A Lesson in Stocks

© 2010 Mr. David R. Dorrycott

1937 era

Tatiana settled down under one of Eastern Islands larger fir trees, leaning back against its rough bark with some pleasure. She had just returned from four days on a micro island all by herself, with nothing as she had been dumped in her fur. After Miss Blande had carefully searched her, very carefully. Survival had proven interesting, as the island was less than a hundred square feel in total, and was half that at high tide. Still she had managed, Songmark never set you to a test that you were not already trained to pass. Sadly, upon her return she barely had time for a well deserved shower and clean clothing before the hound Miss Devinski had sent her here. Alone. Much to her classmates interest.

A picnic basket landed on the earth beside her, followed by the much heavier body of Nikki Benevedo. Tatiana ignored both, being busy enjoying having shade again. “Nah much water onna Dot Three, righ?” the mare asked.

“That is name of sand-spot?” the sable asked. Her nose detected the scent of foods she hadn’t even thought about in weeks. With Millicent back in London, her passes had been spent sitting under trees, watching the water. While thinking of her wife. It was a different Tatiana today that the one who had arrived over two years ago. “What Red Lily want” she asked.

“Dot three was named tha cause even onna detail map, its one of seventy-four dots in tha area. Sleep well?”

“Well enough” the sable admitted, not wanting to tell Nikki about her odd dreams these last four days. “Again. What want.”

Nikki smiled, flipping open the baskets lid to allow delicate smells to escape. “Crystal cooked this” she explained. “She has a great talent for cooking. Among other things as Florence has discovered.” Her accent had vanished, which caused Tatiana to open one eye. Nikki was renowned for her thick, and very false accent. Songmark girls who became involved with the black furred Filypino quickly learned that clear speaking meant important. “We need Millicent’s skill with forgery.” She offered Tatiana a leg of Southern fried chicken, amused when the third year ignored it.

“Then write her” Tatiana answered. “Is wife. Not slave.”

“I would” the mare agreed. “But as my own dear Malou reminded me. You are her heart. You would best know if she would do something, or not.”

Looking up at the larger Mare Tatiana finally accepted the chicken. “I thank. You asking. But Millicent does what Millicent does.” She took a bite of the chicken, stopped, then slowly chewed the crispy spiced meat. When she finally swallowed she looked carefully at the meat in her paw. “How much Florence want for Crystal” she asked. “This best chicken I ever have.”

“Probably more than we both have” Nikki admitted. “She has come to.. Prefer the vixens company.”

Tatiana swallowed another bite of moist, hot meat. She took a moment to enjoy the taste still in her mouth. “I ask her. Later. What need made?”

Reaching into the basket again the mare removed two sheets of paper. “Charlene is getting us samples of the targets writing. There is really very little time, but the reward will be well worth the effort.” She offered the papers to the sable, who lifted her greasy fingers only to have Nikki shove them into that greasy grasp.

Accepting that these must be carbon copies, Tatiana took a last bite of her remaining chicken, carefully sitting the bone away from her. Spontoon only had one kind of ant, but it was a fast mover. Reading quietly she finally whistled in admiration. “Will destroy target?” she asked softly.

“Should” Nikki answered. “DAKKA makes nothing but sex movies. No one knows where they get the film, equipment, studio space and such. But it is somewhere. This will poison the company. No one will want to be connected with it.”

Setting the pages on Nikki’s lap, where they rapidly vanished Tatiana thought. “Is dangerous yes?” she asked abruptly.

“Could be. If the target survives and discovers who tried to gut him. There is that chance. But if it works, the reward will be well worth it for both of you. Five percent ownership of what we gain of Republic Studios.”

“Five?” the sable asked. “Is one letter. Millicent can do in one day. Why so much?”

Nikki pulled out a bowl of fried chicken, then two thermos’s of something. The one she opened turned out to hold coffee. “Truth Tatiana” she answered as she poured a cup for herself. “When the war comes, where will you go?”

“England, or where Millicent is” the younger woman answered. “You know I work free my Russia.”

