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natural.”
    “No time like the present,” Ward said.
    Dugan sighed and pulled out his cell phone.
    Offices of Phoenix Shipping
London
    Alex’s stomach boiled from too much coffee, even at this early hour, and he was tense and irritable from lack of sleep. Nothing had been the same since Braun’s arrival with his thug Farley. He eyed his overflowing in-box. His productivity had suffered as well, and he’d instructed Mrs. Coutts to hold all calls while he attempted to clear the backlog.
    He looked over, annoyed, as the intercom buzzed.
    “Yes, Mrs. Coutts?”
    “I’m sorry to disturb you, sir, but Mr. Dugan is on line one.”
    He smiled despite the tension. Trust Dugan to charm his way past Mrs. Coutts. He mashed the flashing button.
    “Thomas. How are you? Did Guido arrive?”
    “I’m fine, Alex,” Dugan said. “I picked him up at Changi airport last night, and we walked the ship together this morning. She’s off the dry dock now and should shift to the ExxonMobil refinery to load sometime next week. Guido’s got it.”
    “Excellent, Thomas, and thank you for helping me out in a bind.”
    “No problem, Alex, but there’s something else I want to discuss. I think I’m ready to take you up on your offer and come to work for you full-time.”
    Alex sat stunned. Thomas couldn’t come. Not now. If he sensed something wrong and went to the authorities—
    “Alex, are you there?”
    “Yes, yes, Thomas. I’m just … surprised. Why the change of heart after all these years? Are you serious? What about your consulting practice?”
    “Serious as a heart attack,” Dugan said. “As to why, I guess you’ve finally convinced me I should spend more time behind a desk. And since you’re seventy percent of my billings anyway, I’m not concerned about the practice. If it doesn’t pan out, we’ll just go back to the way it was. You know money’s not an issue for me anyway, thanks to Katy’s financial wizardry.”
    “What about Katy?” Alex asked. “Won’t she be upset if you move to London?”
    Dugan laughed. “Let’s face it, Alex, I’m traveling most of the time anyway, and just because my kid sister lets me crash in her pool house between trips, doesn’t mean I’ll be missed that much. I’ll still get back home for holidays, which is about as much as they see me now, anyway.” Dugan paused. “But what’s with all the objections? You trying to talk me out of something you’ve spent ten years talking me into?”
    “No, no, not at all. It’s just unexpected, and the timing is a bit … awkward. You see, I just hired a fellow as director of operations,” Alex lied on the fly, “with the understanding that he’ll eventually move into a newly created general-manager slot. I had no idea you’d reconsider, but if I bring you on now as general manager, he’ll take it as bad faith.”
    “I see your problem, Alex. How about this? I don’t mind competing for the GM spot, so why don’t you hire me for a trial period as this guy’s equal, say director of engineering. Then after a while, you decide who’s the best fit. If I later decide to leave, you have this new guy in place. If we decide I should continue, you’ll have a choice. It will be no hardship for me to resign later if necessary.”
    The logic was unassailable. Alex stalled again.
    “You’ve really caught me by surprise, Thomas. May I call you back?”
    “Sure, Alex,” Dugan said, “take your time.”
    “Fine, Thomas. Talk to you soon.”
    Alex Kairouz disconnected and buried his face in his hands.
    ***
    “Captain Braun, Mr. Kairouz is not to be disturbed,” Mrs. Coutts said.
    Braun stood in Alex’s door, hand on the knob as he glared back over his shoulder.
    Mrs. Coutts gave Alex a look of helpless apology.
    “It’s fine, Mrs. Coutts,” Alex said.
    She nodded and retreated to her desk.
    Braun shut the door and moved to Alex’s favorite armchair.
    “You should sack that old bitch, Kairouz, and get someone easier on the