"I've just picked up another hundred thousand of Fairchild's stock, which takes you up to twenty-nine percent. They're currently around $2.90, which is less than half their high point.

But you do have a problem," said Joe.

"And what's that?"

"If you don't get hold of fifty percent by next Friday, you'll be facing exactly the same problem Fairchild's had a fortnight ago, so I hope you know what your next move is."

"It may become clearer after a meeting I'm having at three o'clock this afternoon," said Nat.

"That sounds interesting," said Joe.

"It could well be," said Nat, "but I can't say anything at the moment because even I'm not sure what it's all about."

"Curiouser and curiouser," said Joe. "I'll look forward to hearing more. But what do you expect me to do in the meantime?"

"I want you to go on buying every Fairchild's share you can lay your hands on until close of business tonight. Then let's talk again just before the market opens tomorrow morning."

"Understood," said Joe, "then I'd better leave you and get back on the floor."

Nat let out a long sigh, and tried to think what Murray Goldblatz could possibly want to see him about. He picked up the phone again, "Linda, get me Logan Fitzgerald-he'll be on his New York number."

"Your wife did stress that it was urgent and she called back again while you were speaking to Mr.

Stein."

"Right, I'll phone her while you try and find Logan."

Nat dialed his home number and then began strumming his fingers on the desk as he continued to thinkabout Murray Goldblatz and what he could possibly want. Su Ling's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Sorry I didn't-call you straight back,"

said Nat, "but Murray. ."

"Luke's run away from school," said Su Ling. "No one's seen him since lights out last night."

"You've got the chairman of the Democratic National Committee on line one, Mr. Gates on line two, and your wife on line three."

"I'll take the party chairman first. Would you ask Jimmy to hold and tell Annie I'll call her right back."

"She said it was urgent."

"Tell her I'll only be a couple of minutes."

Fletcher would have liked a little more time to compose himself. He'd only met the party chairman a couple of times, in a corridor at the national convention, and at a cocktail party in Washington, D.c. He doubted if Mr. Brubaker would remember either occasion. And then there was the problem of how to address him, Mr. Brubaker, Alan, or even sir. After all, he'd been appointed chairman before Fletcher had even run for the Senate.

"Good morning, Fletcher, Also Brubaker."

"Good morning, Mr. Chairman, how nice to hear from you. How can I help?"

"I need to have a word with you in private, Fletcher, and wondered if you and your wife could possibly fly down to Washington and join Jenny and me for dinner one evening."

"We'd be delighted to," said Fletcher, "when did you have in mind?"

"How's the evening of the eighteenth looking? That's next Friday."

Fletcher quickly flicked through the pages of his appointment book. He had a caucus meeting at noon, which he shouldn't miss now that he was deputy leader, but nothing was penciled in for that evening.

"Whattime would you like us to be there?"

"Eight suit you?" asked Brubaker.

"Yes, that will be fine, Mr. Chairman."

"Good, then eight o'clock it is, on the eighteenth.

My home is in Georgetown, 3038 n Street."

Fletcher wrote it down in the space below the caucus meeting. "I look forward to seeing you then, Mr. Chairman."

"Me too," said Brubaker. "And Fletcher, I would prefer if you didn't mention this to anyone."

Fletcher put the phone down. It would be tight, and he might even have to leave the caucus meeting early. The intercom buzzed again.

"Mr. Gates," said Sally.

"Hi, Jimmy, what can I do for you?" asked Fletcher cheerily, wanting to tell him about his invitation to have dinner with the chairman of the party.

"It's not good, I'm afraid," said Jimmy. "Dad's had another heart attack and they've rushed him into St. Patrick's. I'm just about to leave, but I thought I'd give you a call first."

"How bad is he?" asked Fletcher quietly.

"Hard to tell until we hear what the doctor has to say. Mom wasn't exactly coherent when she got in touch with me, so I won't know a lot more until I've been to the hospital."

"Annie and I will be with you as soon as we can,"

said Fletcher. He touched the bridge of his telephone and then dialed his home number. It was busy. He replaced the phone and began tapping his fingers. If it was still busy when he tried again he decided he would drive straight home and pick Annie up so they could go over to the hospital together.

For a moment, Also Brubaker flashed back into his mind. Why would he want a private meeting that he would prefer not to be mentioned to anyone else? But then his thoughts returned to Harry and he dialed his home number a second time. He heard Annie's voice on the end of the line.

"Have you heard?" she asked.

"Yes," said Fletcher, "I've just spoken to Jimmy. I thought I'd go directlyto the hospital so we could meet there."

