The 'Cousins'

Part NInety-Two (Echo): A Resolution-Of Sorts!

  Wayne exhaled nosily.“ You’re making this harder for both of us than it needs to be, but I reckon we’ll get over it once we get this moving; as for your questions; ‘Yes’ to both. Anything else?”

  Greg nodded, his lips pursed. “Obviously I have questions to ask Goldman’s. I believe there’s some legislation you have in the US called the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that puts restrictions on IPO’s? I believe one of them is a requirement for three prior years of audited accounts before placement. Fisher’s is just over two years old and doesn’t have three years accounts: so I need to understand how the IPO can proceed and still be lawful?”

  Wayne grinned and shook his head before replying in a more light-hearted manner. “Fancy you knowing about that. Goldman’s found a provision that allows qualification through a third year's projections. You can best settle all this with Goldman’s directly once you get your feet under the CEO's desk.  Another one of the restrictions in that legislation is the need for a CFO, and in the short term we’re thinking of offering Elbury the job. Dean and me both are quite impressed with him in the short time we’ve known him and reckon he’d be an ideal Chief Financial Officer for Fishers, at least until we’re settled down in the market.”

  Greg coughed impatiently. “Elbury? He knows this secret and I don’t. Listen Wayne. How long do you think it would be before I get to know about this project once I start working for Fishers?”

  Wayne grimaced. “Not long I guess, but can you really commit to Fishers like you say you can with everything else you got filling up your time and zapping your concentration?”

  Greg pulled a grim face. “I don’t know what you mean by that.”

  Wayne shuffled around uneasily. “Look Greg, don’t get all steamed up about this. I know Dean would’ve told you we all think you’re just a bit unbalanced at the moment because of what Victoria and her Pa did to you...”

  “That’s all over and done with,” Greg exploded, “I am me and fully capable of doing what you want with Fishers – and I can also be trusted with this precious secret of yours,”

  “You say that, but I’ve seen changes in you for myself, in your manner at the diner tonight and what you told me there and in the truck on the way here, and then your behaviour when we got back to the motel. This boy you’re setting up has really got to you, but maybe you don’t know it yet?  If you take this job, how will you be able keep your word to him? I heard you say to Dean you’d still want a personal involvement with him. How can you do all that and still run and develop Fishers with what I know we’ll be expanding into and what you don’t know yet.”

  Greg threw back his head and inhaled deeply. “All the more reason to tell me what that will be. Then I can make the necessary provisions for my existing commitments. There, does that satisfy you?”

  “Almost.”

  “Almost! What now?"  Greg brushed imaginary crumbs from his shirtfront in his irritation.

  “If I do tell you, do you promise not to usurp or torpedo the idea if by any chance we do break up.”

  Greg stood stiff and upright, shaking his head. “There is so much more we ought to be talking about instead of this shit.  Things like, where will the head offices be based?  What are the limitations on personnel and production that will adversely affect the expansion of the business to meet the targets?  Are the set targets achievable in the given time-frame?  Are we doing our own manufacturing, if not who is and where?  What’s the competition, how far are we ahead of them? What are we doing to stay ahead of the field? All sorts of pertinent, basic questions we should be working up the answers to and not getting bogged down on whether or not I am likely to run away with your secret or if I am disposed to let my emotions get the better of my judgment and elope with Jess or move in with a bunch of condo dwellers in Bamptonville.”

  There followed stillness in the room as both men stood facing each other; in the silence the buzzing of the fluorescent headlight became increasingly pronounced. Wayne watched the toe of his right shoe dragging itself in arcs across the floor, his mind occupied with considering how best to deliver his thoughts to reconcile their differences, but he yielded to pique and burst out.

  “You’re right, we shouldn’t be wasting time arguing like this and should be talking about Fishers, but we can’t get onto that until we get these personal differences settled between us. You said you were hurt by not being told about the next project, well I want you to know you hurt me when you said you don’t trust me no more and don’t feel like family no more. Why the hell do you think I’m here? I’ve come to help set up a plant for you. I wouldn’t have all this aggravation if Wehrner Haas was leading the company.” 

  Greg forced himself to chuckle, the falsity of which was obvious and mocking.

  “That’s the second time you’ve mentioned Herr Haas in the last five minutes Wayne. Let me give you two reasons why I think you’ll not give him the job. One!” Greg pointed a finger at the ceiling. “He’s an administrator, not a trail-blazer and he won’t get the franchise network rolled out to produce the revenue you want in the time you want. Two.” Greg pointed two fingers at the ceiling. “He’ll be too expensive for you. He’ll want those stock options we already talked about. The ones that will further deplete your own holding below a level where you will lose control of your company. It seems you’re stuck with me. But don’t even think about personal differences between us, because there aren’t any anymore. There’s no personality in this any longer, it’s purely business from here on in.”

  Wayne stood with his head bowed for several seconds before raising his eyes to meet Greg’s and ask simply. “What do I have to do to get you to start trusting me again?”

  Greg clapped his hands together. “Now that’s a good start in itself, wanting to build some trust with your CEO elect. What you have to do is tell me all I need to know about what Fisher’s are doing and the details of the agreements you’ve made with Goldman’s. Then you should tell me about this secret so I can better understand any pressures it exerts on Fishers and thus be better able to deal satisfactorily with any problems they create – for Fishers I mean.”

  Wayne nodded his agreement without showing any enthusiasm for the disclosure.

  “I’ve put together a dossier for you, it’s in my room. It’s got all the relevant information about Fishers and the IPO arrangements that you’ll need to know. There are a couple of things I need to talk through with you about the processes; mainly about the two systems we are using for methane production and their differences; that’s the digesters and gasifiers. We can talk over dinner; I really am here as a favour to you, to help set up your bio-diesel plant don’t forget.”

  Greg walked across to place his hand on Wayne’s shoulder. “Thank you, I do appreciate that, although it had occurred to me that you might have some other underlying reason of your own for coming here. But let’s not look for more things to argue about; even if I do have a gut feeling that you are not here entirely for my benefit. ...For your own peace of mind just think of what you are doing here as helping me clear away those obstacles you see in my commitments to the people I’ve promised to help by making the best and most profitable bio-diesel plant possible, so they can run it and fend for themselves and not be a distraction to me or take up my time and energy when I join Fishers.”

  Wayne visibly relaxed. His face split into a huge grin. “I’ll buy that, so let’s go get something to eat and work through the figures and plans for tomorrow over a steak?”

  “Sounds good to me, Harry’s does good steaks.”

  “Lead me to them. My stomach’s beginning to think my throat’s been cut.”