The Third Twin Part 37

"When I was at Harvard, forty years ago."

"He must be one of your oldest friends."

"Yes."

"And in later years I believe you and he set up Genetico together."

"Yes."

"So he's also your business partner."

"Yes."

"The company is in the process of being taken over by Landsmann, the German pharmaceuticals conglomerate."

"Yes."

"No doubt Mr. Barck will make a lot of money out of the takeover."

"No doubt."

"How much?"

"I think that's confidential."

Steve decided not to press him on the amount. His reluctance to disclose the figure was damaging enough.

"Another friend of yours stands to make a killing: Senator Proust. According to the news today, he's going to use his payout to finance a presidential election campaign."

"I didn't watch the news this morning."

"But Jim Proust is a friend of yours, isn't he? You must have known he was thinking of running for president."

"I believe everyone knew he was thinking thinking of it." of it."

"Are you going to make money from the takeover?"

"Yes."

Steve moved away from Jeannie and toward Berrington, so that all eyes would be on Berrington. "So you're a shareholder, not just a consultant."

"It's common enough to be both."

"Professor, how much will you make from this takeover?"

"I think that's private."

Steve was not going to let him get away with it this time. "At any rate, the price being paid for the company is one hundred and eighty million dollars, according to The Wall Street Journal The Wall Street Journal."

"Yes."

Steve repeated the amount. "One hundred and eighty million dollars." He paused long enough to create a pregnant silence. It was the kind of money that professors never saw, and he wanted to give the committee members the feeling that Berrington was not one them at all, but a being of a different kind altogether. "You are one of three people who will share one hundred and eighty million dollars."

Berrington nodded.

"So you had a lot to be nervous about when you learned of the New York Times New York Times article. Your friend Preston is selling his company, your friend Jim is running for president, and you're about to make a fortune. Are you sure it was the reputation of Jones Falls that was on your mind when you fired Dr. Ferrami? Or was it all your other worries? Let's be frank, Professor-you panicked." article. Your friend Preston is selling his company, your friend Jim is running for president, and you're about to make a fortune. Are you sure it was the reputation of Jones Falls that was on your mind when you fired Dr. Ferrami? Or was it all your other worries? Let's be frank, Professor-you panicked."

"I most certainly-"

"You read a hostile newspaper article, you envisioned the takeover melting away, and you reacted hastily. You let the New York Times New York Times scare you." scare you."

"It takes more than the New York Times New York Times to scare me, young man. I acted quickly and decisively, but not hastily." to scare me, young man. I acted quickly and decisively, but not hastily."

"You made no attempt to discover the source of the newspaper's information."

"No."

"How many days did you spend investigating the truth, or otherwise, of the allegations?"

"It didn't take long-"

"Hours rather than days?"

"Yes-"

"Or was it in fact less than an hour less than an hour before you had approved a press release saying that Dr. Ferrami's program was canceled?" before you had approved a press release saying that Dr. Ferrami's program was canceled?"

"I'm quite sure it was more than an hour."

Steve shrugged emphatically. "Let us be generous and say it was two hours. Was that long enough?" He turned and gestured toward Jeannie, so that they would look at her. "After two hours you decided to jettison a young scientist's entire research program?" The pain was visible on Jeannie's face. Steve felt an agonizing pang of pity for her. But he had to play on her emotion, for her own good. He twisted the knife in the wound. "After two hours you knew enough to make a decision to destroy the work of years? Enough to end a promising career? Enough to ruin a woman's life?"

"I asked her to defend herself," Berrington said indignantly. "She lost her temper and walked out of the room!"

Steve hesitated, then decided to take a theatrical risk. "She walked out of the room!" he said in mock amazement. "She walked out of the room! You showed her a press release announcing the cancellation of her program. No investigation of the source of the newspaper story, no appraisal of the validity of the allegations, no time for discussion, no due process of any kind-you simply declared to this young scientist that her entire life was ruined-and all she did was walk out of the room?" walk out of the room?" Berrington opened his mouth to speak, but Steve overrode him. "When I think of the injustice, the illegality, the sheer Berrington opened his mouth to speak, but Steve overrode him. "When I think of the injustice, the illegality, the sheer foolishness, foolishness, of what you did on Wednesday morning, Professor, I cannot imagine how Dr. Ferrami summoned the restraint and self-discipline to confine herself to such a simple, eloquent protest." He walked back to his seat in silence, then turned to the committee and said: "No more questions." of what you did on Wednesday morning, Professor, I cannot imagine how Dr. Ferrami summoned the restraint and self-discipline to confine herself to such a simple, eloquent protest." He walked back to his seat in silence, then turned to the committee and said: "No more questions."

