Part 72 (2/2)
Matsuo Noda had become a legend in his own mind. Why tamper with perfection?
”Have to admit, too, the idea of using our international bank cover to gobble up America's blue chips incognito was a stroke of genius.
Congratulations. You're about to scare MITI and the rest of j.a.pan half to death. Not to mention the world. With DNI heading up the management, who knows what could happen? You can probably write your own ticket back home after this.”
”Your friend Dr. Henderson's young colleague was invaluable.”
Was?
Alas, poor Jim Bob. Did that mean he wasn't going to live long enough to spend the new fortune he thought he was about to make? Maybe Noda was planning to do half of my work for me.
”I guess a few of those phone taps you like so much led you straight to him, right? You were probably at least a day ahead of everything we did.”
”Good intelligence is vital to any successful endeavor, Mr. Walton. You should remember that from Sun Tzu's cla.s.sic Art of War.”
The man was right on.
”All these dummy corporations.” I was still running the stall. ”A little stock bought by each one, the SEC will never suspect. You just roll trades worldwide, till--”
”As long as necessary.”
”Who knows you're doing this?” Was it possible some rogue financier such as Noda really could pull a fast one on the whole world, use j.a.panese inst.i.tutional money for whatever he pleased? ”Have you cleared this with the fund managers . . . ?”
”It was not necessary, Mr. Walton. I have long since earned the trust of my colleagues.” Again he had a weird look in his eye. Matsuo Noda, I realized, was currently operating from a distant planet.
Needless to say, our dialogue hadn't done a lot to calm my nervous system. The obvious solution to Noda's secrecy requirements didn't include a lengthy life span for a lot of loudmouthed gaijin. Time to wrap up the stock market games and get back to swordsmans.h.i.+p.
”At this point there's only one problem left, but I suppose
you've already thought of it too. If word of this anonymous takeover breaks too soon, the exchanges might just decide to shut down trading and stop you. Which means we're all a threat to you at this point.”
He stood unmoving. ”That matter will be addressed presently.”
How soon, I wondered, was ”presently”?
”But haven't you forgotten somebody? Bill Henderson. The man's no fool.
The minute he figures out your play, which he surely will, he's going to start blowing word all over the newspapers. You'll never get away with this.”
Noda smiled lightly. ”It would be helpful if he were here now. Perhaps you could be good enough to arrange for it.”
So with Matsuo Noda standing over me, Uzi next to my head, I called Henderson on my speakerphone. He picked up after eight rings.
”Bill. Getting rich?”
”Walton, what time is it? G.o.ddam, you woke me up.” He yawned into the receiver. ”Jesus, I feel like h.e.l.l. What's going on? Everything still looking okay?”
”Couldn't be better. Quite a party around here. Want to come back down and help us celebrate?”
”Well . . . what the . . . ! It's after eleven already. Hey, let me check out the market first. Be down there in a little.”
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