Chapter 35

I told Weena I was glad that Rob and Mary were leaving soon as we were going on a seafood and salad regimen on Saturday or Sunday. She giggled and said: "Yes, O Manager mine." I pinched her. Rob insisted on paying.

Wednesday Weena and I took off for work. Rob and Mary were taking an all-day cruise on the Swan.

At the office, the mound of "While You Were Out" slips had waxed. I went through them. Most were from press. I put those aside. One was from the Director at SciTech. I'd call him around 9:30. One was from Commander Evans and one from Maggie. I decided to call him first.

"Willy says she owes you another kiss."

"Be still my heart. How did you hear?"

"We see all; we know all; our spies are everywhere. Kevin faxed me."

"Aha! Commander Man-chu, half brother of Dr. Fu!"

"Exactly. Anyway, I just wanted to congratulate you. Do you have any notion yet what it will entail?"

"More meetings, more paperwork."

"Boy, do you have the government down!"

"But thanks."

"Listen, I'd give you a promotion for that five minutes last Saturday. The coroner found the mark in a few minutes. You were dead on. I've still got plans."

"Right. I've got to go and call Maggie next."

"Congratulations again."

I then called Maggie. After the congratulations, she offered some advice: "Over the next few weeks, go visit the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research at Edith Cowan and the Provost at Notre Dame. Try to get to the two CSIRO things at Curtin – minerals and energy and applied psychology. You ought to talk to someone at Murdoch, too. But I have no idea who that might be. Once you've met them, you can become truly state-wide."

"You're brilliant!"

"No. Just twenty more years in buttering the bureaucracy."

"You must be the Commander's sister."

"Huh?"

"I told him he was 'Commander Man-chu, Fu's half brother' – you must be Maggie Man-chu."

"Yes. The evil plotter of Central Australia!"

"Thanks."

"Now get to your other calls. Don't forget to make an appointment to 'inform' the Dean."

"Right. Bye."

I made the appointment with the Dean for after lunch. Then I called Janice and got through to Kevin. "OK," I said. "Thank you, but explain everything, please."

"Everything? OK. But it'll take time. About fourteen billion years ago this universe came into existence with a big bang..."

"Very funny."

"OK. As I think you recall, the plan is to make you the lord high muck-a-muck of the western part of Australia where the CSIRO is concerned. This is step two. Step four will involve Maggie's good will and..."

"You skipped three."

"I know. That involves our two projects with Curtin."

"Right. Mining and Applied Psych."

"Yes. I'm working on how to introduce you to them. Anyway, step five involves the solar power folks and the ones up in Darwin. And then it's Gordy, Emperor of NT and WA, reporting to someone here."

"Not you?"

"No. I'm entomology. You'll report higher in a year."

"Oh. Well, I've got to go. I'm calling SciTech next."

"Very politic. Bye."

I called the Director. He was indeed in.

"I called to congratulate you."

"That's very kind. I want to assure you that I had no idea of this last week when we met."

"When did you know?"

"I got a fax marked 'Confidential' yesterday morning. It must have been nearly noon in Canberra."

"Weird. Had you a clue?"

"No. And I was in Canberra on the 15^th. Not even two weeks ago. Listen, could I come and talk to you – and perhaps all the staff later on?"

"Next week? We usually have staff meetings on Thursdays. In the afternoon. I could tell them tomorrow that you'll be here next Thursday. That's May 5^th."