"Not yet," I said and his smile vanished as quickly as it had come. "I'm willing to become a participant in the manner suggested but if I'm to take that risk, I feel I should be guaranteed fifteen million, not ten."
For a moment, there was a shocked silence, then everybody began to talk at once.
"But you already agreed to ten!" Sheffield protested.
I stared at him. "No, I didn't. This is the first time we met."
Mac was blowing a gasket. "Wait a minute, Jonas. You led me to believe you'd listen to an offer of ten million dollars!"
"Well, I listened."
For the first time, I saw his lawyer's calm ruffled.
"I acted in good faith on your behalf. I won't be a party to this kind of underhanded negotiation.
If this deal doesn't go through as agreed, I'm through! I'm resigning!"
I stared at him impassively. "Suit yourself."
Mac raged. "Your trouble is you're getting too big for your breeches! I remember when you were still wet behind the ears- "
I was angry now; my voice went icy cold. "The trouble is you're just the lawyer and it's my property you're dealing with.
I'll make the decision as to what I do with it – sell it or give it away, whatever I want to do.
It's mine, I own it and you work for me.
Remember that!"
Mac's face went white.
I could see it all working around in his mind. The hundred thousand a year I was paying him. The bonus participation in profits. The house he lived in. The schools his kids were going to. His position in society.
I wondered if at that moment he wasn't regretting the sixty-thousand-a-year practice he'd given up to come to me.
But I couldn't bring myself to feel sorry for him.
He knew what he was doing.
He even wrote his own contract, on his own terms.
He wanted money and he got it. It was too late now for him to start complaining.
I looked at the others. They were staring at us. I knew then, sorry for Mac or not, I had to give him a leg up.
"Aw, come off it, Mac," I said, making my voice warm and friendly. "We're too close to let a stupid thing like this come between us.
Forget it.
There'll be other deals.
The important thing to do is to get your new contract signed so that I can be sure none of these other pirates steal you away from me." I saw the look of relief flood into his face.
"Sure, Jonas," he said. He hesitated. "I guess we're both a little bit overtired. Me with the negotiation, you with that record-breaking flight.
I guess I just misunderstood what you told me."
He turned to the others.
"I’m sorry, gentlemen," he said smoothly, himself once more. "It's my fault.
I didn't mean to mislead you but I misunderstood Mr. Cord.
My apologies."
An awkward silence fell in the room.
For a moment nobody spoke, then I grinned and walked over to the urinal.
"This is just so we don't have to write this meeting off as a total loss," I said over my shoulder.
It was Sheffield who made the first break. I heard him whispering hurriedly to the others.
When I turned around, he looked at me. "Split it with you," he said. "Twelve five."
They wanted it real bad if they came up that quickly.
At first, I shook my head, then I had an idea.
"I heard a great deal about you from my father," I said. "He said you were a real sportsman, that you'd gamble on anything."
A smile appeared on his thin lips. "I've been known to wager a bit at times," he admitted.
"For two and a half million dollars, I’ll bet you can't pee into that far urinal from where you're standing," I said, pointing to the one about four feet from him. "If you do, the deal is yours for twelve five. If you don't, I get fifteen."
His mouth hung open, his eyes staring behind their glasses.
"Mr. Cord!" he sputtered.
"You can call me Jonas," I said.
"Remember it's for two and a half million dollars."
He looked at the others. They stared back at him. Then at me.
Finally the Mahlon Chemical man spoke up.
"It's two and a half million dollars, Martin.