After the Game Page #2

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know, all this hullabaloo here.

We're, uh...

Well, we're still moving.

I got an office

around here somewhere.

You mind holding that?

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Are you hungry?

New Moon Cafe.

No, thank you.

Next to Chinatown.

A gift from

Conrad Van Orton.

Interesting.

What is?

Well, your brother was a

client with our London branch.

We do a sort of

informal scoring,

and his numbers

are outstanding.

Really?

Hmm.

You sure you're not hungry?

No, thank you.

Okay, fine. Now, you need

to fill out these forms.

There's an application

and then a couple of psych-tests

there. A MNPI and a PAP.

Oh, uh, for

the financial questionnaire,

don't answer anything

you don't feel like.

We'll run our TRW.

"I sometimes hurt small

animals, true or false"?

"I feel guilty

when I masturbate. "

Well,

I don't write the questions.

I just review the answers.

What is this for?

Well, to give us an overall

sense of your capability...

No, what is this for?

What are you selling?

Oh.

It's a game.

A game?

Specifically tailored

for each participant.

Think of it as a great vacation.

Except you don't go to it,

it comes to you.

What... What kind of vacation?

It's different every time.

Humor me with specifics.

We provide

whatever's lacking.

And what if nothing

is lacking?

May I make two suggestions?

You really think that I'll

participate without knowing any...

First, admit to yourself

that it sounds intriguing.

Second, you don't have

to decide today.

Take the silly test,

fill out the stupid forms.

One day, your game begins. You either

love it or hate it. Decide then.

You know we...

We are like

an experiential

book-of-the-month club.

You can drop out at any time

with no further obligation.

That was my sales pitch.

How long will this take?

About an hour for those,

another hour for the physical.

Physical?

It's a cursory examination,

turn-your-head, cough sort of thing.

You'll be out of here in no time.

Confused.

Risky.

Bloody.

Whoops.

Mr. Sutherland called

about Baer-Grant Publishing.

Cancel it.

Push it back till Wednesday.

And Anson Baer called

about tomorrow. Tomorrow?

Yes, that's correct. How much

longer is this going to take?

Shouldn't be long.

We're almost done.

You said that two hours ago.

All right. Put it back

until tomorrow.

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Does this thing end?

I'm sorry

to keep you waiting.

Oh, don't worry. It's been just

terrific spending my entire day

with your crack team.

Well, it's all

down to this.

This is an insurance company

requirement. It states that you're aware

that the game exists, that you're

a willing participant in said game,

so on and so forth. Our

guarantee, payment's entirely

at your brother's discretion as a gift.

It's dependent on your satisfaction.

Does that mean that if I'm not

happy he doesn't have to pay?

That's never happened. We've

never had an unsatisfied customer.

I think you mean,

dissatisfied.

That's right. You're a

left-brained word fetishist.

Initials, initials,

and sign there

in blood.

Just kidding.

All right. Now, your copy will be

at the front desk in this folder.

And I'll... Keep the pen.

We'll let you know.

What about

Monday or Tuesday?

No,

that's bad for me.

Well,

how about tonight?

Well, I'm working

all this evening.

Wednesday is the only

possibility right now.

Do you wanna do dinner?

Okay.

By the way,

I went to CRS.

Really?

What did you think?

Well they seemed just a

little bit disorganized.

Well, when I did it in London

they'd been around a while.

Are you gonna do this?

No, I haven't

decided yet.

Telling you, it's like getting in on

the ground floor of the next Disneyland.

CRS won't go public.

They're family-owned.

Stranger things

have happened.

No,

they haven't, actually.

They opened here.

The game

in San Francisco?

See? They're doing fine

without any of us.

Nicholas. How are you?

James, good evening.

Good evening, sir.

We have new members here?

Believe so, sir.

Put their next round on me.

Got you, sir.

No, no, no, no.

Last time I played Pebble I swore

I'd never pick up another club again.

Speaking about games...

Couldn't help but overhear

you talking about CRS.

Well, the reason I mention it is I took the

test today at the Montgomery Street office.

You did? Kudos.

So, yours hasn't

started yet?

No, not yet. That was one of

the questions I had for you.

What is it?

Oh, what is it?

The eternal question.

You know, I envy you.

I wish I could go back and do it

for the first time all over again.

Here's to new experiences.

Hmm, if you'll excuse me,

I got to go.

Good night, Ted.

Nicholas.

Nice to meet you.

So, you played recently?

Oh, about a year ago.

I was working

in Los Angeles.

Oh, I hear the London office

is very good, too...

It sounds like a lot of fantasy,

role-playing nonsense, though.

You wanna know what it is?

What it's all about?

John chapter 0 verse 25.

I, um,

haven't been to Sunday school

in a long time.

"Whereas once I was blind,

"now I can see. "

Good night, Nicholas.

Best of luck.

Goodnight.

If the Baer-Grant meeting

is not held tomorrow

may as well

not be held at all.

When Mr. Van Orton boards

his plane on the morrow

he will have every agreement and

addendum in the complete closing package

flawlessly revised.

So you will miss another opera

you would have slept during anyway.

We now have an opportunity

to show our clients

how well we will rise

to his exhilarating challenge.

Yes.

Nicholas Van Orton?

Who is this?

This is Cynthia from CRS.

How did you get this number?

We've finished processing

your application.

Look, I'm in a meeting

right now.

I'm afraid it was rejected.

I beg your pardon? You shouldn't

feel this reflects negatively on you.

We hope we haven't

caused you any inconvenience.

Oh, this is ridiculous.

Thank you for thinking of CRS.

Anything wrong?

Uh, no. No, nothing's...

You may hang up or

press pound for more options.

Oh, this is Conrad.

Leave a message.

Yes, Connie, it's Nicholas.

Give me a ring when you get in.

Oh, uh, regarding

your birthday present,

um, things are

a little crazy right now.

I don't really know if I can

fit it in my schedule.

But we'll talk about it

at dinner tomorrow.

Thanks, bye.

Hello.

...the resulting rise

of unemployment and decline

into buyable small businesses.

Meanwhile, Republican leaders

argue that this passage

would be the very stimulant

that a sluggish economy needs.

No one has expressed an

opinion as to how it will impact

the pampered existence

of Nicholas Van Orton.

The one thing on which both Democrats

and Republicans seem to agree

is that most Americans harbor serious

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