by Lee McGeorge
to clear his throat. “It started out with Barry. He was experimenting with zero-light optics using what we call an image accumulator. Light is carried in little packets called photons, the accumulator gives the photons more energy to make them easier to detect.” Barry nudged Brian with his elbow, perhaps signalling not to give away too many trade secrets.
“I see, so it was Barry who discovered this?”
“I would call it a joint effort. We were at college together, physics majors, Barry went down the route of optics and I focussed on signal theory. We’ve managed to make careers out of Barry coming up with interesting problems in optics for which I find interesting solutions.”
Consec leader smiled and nodded his head slowly. “I was reading about you, Barry. Is it true you sell spectacles?”
“Yes, Sir. Twelve stores and a manufacturing base,” he replied.
“I sense some pride in that.”
“I am proud. You know, I believe it's a civic duty to start a business. What makes a nation great is the amount of enterprise inherent in its people. Starting a business whether large or small is important. It doesn’t matter whether you're in the business of building the skyscrapers or cleaning its windows… or selling spectacles. The resourcefulness of a population is what makes a nation strong and there’s no finer way to demonstrate that than owning your own enterprise.”
Consec Leader stretched his arms out across the back of the Chesterfield. “Barry,” he whispered. “You have no idea how wonderful it makes me feel to hear that. Enterprise is everything. If you open a store you hire more people. You create jobs. You add to the economy… That’s what Consec does… That’s all we do.”
“It is difficult to understand Consec,” Brian said. “There’s no stock listing, no public accounts. You’re a mystery.”
“Very true,” Leader said. “We’re the invisible hand. We live in a strange world of battling ideologies. It’s a tragedy that people die over different ideas, but there are complicated forces in the world; I’m talking about the Soviets of course. In Russia, there are good people trapped behind communism, but there are also ideologues who would seek to do us terrible harm. In North America we spend billions of government dollars on the military industrial complex. We spend government dollars on the business of war, but what about the business of peace? Or the business of success? Consec stands for Continental Security. Our role is to spend government dollars on the non-military projects. The end goal is the same. We would like to see the world unified by non-conflicting ideologies. People shouldn’t have to die just because one nation has a different opinion to the next; and wherever possible, Consec invests in private business that can achieve that end.”
“Yes!” Barry said firmly. He spoke with enough vigour that in a single word he virtually pledged his allegiance to the cause.
Consec Leader stood up. Brian and Barry matched him. “I’ve reviewed the payment schedule, Barry. I think our first offer was far too low and would like to offer you one hundred and twenty five million dollars to develop Veraceo, in partnership with Consec, over the next two years. Is that a suitable amount?” He held out his hand waiting for Barry to shake.
Barry looked to Brian and gave him a wink. He left Consec leader with his hand outstretched in silence for a few more seconds just to appreciate the man’s sales technique. The silent close. First person to speak loses. On this occasion, Barry was happy to close. “I think we can accept that.”
Leader smiled and took Barry’s hand. “Barry Convex, I welcome you in partnership to Consec. May we change the world together.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
He offered his hand to Brian who took it sheepishly, following Barry’s lead. “Brian Spectrometer, I welcome you in partnership to Consec. May we change the world together.”
Brian didn’t respond. He didn’t know how to. Somehow he knew that this handshake was binding. It was final. It was absolute. There was no contract to sign, no paperwork or notary to authenticate. They’d just taken their joining drink from the Consec punch bowl.
----- X -----
Brian sat with Paul Ruth at a table for eight. On the opposite side Barry sat with Bartok, shaking hands with those he was introduced to, networking like a pro. Dinner was served. Roast duck breast with poached pear. The food was divine and the service professional. Brian counted tables. He estimated that there had to be at least three hundred people in the room. “Is this all of Consec?” he asked Ruth.
“Oh Goodness, no. This is just one chapter. American North East. There are four chapters in the USA and two in Canada. They have these little chapter soirées twice a year and our local one is in Montreal.”