"No, it's not just Dad," said Annie. "It's Lucy, she had a terrible fall when she was out riding this morning. She's concussed and has broken her leg. They've put her in the infirmary. I don't know what to do next."

"I blame myself," said Nat. "Because of the takeover battle with Fairchild's I haven't been to see Luke once this term."

"Me neither," admitted Su Ling. "But we were going to the school play next week."

"I know," said Nat. "As he's playing Romeo, do you think the problem might be Juliet?"

"Possibly. After all, you met your first love at the school play, didn't you?" asked Su Ling.

"Yes, and that ended in tears."

"Don't blame yourself, Nat. I've been just as preoccupied with my graduate students these last few weeks, and perhaps I should have questioned Luke more closely about why he was so silent and withdrawn during term break."

"He's always been a bit of a loner," said Nat, "and studious children rarely gather a lot of friends around them."

"How would you know?" asked Su Ling, glad to see her husband smile. "And both our mothers have always been quiet and thoughtful," Su Ling added as she drove onto the highway.

"How long do you think it will take us to get there?"

asked Nat as he glanced at the clock on the dashboard.

"At this time of day, about an hour, so I expect we should arrive around three o'clock," said Su Ling, as she took her foot off the accelerator, once she'd touched fifty-five.

"Three, oh hell," said Nat, suddenly remembering, "I'll have to let Murray Goldblatz know that I won't be able to make his meeting."

"The chairman of Fairchild's?"

"No less, he requested a private meeting," said Nat as he picked up the car phone.

He quickly checked Fairchild's number in hisphone book.

"To discuss what?" asked Su Ling.

"It has to be something to do with the takeover, but beyond that I haven't a clue." Nat pressed the eleven digits. "Mr. Goldblatz, please."

"Who shall I say is calling?" asked the switchboard operator.

Nat hesitated, "It's a personal call."

"I will still need to know who it is," the voice insisted.

"I have an appointment with him at three o'clock."

"I'll put you though to his secretary." Nat waited.

"Mr. Goldblatz's office," said a female voice.

"I have a three o'clock appointment with Mr.

Goldblatz, but I fear I am going ..."

"I'll put you through, Mr. Cartwright."

"Mr. Cartwright."

"Mr. Goldblatz, I must apologize, a family problem has arisen and I won't be able to make our meeting this afternoon."

"I see," said Goldblatz, not sounding as though he did.

"Mr. Goldblatz," said Nat, "I'm not in the habit of playing games, I have neither the time nor the inclination."

"I wasn't suggesting you did, Mr.

Cartwright," said Goldblatz curtly.

Nat hesitated. "My son has run away from Tail and I'm on my way to see the principal."

"I'm so ... so ... sorry to hear that," Mr.

Goldblatz said, his tone immediately changing. "If it's any consolation, I also ran away from Tail, but once I'd spent all my pocket money I decided to go back the following day."

Nat laughed. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"Not at all, perhaps you'd give me a call and let me know when it's convenient for us to meet."

"Yes of course, Mr. Goldblatz, and I wonder if I might ask a favor."

"Certainly.""That none of this conversation is reported to Ralph Elliot."

"You have my word on that, but then, Mr. Cartwright, he has no idea that I planned to meet you in the first place."

When Nat put the phone down, Su Ling said, "Wasn't that a bit of a risk?"

"No, I don't think so," said Nat. "I have a feeling that Mr. Goldblatz and I have discovered something we have in common."

As Su Ling drove through the Tail gates, memories came flooding back to Nat: his mother being late, having to walk down the center aisle of a packed hall when his knees were knocking, sitting next to Tom, and twenty-five years later, accompanying his son back on his first day. Now he only hoped his boy was safe and well.

Su Ling parked the car outside the principal's house, and before she had turned the engine off, Nat spotted Mrs. Henderson coming down the steps. He felt his stomach churn until he saw the smile on her lips. Su Ling jumped out of the car.

"They've found him," Mrs. Henderson said.

"He was with his grandmother, helping her with the laundry."

"Let's both go straight to the hospital and see your father. Then we can decide if one of us should go on to Lakeville and check up on Lucy."

"Lucy would be so sad if she knew," said Annie. "She has always adored Grandpa."

"I know, and he's already begun planning her life," said Fletcher. "Perhaps it would be better not to tell her what has happened, especially as she obviously won't be able to visit him."

"You may be right. In any case, he did go and see her last week."

"I didn't know that," said Fletcher.

"Oh yes, those two are plotting something," said Annie as she drove into the hospital parking lot, "but neither of them is letting me in on the secret."