“Sounds like Dr. Mogshack wanted to shut out the world an itsy bit too much,” Diablo said judiciously as the screen reverted to the monstrous concrete bastion of the entire hospital. “Rumor says.”
And Mogshack with a Gottschalk Blazer in his hand covering the door of his office while Ariadne Spoelstra attempted to enter; firing, turning the door into smolderash; Reedeth tackling Ariadne like a football lineand bringing her down a fraction of a second before the fan-shaped beam would have seared her in half.
“There’s that old bit about the physicians healing themselves,” Diablo said. “I predict a massive state inof the Ginsberg Hospital’s operation for the past several years-”
The comweb buzzed, and Flamen shouted at it to refuse the call. But the command was overridden, and in the screen appeared the bland face of Eugene Voigt. Seeing him, Flamen changed his mind instantly and shut down the sound on the vuset instead. He blurted, “Mr. Voigt, what in hell is going on at Holocosmic?”
“It would be more appropriate to inquire what is going on in the Gottschalk cartel,” Voigt purred under the drooping screen of his walrus moustache. “I trust you’ll be able to counteract the instructions you’ve presumably given for the discontinuance of your operations?”
“Yes, of course-I haven’t done anything irrevocable, on the slim chance of being able to find work elsewhere. You fixed this reversal of the decision?”
“Not precisely,” Voigt murmured. “But as you may or may not know, the order to buy out the majority holding in Holocosmic originated at a new and ultra-advanced data-processing center in Nevada, on which we have been keeping careful tabs since Mr. Anthony Gottschalk placed the contracts for it, and upon our discovering that a major malfunction was likely to develop we-ah-took steps to render repairs unusually difficult To be exact, we made certain that virtually the entire skilled maintenance staff of IBM was reserved for a PCC conand it worked very nicely. I’ve just been notified by Mr. Marcantonio Gottschalk himself that the purchase of Holocosmic and the cancellation of your show was an unauthorized decision and was this morning revoked by a substantial majority at a family discussion on his estate in New Jersey.”
He paused, not smiling, but with his eyes narrowing in a network of pleased wrinkles. “Ah-I take it you are not displeased with the news?”
“Christ, it’s fantastic!” Flamen exclaimed. “You’re a sly bastard, Mr. Voigt, and I mean that as a compliment.”
Voigt gave a shrug and self-consciously adjusted the set of his right ear. “Our introverted epoch is not the happiest environment for a communications specialist, Mr. Flamen. One does what one can to reverse the trend away from person-to-person contact It’s a necessary prerequisite for the continuation of one’s career. By the way, I take it you haven’t been watching the noon slot on Holocosmic this week?”
“I was so damned sick at the trick that had been played on me I couldn’t have brought myself to. I didn’t even know Diablo was taking over. Did you fix that?”
“Well, early last Monday morning a confidential rewas filed by Mr. Marcantonio Gottschalk, who as titular head of the cartel was entitled to conduct infornegotiations concerned with the new diversified venture into vu-transmission, for someone to furnish an interim group of programs while a final decision on the content of the slot was being reached, and still being under the obligation imposed by the Washington-Black-bury contract we needed to find Mr. Diablo a suitable post pro tem.” Voigt made an all-embracing gesture. “We did not comp that you would feel-ah-slighted by having a replacement of such notorious talent”
“Hell, no!” Flamen’s eyes were on the vuset, not the comweb screen, and there was another reconstructed scene, this time showing the well-known chairman of Lares Penates Inc. walking around a kneeblank-staffed factory producing plastic Lars. It was galling to have lost the chance to break that particular story, but it was a wise choice to help hold the audience for the interim week. Besides, the detail was exceptional, perhaps beDiablo had actually been to the factory in ques”How’s he been doing, by the way?” he added.
“Very well, I understand. The blank audience has naturally been intrigued to see the celebrated knee spoolat work, and the figures are up by eight or nine percent. And, incidentally, a point which will no doubt interest you: there has been no interference on the show this week.”