“Yes, we do Tsarina Tatiana Romanoff” Nikki admitted. “And you will be crushed. Millicent is gathering for you intelligent women from many nations. She has four from England, one from China and how many more? It is not important. Starling will crush you the moment he knows the truth.” She picked up a chicken breast, nibbing lightly on it.

“You guess. I not Romanoff. That all trick English, Red Russian intelligence. I Tatiana Bryzov-Wei from Ryshynsk. Wife to Millicent Holmes-Wei. Nothing more.”

Nikki simply looked at the sable for several long seconds. “Here nor there. Should Starling believe differently, and he is quite mad enough to do so. You and your wife die. Slowly. Eat, it will be after supper when you return.” She watched in silence as the third year student followed her advice. “Have you killed many people” she abruptly asked.

“More than want remember. None since come Songmark. Make vow. Almost break vow, but I not one kill Leveler.” She ate steadily, though not quickly. The food was simply too good to treat with disdain. “Truth I try” the sable admitted. “Not good enough. Thought die that morning. Die with Millicent. Thought all end.”

“Who really killed that direwolf” the mare asked.

Looking up at her companion again Tatiana shook her head no. “That secret die with me. With Millicent” she answered. “Not us. Now. Why so much little job?” She returned to her food, listening for the answer. Nikki carefully walked Tatiana through the attempt to take over Republic Studios, ending with her planned trip to deal personally with any real problems. When she finished Tatiana sat her last bone aside, casting loose sand over the already ant covered objects.

“So. Is fallback. You want place hold. Until peace declared.” Burping slightly the Songmark student looked out over the harbors waves. “I miss Millicent. Be two, three year before see again. You give word protect Millicent. I agree.”

“My word, for what it may be worth” Nikki agreed.

Tatiana laughed, looking up into the sky where aircraft danced among the clouds. “You like Miss Devinski” she said gently. “If cannot trust Miss Devinski. Can not trust any. You same. I support you. Have no money. But support you. Send to Millicent. Will be interesting see what happen. Now I think I buy vixen from Florence. She excellent cook. Pretty. Bet wildcat in bed too.”

“Thank you Tatiana. And with that” Nikki began unloading the rest of her basket. “It is time to really eat. By the way, yes. Crystal is a wildcat in bed.”

It was a very stuffed, and very mellow Russian sable that made her way back into Songmark’s gates long after Sunset song. The two second years, a star nosed mole and a very attractive squirrel stared at her, easily catching the scent of her meal. Their stomachs grumbled, but there was nothing that they could do about that. Other than improve their grades by the weekend.

That night Nikki slipped into Songmark, barely noting the guard dogs that watched her. Her single word “Business” turned them away, there would be no juicy first year this time. It would stun the students at Songmark to discover that these dogs actually understood a great deal that was said to them. Or that they really preferred having children’s tales read to them. Business though meant Songmark business. The extremely delicious, but much to dangerous mare would be dealing directly with the tutors.

Miss Blande looked up at the light knock on her back door. Pressing a button the electrical lock came open, allowing Nikki to slip in. “I do hope it is good news” the half-breed feline said in greeting. “I’m about to gig two first year dorms for damaging school property, and one is Carmen’s wifes dorm.”

“She said yes” the mare replied before settling on the larger chair. “Ahn this thin still ain’t comfortable.”

“Not supposed to be” the striped feline answered. “As you well know.” She sipped her water, water because in much less than an hour she would be asleep. Caffeine would be a serious error. “Having spent several years within it. Tatiana agreed, to her such a simple thing. I assume tha she was surprised at that offered payment?”

Nikki snorted. “Five per cent o’ nothin is still nothin. This don’t work, we lose all we can afford tah. Iffin it works tho’.”

Miss Blande nodded in agreement. “We have a previous fall-back position of course. This though.” She shuffled papers. “Charlene was correct in one matter, she is very poor with finances. Thus we have been forced to turn to her wife. It seems that Miss Lucy Ullrich is quite comfortable in the world of Stocks and Bonds. The required papers were delivered to her directly after supper. We shall know the truth by Sunday. Is there anything else?”

“Only my bill” the mare admitted.

Miss Blande laughed softly. “You will never get Catherine into your bed Nikki” she answered.

