Bing, Stanley - Immortal Life by Bing Stanley

Author:Bing, Stanley [Bing, Stanley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

17

The Three Amigos

There is a special feeling in a conference room that has done its duty for the day. Everything is just a bit off. There are dirty glasses on the table. All the food is gone except for a couple of quinoa power bars, low-carb candy, the occasional cookie growing stale. There is coffee in the urns, but those who try it will be rewarded with a mouthful of tepid phlegm. A few half-dead teacups remain, the scum of dairy creamer crusting their surfaces. The shades, once closed against the distractions of the world outside, are now raised to welcome in the twinkling of the night: the lights of the campus far below; the seething glitter of the urban haze just beyond the arc of the earth.

In this particular war room, on this particular silent night, a few recessed lights shone in their invisible cornices, lending a gentle glow to the three amigos who sat quietly where the meeting had just ended. The board members had been sent to take a nap, recharge their variety of hardware and implanted prosthetics and electronics, infuse some fresh plasma, perhaps, and otherwise prepare for the ceremonial dinner that would conclude the day’s important events. They were all looking forward to it very much, for at least two reasons: first, it was quite possibly one of the final times they would all be chewing digestible slop in unison in their current physical incarnations, and, second, it was at Nobu, where it was devilishly difficult, even for them, to get a reservation. In this case, Arthur had possessed the presence of mind to secure the entire establishment for the event. He figured, hey, why not? It was the last time he would see any of the dehydrated little fucks.

Three gentlemen now sat at disparate corners of the enormous oval. Arthur himself was still at the head, leaning back in an almost completely prone position in the comfy recliner, his feet up on the hallowed surface, hands behind his head, eyes on the landscape beyond the windows. In the middle of one side was Bob, hunched over his tablet, doodling with his electronic pencil, very, very upset, although he didn’t show it. In the middle seat on the other side of the table was Mr. Mortimer, the head of security, who had been asked politely to remain after the rest of the players had departed. A companionable silence reigned over the cordial trio. This was the space between what had just occurred and what was about to happen. The agenda was up to the man who had just acquired more than any one individual had ever owned, in exchange for life eternal. The other two were content to wait.

“Bob,” said Arthur after a little while. “I’m going to talk to Mr. Mortimer here for a few minutes. You can stay if you like. But it’s not going to concern you all that much. After that, I do have a few important thoughts I’d like to share with you.

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