The old woman said, “That is mine! What are you doing?”
“I am giving you half of what I brought back from my hunting,” said Begi.
Then he tore off half the old woman’s cloak and put it on and went away.
After that the people made up their own minds and did not have to pay the old woman anything.
continuity (32)
FIRST WITH THE NEWS
Still a little dazed, having been called from bed, Norman stared at the face in the phone-screen. It was that of E. Prosper Rankin, the company secretary of GT.
“Norman, I thought I’d better call you at once and tell you the news before it breaks over the TV. You may have to take some urgent precautionary measures. Old GT has had a cerebral haemorrhage and isn’t expected to last the day.”
The identity of initials between creator and creation filled Norman’s mind briefly with a vision of the GT tower bursting apart in its upper storeys and pouring dark red blood from its windows. He said after a pause, “What should we do here, then—slack the tempo?”
“The exact opposite,” grunted Rankin. His manner indicated that he had not expected Norman to mouth any conventional professions of regret. Georgette Tallon Buckfast, all her life, had been a person to admire but not to love. “The first effect is bound to be a wave of panic selling in GT shares and all the subsidiary companies. Our estimates are that prices will drop by thirty to forty million today regardless of what we do. We desperately need something to kick them back up again as soon as possible.”
“And you’re counting on the Beninia project to provide the rebound.” Norman frowned. “Well, I don’t see why it shouldn’t—we secured our parliamentary ratification yesterday, on schedule, and Dr. Ram Ibusa is making arrangements to fly to New York with me and sign the contracts on behalf of the government.”
“I see a reason why it shouldn’t,” Rankin countered grimly. “I haven’t told you what the shock was which caved in Old GT.”
Premonition filled Norman’s mind with the sound of earthquakes.
“When we switched Shalmaneser’s own programme for the project from ‘hypothetical’ to ‘actual’, he rejected it. And the technicians can’t find out why.”
“But—!” Norman groped for words. “But Shal must have some sort of grounds for the rejection!”
“Oh, the first thing they did was ask him pointblank why. He spat back everything he’d been fed about Beninia and its people and announced that it was inconsistent with the larger mass of data already in store.” Rankin pounded fist into palm. “And that’s absurd! Every last item has been checked out on the ground by you and your team … Any ideas?”
Norman shook his head, numbed.
“Well, you’d better start thinking hard. My feeling is that we’re going to have to launch the project anyhow and pray for a miracle to save us from calamity. If we don’t get out the grand slam publicity in forty-eight hours at the latest, a calamity of a different kind is due beyond doubt. According to a digest of data about Beninia which I viewed the other day, the people there were alleged by their neighbours to be pretty competent wizards. You’re on the spot—go see if they can conjure up the miracle we need!”
He cut the circuit and the screen died slowly into dark.
the happening world (14)
RECRUITING POSTERS
THE BENINIA CONSORTIUM
(General Technics Inc.
General Technics (Great Britain and Commonwealth) Ltd.
General Technics (Australasia) Pty.
General Technics (France) SA
General Technics (Deutschland) GmbH
General Technics (Scandinavia) Aktiebolaget
General Technics (Latin America) SA
General Technics (Johannesburg) Pty.
Mid-Atlantic Mining Inc.
and all subsidiary companies and corporations of the above)
TOGETHER WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF BENINIA
announce the flotation of a substantial PUBLIC LOAN FUND yielding a warranted FIVE PER CENT PER ANNUM with excellent prospect of a yield approaching EIGHT PER CENT (fully computed by General Technics’ “Shalmaneser”)
The term of the loan to be in the first instance 20 YEARS with option of reversion or continued participation for a further 30 YEARS making 50 YEARS IN ALL
Prospectus and certified true copies of the above-mentioned computer analysis available on request from …
* * *
THE BENINIA CONSORTIUM
invites applications for contracts of employment in the country of Beninia from persons having experience of West African conditions particularly in the former colonial territories. Salaries will be generous. The term of employment will depend on circumstances but is expected to average five years. Round-trip allowance; one month home vacation and two months local vacation per two-year period; removal and resettlement expenses; generous weighting for sub-standard conditions of accomodation. Write, giving details of time spent in West Africa and full description of posts occupied, to …
* * *
THE BENINIA CONSORTIUM
requires staff preferably but not necessarily having experience in West Africa, in the following specialities:
Architecture
Education
Transportation
Communications
Civil engineering
Mechanical engineering
City planning
Medicine (esp. tropical)
Law
Economics
Cybernetics
Power, light and heat
Plant erection
Human ecology
Water purification
Public health & sanitation
Textiles
Agriculture
Ore refining
Production planning
Plastics synthesis
Electronics
Mining, mineralogy
Printing & publishing
—and literally EVERY OTHER DISCIPLINE involved in the running of a 21st-century nation! Applications to …
* * *
WANT TO GET OUT AND SEE THE WORLD BEFORE YOU SETTLE DOWN?
WANT TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE?
WANT TO ENJOY TOP PAY AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCE?
The Beninia Project is one of the most exciting ideas ever conceived and YOU can be part of it!
Call us at …
* * *
Stock cue VISUAL: white boy age appx. 17 lifts up negro child to see handsome tall new building under blue sky.
Stock cue SOUND: “Thinking about … Beninia?”
Stock cue VISUAL: BCU child’s wondering face.
Stock cue SOUND: “That’s the part of the big scene where more things will be happening … more marvels will be wrought!”
Stock cue VISUAL: cliptage splitscreen—jungle with animals, building in course of erection, children running, river with boats, etc.
Stock cue SOUND: “Beninia Theme” specially recorded by the Em Thirty-Ones.
Stock cue VISUAL: Mr. & Mrs. Everywhere walk across village square with tame deer following towards (pan) fine new sky-line of buildings and people of village fall in behind, children playing with deer and trying to get on for a ride.
Stock cue SOUND: “Beninia Theme” down and speech over—“You too could be part of this fantastic, magnificent, unprecedented twenty-first century venture! Note the number of the nearest agency hiring volunteers!”