“Wasn’t thinkin of her” the larger, and younger woman admitted. Then she stood, saluted her one time instructor and slipped back out.

Days later the Texas half-cougar known as Lucy Ullrich watched a sleeping vixen, noting how beautiful she was when her face wasn’t lined with worry. As she watched quietly, the vixens chest, hidden by a thin sheet, lifted up, then lowered gently as she breathed in her sleep. One unclothed leg, its dual patterned fur enticing the half-cougar and Charlene, no, Sand’s tail peaked out from under the sheet, hinting at the treasure that was hidden below. A week ago the Songmark student wouldn’t have believed anyone if they had told her that she would be doing this. Her life, though stressed, was going as she had planned. Well, sort of. At least she was dead certain that she would be marrying a male of her fathers tribe when she finished school. Not a Hollywood starlet at the end of this years classes.

A little over a year ago Lucy, with her mother in tow had arrived at Songmarks gate. Over the previous summer she had determined her entire life. Her first goal was to be accepted as a student. This she had somehow succeeded in managing. Her second goal was to complete Songmark at least in the middle of her class. After that, it was start her own air cargo company in Texas and locate a suitable husband. Her company would mainly serve the oil fields, which was what she had grown up in, and still loved even now. Her husband, who would be a full blooded cougar unlike herself, would grant her many kittens, be a loving mate and equal partner in her company.

Somehow this had all gone astray. She was in Songmark yes, and her grades were currently above average. Not a great deal above average though, as navigation was still proving to be much harder than she had expected. All three of her dormmates were friendly, after a rather rough first year when the cougar had been forced to basically become their Alpha. And not without some very serious physical encounters. Then came this B actress Charlene van Pugpug. Friendly enough, and very interested in Lucy’s writing hobby. As long as the Songmark graduate Jean had been around Charlene had seemed a strong woman. Lucy had noted the vixens growing interest the more that they worked together, had herself begun daydreaming. But when Charlene had appeared just six weeks ago it was a completely different woman than the cougar had known.

Obviously near the end of her rope, her attractive face showing the strain one would expect of a third year, and then that abrupt admission of love. This wasn’t the vixen that Lucy, or Jean remembered. No, not at all. Nor had been her responses. It was though a different woman was within that well remembered fur, and though it took four long weeks to tease out the reasons why, it left Lucy wondering why anyone went to Hollywood. Now Charlene was called Sand, until a certain event occured.

She stood, gently kneeling next to the sleeping vixen. Leaning forward she kissed those sweet lips, then rose to gather her things. Most important were her pass, and the thick envelope who’s material she and Sand had studied. Her pass ended at Sunrise Song. She must attend church with her dorm, though that wasn’t what the second year wanted. Slipping out of the two room resort cottage she was soon running for the water taxi docks, and woe be it to any fool criminal who took it into his mind to stop a second year. Were she a third year, even the most professional of criminals would think twice. Such was the training Songmark gave their students.

Elizabeth Juniper took Tatiana’s pass, the nutria making careful inspection of the slip of paper before allowing her fellow student to sign in. “Pain. Have tah be back so early” the nutria noted.

“Be worse tah noh have tha pass inna first place” the cougar countered. “As yer dorm knows. Sad bout Megan gettin inna fight with tha third year.” Elizabeth just nodded in agreement, closing and locking Songmarks gate behind the returnee. As all Songmark girls quickly learned, what had happened was in the past. It was the future that mattered.

Upon returning from church services, an experience that had simply solidified the half-cougars decision that she needed a new path, Lucy was given a message at the gate to report immediately to the main office. Not that there was a minor office, it was simply something that the students had fallen into long before Ullrich had arrived. Saying good-bye to her friends she hurried over to the office as required, wondering what she had done wrong this time.

It was Miss Blande who was waiting for her this time. The half-breed feline was busy cleaning the office when Lucy arrived. “Oh good, on time” Miss Blande said as she paused her work, picked up a pass from the desk and spun the slip of paper towards her student. “Meeting Island, take the material you were supposed to be studying. You will be going to the address on the back.” Then she returned to her dusting, ignoring the surprised Texan.

