Part 29 (2/2)

He had taken the bribe because he had been able to tell himself it was not a bribe. Judy had asked him for help, he had agreed, she had fallen for his charms, and they had made love. As time went by he had come to see this as pure sophistry. The offer of s.e.x had been implicit in her manner, and when he had promised her what she asked she had wisely sealed the bargain. He liked to think of himself as a principled man, and he had done something absolutely shameful.

Bribing someone was almost as bad as taking a bribe. All the same, he would bribe Jack Budgen if he could. The thought made him grimace in disgust, but it had to be done. He was desperate.

He would do it the way Judy had: by giving Jack the opportunity to kid himself about it.

Berrington thought for a few minutes more, then he picked up the phone and called Jack.

”Thanks for sending me a copy of your memo about the biophysics library extension,” he began.

There was a startled pause. ”Oh, yes. That was a while ago-but I'm glad you found time to read it.”

Berrington had barely glanced at the doc.u.ment. ”I think your proposal has a lot of merit. I'm just calling to say that I'll back you when it comes before the appropriations board.”

”Thank you. I appreciate that.”

”In fact, I might be able to persuade Genetico to put up part of the funding.”

Jack seized on that idea eagerly. ”We could call it the Genetico Biophysics Library.”

”Good idea. I'll speak to them about it.” Berrington wanted Jack to bring up the subject of Jeannie. Maybe they could get to her via tennis. ”How was your summer?” he said. ”Did you get to Wimbledon?'

”Not this year. Too much work.”

”That's too bad.” With trepidation, he pretended he was about to hang up. ”Talk to you later.”

As he had hoped, Jack forestalled him. ”Uh, Berry, what do you think about this c.r.a.p in the newspapers? About Jeannie?”

Berrington concealed his relief and spoke dismissively. ”Oh, that-tempest in a teapot.”

”I've been trying to call her, but she's not in her office.”

”Don't worry about Genetico,” Berrington said, although Jack had not mentioned the company. ”They're relaxed about the whole thing. Fortunately, Maurice Obeli has acted quickly and decisively.”

”You mean the disciplinary hearing.”

”I imagine that will be a formality. She's embarra.s.sing the university, she's refused to stop, and she's gone to the press. I doubt she'll even trouble to defend herself. I've told the people at Genetico that we have the situation under control. At present there's no threat to the college's relations.h.i.+p with them.”

”That's good.”

”Of course, if the committee should take Jeannie's side against Maurice, for some reason, we'd be in trouble. But I don't think that's very likely-do you?” Berrington held his breath.

”You know I'm chair of the committee?”

Jack had evaded the question. d.a.m.n you. d.a.m.n you. ”Yes, and I'm very pleased there's such a cool head in charge of the proceedings.” He mentioned a shaven-headed professor of philosophy. ”If Malcolm Barnet had been chair, G.o.d knows what might have happened.” ”Yes, and I'm very pleased there's such a cool head in charge of the proceedings.” He mentioned a shaven-headed professor of philosophy. ”If Malcolm Barnet had been chair, G.o.d knows what might have happened.”

Jack laughed. ”The senate has more sense. They wouldn't put Malcolm in charge of the parking committee-he'd try to use it as an instrument of social change.”

”But with you in charge I a.s.sume the committee will support the president.”

Once again Jack's reply was tantalizingly ambivalent. ”Not all the committee members are predictable.”

You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, are you doing this to torment me? ”But the chair is not a loose cannon, I'm sure of that.” Berrington wiped a droplet of sweat from his forehead. ”But the chair is not a loose cannon, I'm sure of that.” Berrington wiped a droplet of sweat from his forehead.

There was a pause. ”Berry, it would be wrong for me to prejudge the issue...”

The h.e.l.l with you!

”...but I think I can say that Genetico need not worry about this.”

At last! ”Thank you, Jack. I appreciate it.” ”Thank you, Jack. I appreciate it.”

”Strictly between the two of us, of course.”

”Naturally.”

”Then I'll see you tomorrow.”

”Bye.” Berrington hung up. Jesus, that was hard! Jesus, that was hard!

Did Jack really not know he had just been bribed? Did he kid himself about it? Of did he understand perfectly well, but simply pretend not to?

It did not matter, so long as he steered the committee the right way.

That might not be the end of it, of course. The committee's decision had to be ratified by a meeting of the full senate. At some point Jeannie might hire a hotshot lawyer and start to sue the university for all kinds of compensation. The case could drag on for years. But her investigations would be halted, and that was all that mattered.

However, the committee's decision was not yet in the bag. If things went wrong tomorrow morning, Jeannie could be back at her desk by midday, hot on the trail of Genetico's guilty secrets. Berrington shuddered: G.o.d forbid. He pulled a scratch pad to him and wrote down the names of the committee members.

Jack Budgen-Library Tenniel Biddenham-History of Art Milton Powers-Mathematics Mark Trader-Anthropology Jane Edelsborough-Physics Biddenham, Powers, and Trader were conventional men, long-standing professors whose careers were bound up with Jones Falls and its continued prestige and prosperity. They could be relied upon to support the university president, Berrington felt sure. The dark horse was the woman, Jane Edelsborough.

He would deal with her next.

33.

DRIVING TO P PHILADELPHIA ON I-95, J I-95, JEANNIE FOUND HERSELF thinking about Steve Logan again. thinking about Steve Logan again.

She had kissed him good-bye last night, in the visitors' parking lot on the Jones Falls campus. She found herself regretting that the kiss had been so fleeting. His lips were full and dry, his skin warm. She quite liked the idea of doing it again.

Why was she prejudiced against him because of his age? What was so great about older men? Will Temple, aged thirty-nine, had dropped her for an empty-headed heiress. So much for maturity.

She pressed the Seek b.u.t.ton on her radio, looking for a good station, and got Nirvana playing ”Come As You Are.” Whenever she thought about dating a man her own age, or younger, she got a scared feeling, a bit like the frisson of danger that went with a Nirvana track. Older men were rea.s.suring; they knew what to do.

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