Jeannie's eyes were lowered, but she squeezed his arm. He leaned over and whispered: "How are you?"

"I'm okay."

He patted her hand. He wanted to say, "I think we've won it," but that would have been tempting fate.

Henry Quinn stood up. He seemed unperturbed. He should have looked more worried after Steve made mincemeat of hisclient. But no doubt it was part of his skill to remain unruffled no matter how badly his case was going.

Quinn said: "Professor, if the university had not discontinued Dr. Ferrami's research program, and had not fired her, would that have made any difference to the takeover of Genetico by Landsmann?"

"None at all," Berrington replied.

"Thank you. No more questions."

That was pretty effective, Steve thought sourly. It kind of punctured his whole cross-examination. He tried not to let Jeannie see the disappointment on his face.

It was Jeannie's turn, and Steve stood up and led her through her evidence. She was calm and clear as she described her research program and explained the importance of finding raised-apart twins who were criminals. She detailed the precautions she took to ensure that no one's medical details became known before they had signed a release.

He expected Quinn to cross-examine her and try to show that there was a minuscule chance that confidential information would be revealed by accident. Steve and Jeannie had rehea.r.s.ed this last night, with him playing the role of prosecution lawyer. But to his surprise Quinn did not have any questions. Was he afraid she would defend herself too ably? Or was he confident he had the verdict sewn up?

Quinn summed up first. He repeated much of Berrington's evidence, once again being more tedious than Steve thought wise. His concluding speech was short enough, however. "This is a crisis that should never have happened," he said. "The university authorities behaved judiciously throughout. It was Dr. Ferrami's impetuousness and intransigence that caused all the drama. Of course she has a contract, and that contract governs her relations with her employer. But senior faculty are, after all, required to supervise junior faculty; and junior faculty, if they have any sense at all, will listen to wise counsel from those older and more experienced than they. Dr Ferrami's stubborn defiance turned a problem into a crisis, and the only solution to the crisis is for her to leave the university." He sat down.

It was time for Steve's speech. He had been rehearsing it all night. He stood up.

"What is Jones Falls University for?"

He paused for dramatic effect.

"The answer may be expressed in one word: knowledge. knowledge. If we wanted a nutsh.e.l.l definition of the role of the university in American society, we might say its function is to If we wanted a nutsh.e.l.l definition of the role of the university in American society, we might say its function is to seek seek knowledge and to knowledge and to spread spread knowledge." knowledge."

He looked at each of the committee, inviting their agreement. Jane Edelsborough nodded. The others were impa.s.sive.

He resumed: "Now and again, that function comes under attack. There are always people who want to hide the truth, for one reason or another: political motives, religious prejudice"-he looked at Berrington-"or commercial advantage. I think everyone here would agree that the school's intellectual independence is crucial to its reputation. That independence has to be balanced against other obligations, obviously, such as the need to respect the civil rights of individuals. However, a vigorous defense of the university's right to pursue knowledge would enhance its reputation among all thinking people."

He waved a hand to indicate the university. "Jones Falls is important to everyone here. The reputation of an academic may rise and fall with that of the inst.i.tution where he or she works. I ask you to think about the effect your verdict will have on the reputation of JFU as a free, independent academic inst.i.tution. Will the university be cowed by the intellectually shallow a.s.sault of a daily newspaper? Will a program of scientific research be canceled for the sake of a commercial takeover bid? I hope not. I hope the committee will bolster JFU's reputation by showing that what matters here is one simple value: truth." He looked at them, letting his words sink in. He could not tell, from their expressions, whether his speech had touched them or not. After a moment he sat down.

"Thank you," said Jack Budgen. "Would everyone except committee members step outside while we deliberate, please?"

Steve held the door for Jeannie and followed her into the hallway. They left the building and stood in the shade of a tree. Jeannie was pale with tension. "What do you think?" she said.

"We have to win," he said. "We're right."