“Thank you Miss Blande” the half-cougar answered, snatching the nearly hovering sheet of paper as it drifted slowly by her. Her instructors hidden talents were constantly catching their students by surprise, and though this was a skill with few uses, it did amuse Lucy. She decided to practice, as every little talent that her instructors displayed had so far found a use. They were always teaching it seemed, even in such little ways.

Returning to her dorm room she gave her roommates a wan smile. “Am’ expected on Meeting Island” she explained as she hurried to change into less formal clothing. “So yah eat lunch for me ‘kay?”

“Getting married?” a voice asked from behind her. “Without to ask first?”

Turning Lucy found herself facing a third year. A Russian sable named Tatiana as she recalled. “No” Lucy admitted. “I really don’ know why.”

“Am to escort you” the Russian explained, taking the opportunity to examine Lucy’s undressed body. “Address on pass is lie. Grab papers. We leave now.”

“Lik THIS?” Lucy nearly screamed, struggling to pull on a pair of Songmark overalls.

In answer the sable shook her head no, pointing at her own clothing. A rather fancy English style dress probably given her by her wife. “Dress to be the wearing. Is polite place. I give three minutes. Then drag out.”

Lucy decided to not argue the point. Tatiana was NKVD trained long before she had arrived at Songmark, thus probably would have given a third year a run for her money even then. Now she was a third year, and had dragged her wife out of Kuo Han’s claws with only the help of half a military strike force. More importantly, with the aid of four new Songmark Graduates. Word was, nothing living had been left on that island. Nothing. Tatiana’s words had not been a threat. They had been a simple statement of fact. With a shrug of her shoulders she was soon dressed and following the sable, having her forgotten papers shoved into her paws by one of her friends.

It wasn’t until they were on a water taxi that the sable spoke again. “Is important meeting” Tatiana explained. “You understand the paper?”

“Financial reports on a certain target” Lucy answered. “Five months outta date, so ah hadda buy ah New York paper tha get tha low down. Interstin problem, buh why get me?”

“Because” Tatiana answered. “No one understands what says.” She gave the American a friendly smile, her teeth hidden behind pleasant lips. “Is important know truth. Like reading Greek for us. You have the experience dah?”

“Enough, but I still hadda ask Franklin and Franklin ah couple questions” Lucy admitted. “Mah family company uses stocks internally, buh were still private. Jus ownership percentage between us. Easier than ah lawsuit iffin yah want out ahn need money. Tha Common stuff, it took sum understandin.”

“And your wife. She was helpful?”

Lucy laughed, holding her papers close to her chest. “Charlene? Dumfounded she was. Honest. Darn woman really don’t know much ‘bout finance. Buh she does know moviemaking.” She looked away from her companion, towards Casino Island which was falling away from them. Any trip from island to island was time consuming. When the tide was against you, like it was right now, a simple twenty minute trip would take almost twice that. Had they been going to Main Island, it would have taken well over an hour in this tide. “She’s nah my wife. Yet” she finally said.

Tatiana laughed, slapping one knee. “Like my Millicent. In your heart she already is. Wife yes. Not legal dah. But is wife.”

“Okay. Yah win” the Texan agreed.

They ended up spending the rest of their trip talking about the women who had entered their hearts, how surprised both had been by the event, and how much the very much missed being with them. When the water taxi finally reached Meeting Island both had a much deeper understanding of the other, and both liked what they saw in the other.

Tatiana lead Lucy not to the Government building that had been listed on her pass, but to a rather pleasant looking house in a different, but not opposite direction. “Lady Whitehall’s home” the sable explained, nodding to a wolf sleeping in the shade of a tree across the street. “Protected it is. Do not to anger him. We spare, he is very good.” Leading her charge up to the bungalow’s porch she knocked on the door.

When it opened, it was to the face of a very pleasant looking calico. One holding a photo album and wearing exactly nothing. “Welcome” the feline said, opening the door wide. Lucy gave her guide an odd look. This was she started to ask.

“Not expect you Honored Mother” the Russian said, respect heavy in her voice. “Are trying marry boy already?”

