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in luck.”
    â€œBullshit,” Mitchell said. “Somebody dies in Mount Kisco—I’m in luck? No. I’m pulling all three lots across the map and I scrammed from both states.”
    â€œCalifornia and New York? All the biggies,” Leo said. “Too bad it’s not Delaware. Nice small state you’d be a hero for a dime.”
    â€œThat’s exactly,” Cy exploded, “that’s ex act ly why I came. Because you piss away money every second you’re in—”
    â€œ Cy ,” Zef commanded. “As the old consigliori here and keeper of the rules, I’d like to remind you that you don’t have a vote. Also that you’re here on sufferance, I believe, so why don’t you—”
    â€œJesus. Suf ferance,” Cy said. “Why I’m here is to represent the family interests. Good God. We have to talk about con tain ing this disaster, not spreading it.”
    Momentary silence in the room. George turned around and looked quizzically at Cy. “That’s what we were just talking about, wasn’t it? Widening the recall?”
    â€œWidening the loss,” Cy said. “You know what this’ll cost us?”
    â€œExactly,” George said. “And if we don’t get our pants sued off us, and if everything stops right now, and if they round up the killer in the next seven days, then you’re playing in the ballpark of eighty million bucks. Beyond that, you’re staring into Chapter Eleven and the failure of the brand. So I promise you, Cy, the additional recall is a drop in the bucket.”
    Zef said it lowered the risk of liability.
    George said it was a tax deduction anyway.
    Mitchell kept his mouth shut and listened to the MBAs do their stuff.
    Leo said he thought it was worth it for the image. He said, “I think it builds a kind of corporate attitude.”
    Mitchell said, “You sound as though it isn’t the attitude.”
    â€œThe at titude,” Cy said, “is let’s tiptoe out of this smelling like a rose. That’s the actual attitude so let’s cut the bullshit. You want my opinion, we’ll be healthy in a month. We don’t want to overreact to this. We don’t want to start throwing our money out the door. And one other thing. If we do hustle out of it, we’ve got to put the money into propping up the brand and not piss it into research. As Burt and I’ve said.” He looked up at Mitchell. “And said and said.”
    â€œAnd been heard.”
    â€œAnd ignored.”
    â€œAbsolutely,” Mitchell said. “And will be again. I tell you something, Cy. I’m not entirely convinced this is really happening. I keep thinking it’s a bad movie. And then you walk in, I think it’s fucking cartoons. You’re not real, Cy. You bear no resemblance to actual persons living or dead. You’re an animated bug. So unless you want to buy another million shares of stock—and who knows? if the price keeps falling, you can do it—but until then I think you better freeze and bug out.”
    There was deafening silence. Cy turning dangerously red beneath his tan and then scraping his chair back, rising. “You think I’m gonna take this?” he said. “I need this bullshit? I need this grief? I need to come in, be insulted by a schlepper doesn’t even wear a suit? Fuck you , Mr. Mitchell.” He paused dramatically. “But then, come to think of it, you’re already fucked.”
    Cy did the long march out of the boardroom like a tail wind was on him.
    Silence you could cut.
    Mitchell shook his head.
    Zef said, “He’s mad as hell and he’s not gonna take it anymore.”
    Leo said, “Besides, he’s got a breakfast date at Schwab’s.”
    Mitchell said amazedly, “‘Freeze and bug out.’ Where the hell did I get that?”
    â€œFrom the sandbox,” Leo said.
    â€œFuckin A.”