d.”
“WhatrealisticallywillhappentoyourinterestinMillenniumifHenrikdies?”
“Nothingatall.Martinwilltakehisplaceontheboard.”
“Isthereanyrisk,hypotheticallyspeaking,thatMartinmightcreateproblemsforMillenniumifIdon’tputastoptotheinvestigationofHarriet’sdisappearance?”
Frodegavehimasharplook.
“What’shappened?”
“Nothing,actually.”MikaeltoldhimabouttheconversationhehadhadwithMartinVangeronMidsummerEve.“WhenIwasinNorsj?ErikatoldmethatMartinhadcalledherandsaidthathethoughtIwasverymuchneededbackattheoffice.”
“Iunderstand.MyguessisthatCeciliawasafterhim.ButIdon’tthinkthatMartinwouldputpressureonyoulikethatonhisown.He’smuchtoosavvy.Andremember,I’malsoontheboardofthelittlesubsidiaryweformedwhenweboughtintoMillennium.”
“Butwhatifaticklishsituationcameup—howwouldyouactthen?”
“Contractsexisttobehonoured.IworkforHenrik.HenrikandIhavebeenfriendsforforty-fiveyears,andweareinpleteagreementinsuchmatters.IfHenrikshoulddieitisinpointoffactI—notMartin—whowouldinheritHenrik’sshareinthesubsidiary.WehaveacontractinwhichwehaveundertakentobackMillenniumforthreeyears.ShouldMartinwishtostartanymischief—whichIdon’tbelievehewill—thentheoreticallyhecouldputthebrakesonasmallnumberofnewadvertisers.”
“ThelifebloodofMillennium’sexistence.”
“Yes,butlookatitthisway—worryingaboutsuchtriviaisawasteoftime.Martinispresentlyfightingforhisindustrialsurvivalandworkingfourteenhoursaday.Hedoesn’thavetimeforanythingelse.”
“MayIask—Iknowit’snoneofmybusiness—whatisthegeneralconditionofthecorporation?”
Frodelookedgrave.
“Wehaveproblems.”
“Yes,evenamonfinancialreporterlikemyselfcanseethat.Imean,howseriousisit?”
“Offtherecord?”
“Betweenus.”
“We’velosttwolargeordersintheelectronicsindustryinthepastfewweeksandareabouttobeejectedfromtheRussianmarket.InSeptemberwe’regoingtohavetolayoff1,600employeesin?rebroandTrollh?ttan.Notmuchofarewardtogivetopeoplewho’veworkedforthepanyformanyyears.Eachtimeweshutdo