Briney, I don’t think so. If you simply quit, he will make loud squawks
about your disloyalty – how he took you on as a youngster with no experience and
taught you the trade -‘
‘There’s some truth in that. Before he hired me, I had had practical experience
underground in lead and zinc and in coal through working summers while I was going
to school. But no experience with precious metals, just book learning. So I’ve
learned quite a lot while working for him.’
‘Which is why you must not resign instead you are simply asking to be paid what you
are worth. What the proposition he offered you shouts aloud that you are worth. Fair
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is fair. He can go ahead and retire, and pay you that amount to run the business,
while he enjoys the net profit himself.’
`He’ll give birth to a porcupine. Breech presentation.’
`No, he’ll fire you. Oh, he may possibly offer you a counterproposal; it may take a
while. But he will fire you. Briney, would it suit you to stop on your way home at
Wyandotte Office Supply and buy a second-hand Oliver typewriter? Pretty please? No,
best to rent one for a month with privilege of applying rent on purchase; I should
try it out before we tie up so much money. In the meantime we’ll design some
stationery. “Brian Smith Associates”, I think. Mining Consultants. No, Business
Consultants. Mining Properties. Farms and Ranches. Mineral Rights. Petroleum Rights.
Water Rights.’
`Hey, I don’t know all those things’
`You will.’ I patted my tummy. ‘three months from now this little boiled pig will
ring the cash register for us.’ I thought about the double eagle Father had slipped
into my purse on our wedding day. I had never spent it; I was fairly sure Briney did
not know that I had it. Father’s formal wedding present to us had been a cheque that
had gone into furniture for that little crackerbox we had first lived in. `Dear, I
guarantee to keep us fed until you can report this baby to judge Sperling. Then the
Foundation’s payment for this baby ought to keep us going for a while… and you and
I can try to ring the cash register a fifth time before the cash from number four
runs out’
I went on, ‘If the business isn’t making money by then, it might be time for you to
look for a job. But I’m betting that from now on you will always be your own boss…
and that we will wind up rich. I have confidence in you, sir. That’s why I married
you.’
‘Really? I thought there was another reason. That wee bit of proud flesh:
‘There’s that, I admit. A contributing factor. But don’t change the subject. You’ve
given Mr Fones more than six hard-working years – much of your time away from home –