Read Online Black Swan by Chris Knopf - Free Book Online
Authors: Chris Knopf
beginning late the next day, Tuesday, and running through Thursday afternoon. She went deeper into the site and found speculation that we were in for a full-out gale. Most big winds came out of the northwest or northeast that time of year, but this was a rare sou'wester.
    The commentator included a link to a climate change site called itstoolatebaby.com. I clicked on it for the hell of it. They said we were in for a series of big storms, in rapid succession, and that the corporate executives responsible should be tried in the world court for crimes against humanity. I thought I probably wouldn't go that far, though I might make exceptions for a few, not for the same offenses.
    We heard a little ding. It was the email program telling us Burton had written back. He wrote that the plane he'd chartered would be delivering the goods the next morning, in time to get back to Maine before the storm hit.
    "Put up more vodka. You'll be pinned to the dock for a few days," he wrote, signing off.
    Gwyneth brought us our coffee orders.
    "Your friend told me you're staying at the Swan," she said.
    "At one of their docks."
    "They have the only rentable rooms on the whole island," she said.
    "Get out of here," said Amanda, not looking up from the screen.
    "I'm surprised the town didn't buy the place so they could shut it down," said Gwyneth. "Not the worst thing. I've got a sleeping porch with a fold-out cot. I could corner the market. What happened to the nose?" she asked me.
    "Rene Ruiz, the Filipino Phantom, took advantage of a moment's distraction and busted it with a right jab."
58 BLACK SWAN
"You could have that straightened out."
    "Not without losing a daily reminder to pay attention, especially in a boxing match," I said.
    "Those Swissies who bought the Swan, what do you think?" she asked.
    "They'll try to make a success of the place," said Amanda, rescuing me from having to dodge the question. "What do you think?"
    "I thought they'd already thrown in the towel and you two were the next owners."
    "Really," said Amanda.
    "Are you?"
    "No," said Amanda. "We want what everyone else wants of us. To leave here as soon as possible."
    "Not me," said Gwyneth. "You can stay forever far's I'm concerned. Improve the gene pool. Though you're a little old for that. I'm forty-two. Tell me I don't look a day older than seventy-five. What's your position on cannabis? Stuff grows like Topsy on the island."
    "We're all set, but thanks," said Amanda, vaguely, her attention still thoroughly absorbed by what she had on her screen.
    I didn't know much about the Internet, not owning a computer or committing much time to learning the ins and outs. What little I did know I'd learned from Jackie Swaitkowski, my lawyer friend, who like Amanda, seemed to have a remarkable facility with the thing. I realized much of the world's information was now literally at your fingertips, an alluring concept. Maybe after I finished all the books at the Southampton Library I'd give it a shot.
    "Subversive Technologies, headquartered in Weston, Massachusetts and developers of the software N-Spock, has a market capitalization of one point five billion dollars. Golly," said Amanda, reading off her screen. "That should help cover the Swan's new paint job."
    "And Fey sold out?" I asked.
Chris Knopf 59
    She scrolled down the page. "Apparently. The other cofounder, CEO and CFO Myron Sanderfreud, now holds the controlling shares, followed by Derrick Hammon, formerly head of sales and marketing, who succeeded Fey as Chief Technology Officer. He's in charge of the next big release, N-Spock 5.0, projected for the 1 Q
    The commentator included a link to a climate change site called itstoolatebaby.com. I clicked on it for the hell of it. They said we were in for a series of big storms, in rapid succession, and that the corporate executives responsible should be tried in the world court for crimes against humanity. I thought I probably wouldn't go that far, though I might make exceptions for a few, not for the same offenses.
    We heard a little ding. It was the email program telling us Burton had written back. He wrote that the plane he'd chartered would be delivering the goods the next morning, in time to get back to Maine before the storm hit.
    "Put up more vodka. You'll be pinned to the dock for a few days," he wrote, signing off.
    Gwyneth brought us our coffee orders.
    "Your friend told me you're staying at the Swan," she said.
    "At one of their docks."
    "They have the only rentable rooms on the whole island," she said.
    "Get out of here," said Amanda, not looking up from the screen.
    "I'm surprised the town didn't buy the place so they could shut it down," said Gwyneth. "Not the worst thing. I've got a sleeping porch with a fold-out cot. I could corner the market. What happened to the nose?" she asked me.
    "Rene Ruiz, the Filipino Phantom, took advantage of a moment's distraction and busted it with a right jab."
58 BLACK SWAN
"You could have that straightened out."
    "Not without losing a daily reminder to pay attention, especially in a boxing match," I said.
    "Those Swissies who bought the Swan, what do you think?" she asked.
    "They'll try to make a success of the place," said Amanda, rescuing me from having to dodge the question. "What do you think?"
    "I thought they'd already thrown in the towel and you two were the next owners."
    "Really," said Amanda.
    "Are you?"
    "No," said Amanda. "We want what everyone else wants of us. To leave here as soon as possible."
    "Not me," said Gwyneth. "You can stay forever far's I'm concerned. Improve the gene pool. Though you're a little old for that. I'm forty-two. Tell me I don't look a day older than seventy-five. What's your position on cannabis? Stuff grows like Topsy on the island."
    "We're all set, but thanks," said Amanda, vaguely, her attention still thoroughly absorbed by what she had on her screen.
    I didn't know much about the Internet, not owning a computer or committing much time to learning the ins and outs. What little I did know I'd learned from Jackie Swaitkowski, my lawyer friend, who like Amanda, seemed to have a remarkable facility with the thing. I realized much of the world's information was now literally at your fingertips, an alluring concept. Maybe after I finished all the books at the Southampton Library I'd give it a shot.
    "Subversive Technologies, headquartered in Weston, Massachusetts and developers of the software N-Spock, has a market capitalization of one point five billion dollars. Golly," said Amanda, reading off her screen. "That should help cover the Swan's new paint job."
    "And Fey sold out?" I asked.
Chris Knopf 59
    She scrolled down the page. "Apparently. The other cofounder, CEO and CFO Myron Sanderfreud, now holds the controlling shares, followed by Derrick Hammon, formerly head of sales and marketing, who succeeded Fey as Chief Technology Officer. He's in charge of the next big release, N-Spock 5.0, projected for the 1 Q
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