Part 44 (1/2)
”As long as you can I need you”
I went deep into those familiar eyes ”It's almost incest It'sin that You are your father just ascatch-up At the time I didn't knohat you ame”
I didn't speak
”Have you ever been in love, Jonathan?”
I thought for a moment ”I don't think so”
”Neither have I,” she said ”But I know it's there somewhere My ether”
This time I weot all the way into her eyes And suddenly I wasn't er I opened ainst , soft hair ”I think we've already found it, Christina” I turned her face up to me ''But it's not ours It never will be ours You know that”
''1 know it,” she said softly, her eyes filling with tears ''But it doesn't ically, Jimmy, you're the next international president of the Teamsters But will you be? Suppose Meany doesn't like it? You can't juether now You're fucked You have no place to go”
He turned to the otherto appoint you president of the ijMW when he steps down Toer But you can get executive vp, and with a guy like Kennedy that's even better You're still safe in the shadows, and it will be tiot it all figured out,” Ji tihed ”So why ain't you rich?”
”I was in no hurry,” Daniel said, srow up”
”You know I couldn't get Lewis to go along with a dime-a-member assessment for CALL,” Tony said
”I know that,” Daniel said ”But the individual locals can do it if they want You can see to that It's the sah the roof,” Tony said ”He hates your guts after what you've said about hi ”Meany, Beck, Reuther-none of 'em like me any better They're all members of the same club They've been after my ass for years, but I'm still around”
Boyle shook his head in wonder ”I don't kno you do it You haven't that many members-maybe forty, fifty thousand”
Daniel smiled ”Closer to a hundred thousand But the numbers don'tboys never bothered with because there wasn't enough in it for theot”
''What's that?” Hoffa asked
”Balance of power We've never had any trouble, any scandals nobody's h there for anybody to take,” Boyle said, laughing
”Maybe,” Daniel said ”But the fact reroup they approve of, and we have the surveys to prove that And I speak for theo for the deal either,” Hoffa said
”Lopal 299 will,” Daniel said ”It's your local, and they do what you tell theh to start the ball rolling In tietting What do we get?”
”Help and advice,” Daniel said ”You're both young and ambitious men I can help you achieve your a except yourselves”
”Talking to any other unions?” Hoffa asked
”I plan to,” Daniel said ”You two are the first”
”Why us?”
”Because you both are in businesses that are vital to the country's existence”
The two men were silent for a moment Then Boyle looked at Daniel ”Can we think about it?”
Daniel nodded''Of course”
”What do you do if we don't go along with you?”
”There are otherand just as ambitious, in other locals of the same union”
”That's blackht” Daniel nodded agreeably
”Do we have a week?” Boyle asked
”You have a week,” Daniel said
They shook hands, and Daniel watched theh the openhe could see theone, he looked down at his glass He wondered if they knew just how desperate he really was Ten years he had struggled to build up his power base, and in one stroke last year it had all been wiped out The AFL-CIO er had put it away And now bit by bit, the individual unions he had signed up were drifting away There was enough left in the treasury to carry them another month or two Then it would all be over The past twenty years down the drain The dreams, the hopes, the ideals shattered beyond repair
He rose wearily to his feet ''Put it on the tab, Joe,” he said to the bartender on the way out ”And add ten bucks for yourself”
''Thanks, Big Dan,” the bartender called after hiht of the street, waited a moment until the traffic cleared, then cut across to the two-story office building He looked up at the spotted alu entrance CALL They were clouded and pitted by time He made a mental note to have the janitor polish the letters
He went into the building, bypassing the big general office on the ground floor and going up a back stairway that led directly to his private office
Daniel, Jr, aiting for hio Father?”
”They listened,” he said, sitting down behind his desk
”Think they'll go for it?”
”I don't know,” he said ”I don't know anything anyar and lit it ”Any word from the school?”
Daniel, Jr, smiled ”I've been accepted at Harvard as an econoot to his feet His hand alratulations I'ood about it,” the boy said ”But-”
”But what?”
”I don't have to go Father” Junior hesitated ”I know the o to work”