In answer the feline stepped away, allowing them entry. “I marry noone but storm” she answered as she closed the door, carefully locking it behind the two. “That my answer.” She indicated the rather packed parlor, where several furs Lucy knew, and many more that she did not stood or sat waiting. While she took in the crowd the calico vanished into another room, where the sound of a young childs laughter almost instantly came from. It was Miss Devinski who broke the silence.

“Do you understand all that mess” she asked, as if she were asking the time of day.

Before Lucy could answer Tatiana gently forced her to sit on a stool, then found a place on the floor for herself. The home, though large, was obviously never intended for this many at one time. “Better than ah expected” she answered. “Couple terms ah needed defined, couple telegrams ah needed tah send mah older brother. Buh overall simply business.” She sat the papers on a table beside her, one strangely absent of anything upon its surface. “Charlene told tha truth. She’s ahn idiot when it comes tah business.”

“And you are not?” the yellow furred hound asked.

“Ah know when ah don’t know” the half-cougar answered. “Better, ah know who tah ask tha knows how tah keep their yap shut.”

Miss Devinski smiled, as did several others in the room. “Very good, so is this project truly possible?”

“Maybe” Lucy answered. “Thing is, yah, there’s six million bits oh stock out there. Buh five ahn ah half are useless. We ignore ‘um.”

 “How” Helen Whitehall asked. “Stock is stock. If we do not own a majority, then we fail.”

Picking up the envelope that held those papers she had been entrusted, Lucy removed three sheets of paw written notes, setting the envelope back down. Turning to her hostess she shook her head no. “There three kinda stocks ah Republic. Preferred, Common A ahn Common B. Preferred ain’t got no votin rights. Common B don’t either, and that’s tha five plus we ignore.”

She looked at her papers, her notes, having noted the expressions of those around her regarding her accent. Without comment she suppressed her natural accent, shifting into what her European finishing school had rammed down her throat. “When Yade shoved his company idea down those others throats, his was smart about some things, stupid about others” she continued. “For example. He gave everyone ten thousand shares of Preferred stock. But that stock has no cash value, no votes. It does though have a conversion value of ten to one. So if all Preferred is converted to Common A, that is 500,000 shares. Apparently in order to raise money he created Common A and B stocks. Common A had a value of a dollar seventy six ah share, in January. It also has one vote per stock. As there’s 500,000 shares, that means 500,000 votes.”

She glanced at her notes again. “Then they created Common B. It has one thirtieth the value of Common A, which in January was not quite six cents ah share. But it has no other value. Not even voting rights. Its only sold in block oh one hundred shares. A common mans stock, and a guarantee that right now the common man wants out.”

A glass of something cold materialized on the table next to her. Gratefully taking a sip she discovered it was lemonade, with ice in it. Real and very expensive ice. A smile on Lady Whitehall’s face told her who. Being rich did have its advantages after all she realized. Ice had been exceedingly rare in central Texas, even during the short Winters.

“So” another voice asked. She looked, surprised to see the anteater Carman speaking. “The Preferred. It is to the useless? Unless changed to Common?”

“Not useless” Lucy corrected. “It works almost like Bonds. It can be used for collateral if they need a loan. But if you convert it to Common A for the voting power, you can’t convert it back. Same goes if you convert A to B. It’s a one way road downhill.”

“Then why to do this” the Mixtexia asked. “I admit, the stocks I do not understand. Though Alexia and I own the many in my families business now.”

“There are a lot of reasons” the Texan explained. “If the business goes belly up, Preferred gets paid before Common A, and Common B is toilet paper. If someone starts buying up the voting stock, you can convert Preferred to an equal amount of voting stock that isn’t on the market. Keeping any takeover from happening. Like I said though, its very good collateral for a loan if times get tight. Of course, if you have money, you buy A up, convert it ta B and re-sell it. You lose darn near nothing while watering down the voting power of shareholders. In the short run you even make money. But it is a fast and dirty way to reduce the voting stocks power until it matches what you need.”

“Diluting ones threat” Helen whispered. “Then this project. It is impossible?”