With the desserts served, the tables were cleared and coffees served as Consec Leader took to the podium.
“Good evening, Consec Partners… You know me… And I know all of you.” The room burst into rapturous applause. “I always enjoy these dinners. I always enjoy meeting the people who are changing the world and there have been some extraordinary changes even since we last met some six months ago. In particular, the geopolitics of our fight against totalitarian hegemony has entered a new phase with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.” The enjoyment from the applause dissipated quickly. The atmosphere of the room went serious. “We have watched for some time as the Soviets meddled in the affairs of Afghanistan. Their motivation was to keep that part of the world behind the curtain. We’ve watched for years as their involvement deepened. Then we awoke on Christmas morning to hear that Brezhnev had ordered his 40th Army into Kabul. In one stroke, the Soviet Premier signalled to the world that he was prepared to abandon detente and return to expansionism.”
Brian noticed many nods around the room. In particular he noticed, the ribboned ex-generals making eye-contact amongst themselves.
“I’ve got to tell you,” Leader said. “That this looks like dangerous times. Only in July did President Carter sign PD-59 in direct response to this aggression. A change in strategic thinking. An escalation of our nuclear capability giving us a look-shoot-look capability. We’re suddenly in a world where we won’t be making less nuclear arms, we’re going to be making more… Dangerous times for the world, people… Dangerous times… This is a moment where we are on the precipice of global war. A time when the balance of power can swing from an unforced error on a battlefield.”
Again, heads nodded around the room.
“So let me tell you,” Leader continued. “When I woke up last Christmas morning… I don’t think Santa Claus could have brought us a greater gift than what Brezhnev delivered.”
The room burst into laughter and sudden applause leaving Brian and Barry dumbfounded. They looked to one another both believing they had missed or misunderstood the joke.
“Now, we all know there has been a persistent fear of the Soviets waging a land war across the fields of Europe. But since we began seeing Russian military advisors in Afghanistan we’ve always hoped that the Red Army would roll on in. In Afghanistan the Soviets face endless conflict. We know if they can be tied up in that worthless theatre, they would lose their capacity to fight anywhere else; and that is exactly what you as Consec partners are going to make happen.”
Again, the room burst into applause.
Consec Leader made a little giggle, speaking almost as though it was an aside, a deliberate stage whisper caught by the microphone. “We’re going to make so much money.” To this the room echoed with laughter and the applause began again.
“There are three sources of revenue for Consec Partners. Firstly, the ruling family of Saudi Arabia have emptied their prisons, offering convicts a one way ticket to engage in holy war. The Saudi’s see this as a way to deflect criticism of their own leadership… However,” Leader paused for effect and smiled, “The Saudi’s don’t know a damn about running a war.” The room laughed again. "King Khalid has approached America asking for help managing this war and America has agreed to match the Saudi investment; but, and here is where you as Consec Partners take your share, Am
erica cannot be seen engaging in a proxy war with the Soviets. No American troops can enter Afghanistan, so I have arranged, with the help of some Partners here tonight, a revenue chain to the Pakistani ISI intelligence services and to Chinese weapons manufacturers. The Pakistani’s will run the operations on the ground in Afghanistan. The Chinese will supply the weapons. The religious mullahs will fight on the battlefield, the Americans and Saudis will pay for it… and you, the Consec Partners, can take any contract that suits your business.”
The room erupted into applause.
“Better yet, the United Nations have already earmarked billions of dollars to relief operations and again, Consec Partners will have first choice on every single UN contract.” The Leader made a gentle chuckle. “We’re going to make more money on this than we did in Vietnam.” The room joined in with the laughter. “In fact, this war could run and run. We anticipate this conflict will not only cripple the Soviets, it has the potential to usher in a new decade of warfare; and Consec and Consec Partners will be there to reap the rewards.”
The room stood and clapped. A deafening round of applause for Consec Leader and his geopolitical vision.
“This could be the big one,” he continued. “We have nuclear advantage, conventional advantage, capital