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Greer shook his head “We get paid, even if it’s stupid”

“We should get paid extra for stupid,” Kirkaldi said, “when it’s this fucking cold”

Greer just shrugged “It’s not that cold,” he said

But it was cold, and the ind off the lake made it feel even colder As the mayor’s speech went on—and on—it seemed even colder to the people who had to stand and listen to the praise being heaped on Arthur Nesselrode Those who knew Nesselrode, or knew about him, ell aware that there was not very much praiseworthy about him He had made his billions as owner and CEO of Nesselrode Pharmaceuticals His cos—the en, the ene-based treatments for a number of difficult, and formerly fatal, cancers

Zanagen was truly a , and the mayor mentioned it prominently in his speech But as a politician, he very wisely didn’t mention that Arthur Nesselrode had set the price for his wonderful remedy at half a million dollars per dose No amount of criticism in the press, pleas froress could shake hirotesquely inflated price

Nesselrode did not become a billionaire by acts of kindness and charity Anyone who’d had thehim would readily testify that he was not a nice ested he was a sociopath, and therefore iuilt or shame But Nesselrode are that public opinion could affect stock pri

ces And so he was here today to bolster his ie 50millions more to build this plaza that carried his name

The ive away this much every day for a month and still have a few billion left over And like most men with this kind of wealth, Arthur Nesselrode felt his and arrows of life But wealth was not sufficient to insulate him from the temperature He was cold, and he didn’t like it But thehim, after all It takes a better man than Arthur Nesselrode to cut that short

“Jesus, lookit that,” Kirkaldi said, pointing out over the lake, where an enore!”

Greer glanced up “Chinook,” he said His partner stared at him “I serviced them in the Corps,” Greer explained “They can lift seventeen tons Plus crew”

“Well, I hope the fucker stays ae got enough wind,” Kirkaldi said, and the two resumed their circuit of the statue