Then she heard Bartlett begin and she knew she could safely drift for she had heard his version a hundred times before and it was part true； part false and part what he wanted to believe had happened。 How many of your legends are true … Hag Struan and Dirk Struan and what's your real story and how did you bee tai…pan？ She sipped her port； enjoying the smooth sweetness； letting her mind wander。
There's something wrong here； she was thinking now。 I can feel it strongly。 Something's wrong with Dunross。
What？
〃I first met Casey in Los Angeles； California … about seven years ago；〃 Bartlett had begun。 〃I'd gotten a letter from a Casey Tcholok； president of Hed…Opticals of Providence； who wanted to discuss a merger。 At that time I was in construction all over the L。A。 area … residential； supermarkets； a couple of good…sized office buildings； industrial； shopping centers … you name it； I'd build it。 We had a turnover of 3。2 million and I'd just gone public … but I was still a million miles away from the Big Board。 I'd… 〃
〃You mean the New York Stock Exchange？〃
〃Yes。 Anyway； Casey es in bright as a new penny and says she wants me to merge with Hed…Opticals which she says grossed 277；600 last year； and then together； we'd go after Randolf Opticals； the granddaddy of them all … 53 million in sales； quoted on the Big Board； a huge slice of the lens market and lots of cash in the bank … and I said you're crazy but why Randolf？ She said because first she was a stockholder in Bartlett Constructions … she'd bought ten one…dollar shares … I'd capitalized at a million shares and sold 500；000 at par … and she figured it'd be dandy for Bartlett Construction to own Randolf； and second； 'because this son of a bitch George Toffer who runs Randolf Opticals is a liar； a cheat； a thief； and he's trying to put me out of business。' 〃
Bartlett grinned and paused for breath and Dunross broke in with a laugh。 〃This's true； Casey？〃
Casey came back quickly。 〃Oh yes； I said that George Toffer was a liar； a cheat； thief and son of a bitch。 He still is。〃 Casey smiled without humor。 〃And he was certainly trying to put me out of business。〃
〃Why？〃
〃Because I had told him to go … to drop dead。〃
〃Why'd you do that？〃
〃I'd just taken over Hed…Opticals。 My granddad had died the previous year and we'd flipped a coin； my uncle Bghos and I； who'd get which business。 。。。 I'd won Hed…Opticals。 We'd had an offer from Randolf to buy us out a year or so back but we'd turned it down … we had a nice； small operation； a good work force； good technicians … a number of them Armenians … a little slice of the market。 But no capital and no room to maneuver but we got by and the quality of Hed…Opticals was optimum。 Just after I took over； George Toffer 'happened to drop by。' He fancied himself； my God how he fancied himself。 He claimed he was a U。S。 Army war hero but I found out he wasn't … he was that sort of guy。 Anyway； he made me another ridiculous offer to take Hed…Opticals off my hands 。。。 the poor little girl who should be in the kitchen bit； along with the 'let's have dinner tonight in my suite and why don't we have a little fun because I'm here alone for a few days。 。。。' I said no thanks and he was very put out。 Very。 But he said okay and went back to business and suggested that instead of a buy…out we subcontract some of his contracts。 He made me a good offer and after haggling a bit we agreed on terms。 If I performed on this one he said he'd double the deal。 Over the next month we did the work better and cheaper than he could ever have done it … I delivered according to contract and he made a fantastic profit。 But then he reneged on a verbal clause and deducted … stole … 20；378； and the next day five of my best customers left us for Randolf； and the next week another seven … they'd all been offered deals at less than cost。 He let me sweat for a week or two then he phoned。 'Hi； baby；' he said； happy as a toad in a pail of mud； 'I'm spending the weekend alone at Martha's Vineyard。' That's a little island off the East Coast。 Then he added； 'Why don't you e over and we'll have some fun and discuss the future and doubling our orders。' I asked for my money； and he laughed at me and told me to grow up and suggested I better reconsider his offer because at the rate I was going soon there'd be no Hed…Opticals。
