BURN by Lars Emmerich

Author:Lars Emmerich [Emmerich, Lars]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lars Emmerich

25

If you’re ever in a negotiating situation and you think you might like to try the trick where you cut off the other guy’s pinky finger, you should first be aware of a few considerations. A move like that is definitely a terrific attention-getter. You instantly separate yourself from the mediocre hordes who lack the willpower to pull off such a stunt. The guy with the severed finger fully understands how serious you are. He also thinks, maybe rightfully so, that you’re a little bit nuts. This can work to your advantage as long as you don’t get grossed out by the blood and the severed finger, and as long as you’re not stricken by remorse over what you’ve just done, because your guy will wonder what else you’re capable of. I mean, why stop at a finger? What’s to stop you from slicing off more important parts?

On the other hand, the shock and fear and pain of losing a finger doesn’t help the guy’s concentration much. There’s going to be some period of time when the now-fingerless guy does some crazy stuff. He might yell and flail and curse and try to do something stupid. You need to be ready for this.

Donald John grabbed his newly remodeled hand and cradled it while he screamed bloody murder. If it wasn’t for the deafening noise of the club outside the offices and our thorough job of securing the guard on duty, it would have made me very nervous. When you slice a guy’s finger off, the last thing you want is for someone to barge in on your negotiations. The new arrival might not fully understand your negotiating position, and might suddenly be prejudiced against you.

I let Donald John come to grips with his new reality for a couple of seconds, and then I slapped his face. Three times—one, two, three. My hand stung afterward; I really put some mustard behind the slaps. They seemed to do the trick, because Donald John’s attention was no longer on his hand. It was now on me. This is what you want. It’s a sign that your audience is receptive and ready to begin negotiations.

I didn’t say anything to Donald John, and neither did Kittredge. You don’t want to show too much of your hand up front. You made a big opening move, which revealed quite a bit about your negotiating strategy. It also told your adversary a great deal about yourself. After your big opener, it’s often useful to take a step back and let the other guy make the next move. After all, it isn’t as if he doesn’t know what you’re after.

Donald John swiveled his chair toward me. “This is the last day of your life,” he said through clenched teeth.

I didn’t view this as a constructive comment. It didn’t move us forward in our negotiations. I brandished the knife in my right hand, holding it up in front of John’s face. I didn’t use it, though. Instead, I thrust my torso forward and swung my elbow.

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