“Normally? With ah mind like Yades yes. But there are a lot of things to consider here. March tenth this year the American stock market was ah 194 point...” She glanced at her notes. “Forty. Then the Government started meddling. They shut down their WPA and CWA along with other public works. That put millions out of work. No job, no income, no income, no buying, no buying no manufacturing. A lot of very obvious cascade events that the feds were, like always, too stupid to see before they knee jerked in reaction. If this doesn’t match the ‘29 crash and following ‘31 employment collapse, it’ll be darn close. Republic stock traded Friday at closing at seventy-eight cents ah share. Down twenty-one cents for the week. It is now worth less than half what it was in March. That means the B stock is toilet paper already. Ah hundred share block has gone from almost five dollars and eighty six cents a block to just over two dollars an sixty cents. In one week, since the Haster project was announced, Republic has lost $666,000 dollars. Over half its starting value.”

She checked her papers again, flipping one over. “Haster isn’t the main reason of course, it is just the trigger. Like in ‘31 when a baker tried to withdraw his money and was refused. That was what started the bank collapse. Now, Preferred is worth, to that banks, about $500,000 and I know that no bank will ever loan more than seventy cents on the dollar. So if Yade needs money, the best he can get from any bank is $350,000. That would barely make a single cowboy series. If there was a serious take-over attempt, and he noticed it, he would have to get all the owners to convert to Common A to block it, that would kill any worth to the banks.”

“Your certain” the black furred Fillypino mare known as Nikki asked. “Absolutely certain?”

“Financial reports can lie” Lucy admitted. “But not too much.”

“And there is Haster’s movie to consider” Miss Devinski reminded her companions. “That is a drain on resources Republic is not, at this time, capable of sustaining. Now my head hurts from all these numbers. Still Lucy, in your opinion. What are the chances we will obtain Republic.

Lucy looked again at her notes, then to Nikki. Nikki who had explained certain things, shown her certain papers. “As it stands, four out of ten” she answered. “Not worth the effort. But... And this is ah important But. If what I have been told occurs, and is even half effective, we will have a short term opening with a near one hundred percent chance of success.”

“She’s talking about that DAKA letter that Millicent has promised to deliver” Nikki explained to those present. “Telegraph is faster than even diplomatic pouch, I’ve friends in several Consulates. Also a second fragmentary note where Yade mentions offing his wife. Elsia Hoffman’s old flame reported the rumor mill. A lot of furs believe he dumped his wifes body in the ocean. Between the two, a lot of legal problems for Yade. It’ll keep him off balance at the least. If we time it right and he really leaves to find ‘Kassy Benevedo’ it will look like he’s running. Investors won’t want to be publically involved with a sex film studio. Add a murder investigation, stocks gonna tank and fast. Helen, can your people in New York react fast enough?”

“So my sister-in-law promises me” the half-Afghan answered. “They already have their instructions, and have begun picking up something called short sells. She’s worried about the amount of money I’ve put into this, it leaves the Estates with barely enough buffer to be useful while my brother-in-law is somewhere in Germany at the moment. We are still a long way from recovering from her brothers madness. She only calmed down when I promised to send Antonius to England when he is of school age.” She shook her head. “I will be very lonely when he leaves” she admitted.

“No yah won’t” Nikki laughed when Catherine Devinski automatically laid an arm over her loves shoulder. “And our plans for Lucy?”

“Plans?” the Texan asked. “Me? What plans.”

Carmen answered her. “You and I. We are to be the bosses.”

“Your all crazy” Lucy accused.

“No, no we are not” the dalmatian known as Katherine McMaster and majority owner of Kart-Tombs Charter Flights corrected. “I know business. So does Nikki. But small business. You, you know real business. We checked. That brother of yours, he says you did most of tha important work till you started Songmark. You and Carmen are it. Charlene..”

“Sand” both Nikki and Lucy corrected as one, looked at each other then shrugged.

Katherine rubbed her face. “Sand then. Dammit Nikki. One of these days your going to break someone we really need.“

“She isn’t broken” the mare corrected. “In training, under her wife to be.” She snickered at those words. “Very under.” This garnered her a glare from the Texan, though Lucy well knew that she daren’t attack the mare.