〃I cursed him；〃 Casey said。 〃I can curse pretty good when I get mad and I told him what to do with himself in three languages。 Within four more weeks I'd no customers left。 Another month and the work force had to get other jobs。 About that time I thought I'd try California。 I didn't want to stay in the East。〃 She smiled wryly。 〃It was a matter of face … if I'd known about face then。 I thought I'd take a couple of weeks off to figure out what to do。 Then one day I was wandering aimlessly around a state fair in Sacramento and Linc was there。 He was selling shares in Bartlett Construction in a booth and I bought… 〃
〃He what？〃 Dunross asked。
〃Sure；〃 Bartlett said。 〃I sold upwards of 20；000 shares that way。 I covered state fairs； mail orders； supermarkets； stockbrokers； shopping centers … along with investment banks。 Sure。 Go on； Casey！〃
〃So I read his prospectus and watched him a while and thought he had a lot of get up and go。 His figures and balance sheet and expansion rate were exceptional and I thought anyone who'd pitch his own stock has got to have a future。 So I bought ten shares； wrote him and went to see him。 End of story。〃
〃The hell it is； Casey；〃 Gavallan said。
〃You tell it； Linc；〃 she said。
〃Okay。 Well； then… 〃
〃Some port； Mr。 … sorry； Linc？〃
〃Thanks Andrew； but； er； may I have another beer？〃 It arrived instantly。 〃So Casey'd e to see me。 After she'd told it； almost like she's told it now； I said； 'One thing； Casey； Hed…Opticals grossed less than 300；000…odd last year。 What's it going to do this year？'
〃 'Zero；' she said with that smile of hers。 'I'm Hed…Opticals' total asset。 In fact； I'm all there is。'
〃 'Then what's the use of my merging with zero … I've got enough problems of my own。'
〃 'I know how to take Randolf Opticals to the cleaners。'
〃 'How？'
〃 '22 percent of Randolf s is owned by three men … all of whom despise Toffer。 With 22 percent you could get control。 I know how you could get their proxies； and most of all； I know the weakness of Toffer。'
〃 'What's that？'
〃 'Vanity； and he's a megalomaniac； but most of all he's stupid。'
〃 'He can't be stupid and run that pany。'
〃 'Perhaps he wasn't once； but now he is。 He's ready to be taken。'
〃 'And what do you want out of this； Casey？'
〃 'Toffer's head … I want to do the firing。'
〃 'What else？'
〃 'If I succeed in showing you how 。。。 if we succeed in taking over Randolf Opticals； say within six months； I'd like 。。。 I'd like a one…year deal with you； to be extended to seven； at a salary you think is mensurate with my ability； as your executive vice…president in charge of acquisitions。 But I'd want it as a person； not as a woman； just as an equal person to you。 You're the boss of course； but I'm to be equal as a man would be equal； as an individual 。。。 if I deliver。' 〃
Bartlett grinned and sipped his beer。 〃I said； okay you've got a deal。 I thought； what've I got to lose … me with my lousy three…quarter million and her with her nothing zero balance for Randolf Opticals in six months； now that's one helluva steal。 So we shook； man to woman。〃 Bartlett laughed。 〃First time I'd ever made a deal with a woman； just like that … and I've never regretted it。〃
〃Thanks； Linc；〃 Casey said softly； and every one of them was envious。
And what happened after you fired Toffer； Dunross was thinking with all the others。 Is that when you two began？
〃The takeover；〃 he said to Bartlett。 〃It was smooth？〃
〃Messy； but we got blooded and the lessons I learned； we learned； paid off a thousand percent。 In five months we'd control。 Casey and I had conquered a pany 531/2 times our size。 At D…hour minus one I was down to minus 4 million dollars in the bank and goddamn near in jail； but the next hour I'd control。 Man； that was a battle and a half。 In a month and a half we'd reorganized it and now Par…Con's Randolf Division grosses 150 million