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Something Happened :: Хеллер Джозеф
Страница: 39 из 398(Everybody seems to think I know everything. "You know everything," Brown said to me. "What's going on?" "I didn't even know there was anything going on," I answered. Jane asked: "What's going on? Are they really getting rid of the whole Art Department?" "I wouldn't let them get rid of you, honey," I answered. "Even if I had to pay your salary myself.")
I shake my head again. "And it's probably not true. They'd never put Brown in. He fights with everybody."
"Then you have heard something," Kagle exclaims.
"No, I haven't."
"Who would they put in?"
"Nobody. Andy, why don't you stop all this horseshit and buckle down to your job if you're so really worried? If you're really so worried, why don't you start doing the things you're supposed to do?"
"What am I supposed to do?"
"The things you're supposed to do. Stop trying to be such a good guy to all the people who work for you. You ain't succeeding, and nobody wants you to be. You're a member of management now. Your sales force is your enemy, not your buddy, and you're supposed to be theirs and drive them like slaves. Brown is right."
"I don't like Brown."
"He knows his business. Make Ed Phelps retire."
"No."
"That's what Horace White wants you to do."
"Phelps is an old man now. He wants to stay."
"That's why you have to force him out."
"His son was divorced last year. His daughter-in-law just took his granddaughter away to Seattle. He might never see the little girl again."
"That's all very sad."
"How much does it cost the company to keep him on, even if he doesn't do anything?"
"Very little."
"Then why should I make him retire?"
(Kagle is right, here, and I like him enormously for his determination to let Phelps stay. Phelps is old and will soon be dead, anyway, or too sick to continue.)
"Because he's past the official retirement age. And Horace White wants you to."
"I don't like Horace White," Kagle observes softly, irrelevantly. "And he doesn't like me."
"He knows his business also," I point out.
"How can I tell it to Ed Phelps?" Kagle wants to know. "What could I say to him? Will you do it for me? It's not so easy, is it?"
"Get Brown to do it," I suggest.
"No."
"It's part of your job, not mine."
"But it's not so easy, is it?"
"That's why they pay you so much."
"I don't get so much," he digresses almost automatically, "what with taxes and all."
"Yes, you do. And stop traveling all the time. Nobody likes that.
I shake my head again. "And it's probably not true. They'd never put Brown in. He fights with everybody."
"Then you have heard something," Kagle exclaims.
"No, I haven't."
"Who would they put in?"
"Nobody. Andy, why don't you stop all this horseshit and buckle down to your job if you're so really worried? If you're really so worried, why don't you start doing the things you're supposed to do?"
"What am I supposed to do?"
"The things you're supposed to do. Stop trying to be such a good guy to all the people who work for you. You ain't succeeding, and nobody wants you to be. You're a member of management now. Your sales force is your enemy, not your buddy, and you're supposed to be theirs and drive them like slaves. Brown is right."
"I don't like Brown."
"He knows his business. Make Ed Phelps retire."
"No."
"That's what Horace White wants you to do."
"Phelps is an old man now. He wants to stay."
"That's why you have to force him out."
"His son was divorced last year. His daughter-in-law just took his granddaughter away to Seattle. He might never see the little girl again."
"That's all very sad."
"How much does it cost the company to keep him on, even if he doesn't do anything?"
"Very little."
"Then why should I make him retire?"
(Kagle is right, here, and I like him enormously for his determination to let Phelps stay. Phelps is old and will soon be dead, anyway, or too sick to continue.)
"Because he's past the official retirement age. And Horace White wants you to."
"I don't like Horace White," Kagle observes softly, irrelevantly. "And he doesn't like me."
"He knows his business also," I point out.
"How can I tell it to Ed Phelps?" Kagle wants to know. "What could I say to him? Will you do it for me? It's not so easy, is it?"
"Get Brown to do it," I suggest.
"No."
"It's part of your job, not mine."
"But it's not so easy, is it?"
"That's why they pay you so much."
"I don't get so much," he digresses almost automatically, "what with taxes and all."
"Yes, you do. And stop traveling all the time. Nobody likes that.