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Jake Tho slips were passed around to every boardhad been decided before the lanced around the crowded table at the twenty - nine men Many of them he had chosen himself, but some of them he didn’t know at all well He had once heard that a s directors openly supported the De at him; some were not Surely they’d back him; they wouldn’t let Rosnov - ski beat him Not now Please let me finish o quietly and without any fuss - but not this way He watched theslips back to the secretary He was opening them slowly The room was silent and all eyes were turned towards the secxetary as he began opening the last few slips, noting down each aye and nay meticulously on a piece of paper placed in front of him that revealed two columns Williaer than the other, but his failing eyesight did not permit him to decipher which hich He could not accept that the day could have come when there would be a vote in his own board room between hi so William couldn’t believe what he heard By seventeen votes to twelve he had lost the confidence of the board He ed to stand up Abel Rosnovski had beaten him in the final battle No one spoke as William left the board room He returned to the Chair only to look at the portrait of Charles Lester for the last ti corridor and out of the front entrance
The doorain, Mr Chairman See you toain He turned around and shook hands with the man who had directed him to the board room twenty - three years before
The rather surprised doon - nan said, ’Goodnight, sir,’ as he watched William climb into the back of his car for the last time
His chauffeur took hihth Street, William collapsed on his front door step The chauffeur and Kate helped hi, and she put her arms round him
’What is it, William? What’s happened?’
’I’ve been thrown out of er have confidence in me - When it mattered, they supported Abel Rosnovski’
Kate ht He never spoke Nor did he sleep
The announce said simply: ’William Lowell Kane, the president and chairned after yesterday’s board iven for his sudden departure, and there was no suggestion that his son would take his place on the board Williah Wall Street and that the worst would be assuer for this world
Abel read the announcenation in the Wall Street journal the same day He picked up the phone, dialled Lester’s Bank and asked to speak to the new chairman A few seconds later Jake Tho, Mr Rosnovski’
’Goodto confirm that I shall release all my Interstate Airways shares to the bank at thein Lester’s to you personally for two million dollars!
’Thank you, Mr Rosnovski, that’s enerous of you’
’No need to thank reed on when you sold me your two per cent of Lester’s,’ said Abel RosnovskL
Book Seven
40
Abel was surprised to find how little satisfaction his final triue tried to persuade hio to Warsaw to look over sites for the new Baron but Abel didn’t want to As he grew older he becaain, and for roup’s activities When John F Kennedy was assassinated on 22 November 1963, Abel became even e did convince his would perhaps seem a little easier for him when lie returned
Abel travelled to Warsahere he obtained a highly confidential agreement to build the first Baron in the coe impressed Warsawians, and he was proud to beat Holiday Inns and Intercontinental behind the Iron Curtain He couldn’t help thinkingand it didn’t help when Lyndon Johnson appointed John (3 ronowski to be the first Polish - Aive any satisfaction He had defeated Kane and lost his own daughter, and he wondered if the man felt the same way about his son After Warsaw, he roa the construction of new ones He opened the first Baron in Cape Town, South Africa, and flew back to Germany to open one in Dilsseldorf