“As I was saying, Sand has the natural knowledge of an actress, not to mention an awful lot of schooling in the matter. We have, at my last count, $354,700. So far we’ve spent a few hundred on nothing more than information. That, and given away five percent of whatever we take simply for some forgeries.”

“Have you anyone who could do better?” Miss Devinski asked.

“Hell no” Katherine admitted. “That housecat scares me. I saw what she did to Nikki, on a dare. If she was anything less than Tatiana’s wife, she would have taken Malou away with her and there would have been nothing Nikki or I could have done about it.”

“Legally” the mare added.

“At all Nikki. You’re a mare of your word. Honestly, what would you have done?”

Taking a deep breath, one which expanded her impressive chest a great deal Nikki finally shook her head no. “Offered a trade. Me, for Malou’s freedom” she finally answered. “I have never broken my word, I never will.”

“Right. She’s that good” the dalmatian continued. “And Tatiana has her own talents. Five percent for nothing? Oh no, we are getting a lot more than nothing for our five percent. Its just the timing that scares me. New York has to jump in without one of us there to pull the trigger. Nikki will be the only one of us on the scene.”

“Illie will be with her” Helen Whitehall corrected.

“Illie is an assassin” Katherine explained to those who were unaware. “A very pretty Arctic Fox who has no equal that I am aware of. She’s only there to protect Nikki, because Nikki can’t be on the mark twenty-four seven. As I read it, we have to get Yade out of the country chasing a non-existent mare, and yes I’ve seen the film. We have to release at the right moment letters that will cause a panic around Republic. Then when the stock crashes, New York has to snatch it from the mouths of professional sharks. Is there anything else?”

“Yeah” Nikki answered. “I’m going to be tryin to make deals with the other Preferred Stock owners. While dodging Yade before he leaves.”

Shaking her head in bewilderment the dalmatian turned to Lucy, staring at her. “And everything hinges on how a second year reads the tea leaves. Lucy Ullrich, you screw this up and I will personally pay Nikki to turn you into my private pet.”

“Sand keeps her freedom?” the Texan asked.

“She keeps her freedom” Nikki agreed.

“And I get what if I’m right?”

Miss Devinski turned her head, causing the bones to pop. “Flower girl at Helen and my wedding. At the end of your last year.”

Lucy shook her head no, missing the stunned look on Helen Whitehall’s face. “Not good enough. If I’m putting my own soul on the line, I want the same back. A trained woman to be Sands bodyguard for the rest of her life.”

“Deal” Nikki announced. “I know exactly the one, Illie has been training several girls. I’ll get one from her.”

“Nikki” Tatiana said softly. “I have the more than Millicent’s talent.”

“That being?” the mare asked, interested as always in the Russian.

“Trouble that gave me to you. Dah, I much remember. Mother Oharu holds my stock in cartoon company. I give that for five percent.”

Whats it worth” the mare asked.

“I check Thursday. Is worth only two dollar seventy ones cents a share now. I pay $3,000 for while first year. Is six hundred shares, Preferred. Balkness Fiskey. Just over sixteen-hundred dollars. It has been stable all year. Have big cartoon movie out soon. Seven glorious workers oppressed by bourgeois princess.”

“Snow white and the seven dwarves” Lucy translated. Fine.” She picked up her papers again. “If we make our move in late November Republics stock will probably bottom out at around thirty cents a share. This is due to people short selling just to get out from under what they will believe is DAKKA. I hear that there is a rather violent film with a certain coyote?”

“What about it” Miss Devinski asked in a slightly strained voice.

“Rumor mill it to have been an independent work commissioned by Yade himself. We are already calling him a wife killer, if we can do that. Well, a violent sex film will just add fuel to the fire. Then there is the Haster debacle to deal with. That has to die the moment we have majority. Or as soon as feasible possible. If he’s as self centered as Charlene says he is, we can sell the film, script and rights to him.”

“You have Liberties film seen?” Carmen asked in surprise.

“No” Lucy answered. “Not my style.”

“Then you I show it to. Tonight. My place.” She gave the half cougar a predatory grin. “My style a bit it is. But not Alexia with.”