"What am I going to do if we lose?" she said. "Move to Nebraska? Get a job as a schoolteacher? Become a stewardess, like Penny Watermeadow?"

"Who's Penny Watermeadow?"

Before she could answer him, she saw something over his shoulder that made her hesitate. Steve turned around and saw Henry Quinn, smoking a cigarette. "You were very sharp in there," Quinn said. "I hope you won't think me condescending if I say I enjoyed matching wits with you."

Jeannie made a disgusted noise and turned away.

Steve was able to be more detached. Lawyers were supposed to be like this, friendly with their opponents outside the courtroom. Besides, one day he might find himself asking Quinn for a job. "Thank you," he said politely.

"You certainly had the best of the arguments," Quinn went on, surprising Steve by his frankness. "On the other hand, in a case like this people vote their self-interest, and all those committee members are senior professors. They'll find it hard to support a youngster against someone of their own group, regardless of the arguments."

"They are all intellectuals," Steve said. "They're committed to rationality."

Quinn nodded. "You might be right," he said. He gave Steve a speculative look then said: "Have you any idea what this is really really about?" about?"

"What do you mean?" Steve said cautiously.

"Berrington is obviously terrified of something something, and it isn't bad publicity. I wondered if you and Dr. Ferrami might know what."

"I believe we do," Steve said. "But we can't prove it, yet."

"Keep trying," Quinn said. He dropped his cigarette and stepped on it. "G.o.d forbid that Jim Proust should be president." He turned away.

What about that, Steve thought; a closet liberal.

Jack Budgen appeared in the entrance and made a summoning gesture. Steve took Jeannie's arm and they went back in.

He studied the faces of the committee. Jack Budgen met his eye. Jane Edelsborough gave him a little smile.

That was a good sign. His hopes soared.

They all sat down.

Jack Budgen shuffled his papers unnecessarily. "We thank both parties for enabling this hearing to be conducted with dignity." He paused solemnly. "Our decision is unanimous. We recommend to the senate of this university that Dr. Jean Ferrami be dismissed. Thank you."

Jeannie buried her head in her hands.

40.

WHEN AT LAST J JEANNIE WAS ALONE, SHE THREW HERSELF ON her bed and cried. her bed and cried.

She cried for a long time. She pounded her pillows, shouted at the wall, and uttered the filthiest words she knew; then she buried her face in the quilt and cried some more. Her sheets were wet with tears and streaked black with mascara.

After a while she got up and washed her face and put coffee on. "It's not like you've got cancer," she said to herself. "Come on, shape up." But it was hard. She was not going to die, okay, but she had lost everything she lived for.

She thought of herself at twenty-one. She had graduated summa c.u.m laude and won the Mayfair Lites Challenge in the same year. She saw herself on the court, holding the cup high in the traditional gesture of triumph. The world had been at her feet. When she looked back she felt as if a different person had held up that trophy.

She sat on the couch drinking coffee. Her father, that old b.a.s.t.a.r.d, had stolen her TV, so she could not even watch dumbsoap operas to take her mind off her misery. She would have pigged out on chocolate if she had any. She thought of booze but decided it would make her more depressed. Shopping? She would probably burst into tears in the fitting room, and anyway she was now even more broke than before.

At around two o'clock the phone rang.

Jeannie ignored it.

However, the caller was persistent, and she got fed up with listening to the ring, so in the end she picked it up.

It was Steve. After the hearing he had gone back to Was.h.i.+ngton for a meeting with his lawyer. "I'm at the law office now," he said. "We want you to take legal action against Jones Falls for recovery of your FBI list. My family will pay the costs. They think it will be worth it for the chance of finding the third twin."

Jeannie said: "I don't give a s.h.i.+t about the third twin."

There was a pause, then he said: "It's important to me."

She sighed. With all my troubles, I'm supposed to worry about Steve? With all my troubles, I'm supposed to worry about Steve? Then she caught herself. Then she caught herself. He worried about me, didn't he? He worried about me, didn't he? She felt ashamed. "Steve, forgive me," she said. "I'm feeling sorry for myself. Of course I'll help you. What do I have to do?" She felt ashamed. "Steve, forgive me," she said. "I'm feeling sorry for myself. Of course I'll help you. What do I have to do?"

"Nothing. The lawyer will go to court, provided you give your permission."