“Ah.. Yeah. Okay. Back to the important stuff. Lets call it thirty five cents a share. That makes a total value of $175,000. If all Preferred is converted, and it won’t be, that adds another $175,000 for a total of $350,000. Add fees and such, maybe $420,000. We can pick up between seventy and eighty percent of all voting stock. I’d like to say sixty-five percent because there will always be other buyers. That’s strong controlling interest. We can’t be outvoted and the Consortium will always be picking up Common A as it comes to market. Its touchy, but that is the numbers.” She looked over to Miss Devinski. “My report in full will take a few days Mam, but you will have it.”

“And Common the B” Carmen asked.

“Buy it up here and there, then retire it” Lucy answered. “Your looking at several hundred thousand dollars in almost useless debt. If we can get rid of Common B, its just a records clean up. Right now not important at all. Later yes, but at the moment we are talking take-over. Common B has no value there.”

Silence answered her, until finally Carmen broke it. “And the movies. The kind?”

“Sand explained it to me Carmen. Republic is best known for its westerns. She’s afraid that eventually people will tire of westerns, so she suggests that we branch out. An example is a five set girls adventure series from 1932. Edith Lavell’s Linda Carlton series. It died because it was unbelievable, but base a serial on it and see what happens. There are other juvenile books as well. Tom Swift, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Campfire Girls. It’s the kids, the teenagers that she wants to get back into the theaters. As well as adults. For that we can pick up other book. As Charlene calls it, Option the books. We pay the author a set fee to use his book as the bases of a movie, then do our best to be true to the original work. If a book is popular, and we stay true to the plot then the movie has a good chance of being popular. She warned to not go for the awards. Go for what the public wants.”

“Make the average child believe that, with a little luck they could pull off the adventure and you have them” Helen agreed. “How about a time travel series. One where we can add a little education while giving the desired adventure?”

“Let us not ahead of ourselves get” Carmen cautioned. “First is to take over. Then to make the money yes?”

“And the promised Spanish language and black-fur movies” Nikki agreed. “All right, we’ve heard enough numbers, now lets see how we put this plan together. If we win, then we can start talking about projects. Not before. Miss Devinski?”

Thus they spent the next hours refining their plan, while admitting that there were too many ‘and a miracle happens’ in the equation by the time they were through for the night. A late night it was, ending up with Tatiana and Lucy sharing an early water taxi back to Eastern Island with their instructor Miss Devinski.

“What bet, twenty mile hike with full pack” the Russian asked her American co-student.

Lucy looked up at the cloud speckled night sky, noting that at least one planet was visible. Probably Mars she thought, noting the objects slight reddish tinge. Or ice crystals messing with Jupiters reflected light. She was too tiredand it was too unimportant a fact to worry about, at the moment. “For third years” she answered with a slight drawl. “Ah’d think tha it’d be chasing down second year on South Island. Winner gets supper, loser spens tha night out inna harber, in their fur.”

Tatiana blinked in surprise at the words, “You good imagination have” she agreed. “But teachers not make student stay on water naked. Maybe be found by drunken sailors. Maybe send Cranium Island?”

“That will never happen Mrs. Wei” Miss Devinski answered from closer to the boats bow. “We have learned from our mistakes, and others. Cranium, Krupmark, Kuo Han. Those are three of the many places we will not send our students.” She faced the two, then moved to join then. “Contrary to popular opinion, we do not try to crush out students. We press you yes. We press you hard. But if you are careful, and watch. You will see that when you do reach your limits, we back down.”

“And pampered French woman Madelene X?” Tatiana asked.

“Was a fool. She survived only because her dormmate ignored her demands and crowded around her. A worse homophile we have not had. But it was her pride that nearly killed her. Not her beliefs. Now you two are worried about the morning yes? A second and third year. You know what will happen. Yes, surprises do happen. But this night was for the school, so they will not be that physically demanding. Though South Island is the perfect place for this one.”

Tatinan simply shrugged, Nichevo was her personal proverb. That it simply meant ‘This cannot be helped’, or something close to that simply meant that she accepted each event as it came. Lucy though shivered in anticipation. Unlike Tatiana, she had begun looking forward to Songmarks challenges. At least the physical ones.