The Twins Paradox by Alan Gasparutti (best contemporary novels txt) 📖

Henry queried. “I haven’t had much time to look on the internet recently.”
“I spoke to the energy chap a few weeks ago,” said Andrew. “The resources are being produced at this moment. The guy thinks everything will be ready for construction by June. I can give you the guy’s telephone number, if you like.”
“That’s okay for now,” replied Henry. “Let me speak to my staff, and I’ll let you know what I can come up with.”

Henry knew he couldn’t handle this on his own, and that even with his team it wouldn’t be easy. An even bigger problem was how many of his team would be available. Professor Wagstaff, alias Arthur, was employed by the European Space Agency on an island thousands of miles away. Also on Tenerife were Gaspar & Gonchaves (Rico), who had their own sub-business. Robinson and Frickas were assisting them on Tenerife. Closer to home, Lucas and Madaly were too busy near London to afford to put their jobs aside.
The only option was to use Ramondo, and to leave Zebrina to look after the operations of the Skipton site. When he spoke to him, however, Ramondo acknowledged the project but wasn’t sure if he could afford to be taken away from his role.
“How about having an extra person at the showroom?” he suggested. “An extra salesperson, so to speak.”
“Hhmmm, I don’t know,” muttered Henry. “I’m not sure we really need one.”
“Not on a regular basis, but we can’t afford to leave Zebrina on her own,” Ramondo insisted.
“Do you think you can leave Zebrina to help me with the project?” Henry asked. “I don’t see why she can’t learn to use the replicator. After all, Madaly learnt how to use one.”
“I don’t see any problem with that, but I do think we could do with an extra person,” Ramondo re-iterated. “Don’t you think you need a person to oversee the showrooms now that we have two?”
Henry thought about this for a moment. He knew this made sense, but was reluctant to involve someone not from his team.
“You did say that one day we would have to take-on local personnel,” Ramondo reminded him. “I think the time may well have come.”
“I don’t know,” said Henry. “Arthur has already blurted-out where we originally came form. Now that I’ve put that right, I don’t want anyone to find out our identities again.”
“From what you told me, Arthur only informed a few people about his own identity,” replied Ramondo. “Besides, he mentioned this to fellow professors, not the former president of the United States.”
“What do you suggest then?” asked Henry. “More to the point, who do you suggest we should employ?”
“How about Richard Copeland?” said Ramondo. “You remember - the guy who saved Zebrina in one of the caves near Ribblehead. We showed him our car, and we even drove him in it a few times.”
“Do you still keep in touch with him?” asked Henry.
“We exchanged Christmas cards,” said Ramondo. “Zebrina spoke to him at Easter, too. We have his telephone and mobile numbers.”
“How do you know he’ll be available?” queried Henry.
“We don’t,” said Ramondo. “We can find out though.”
“Let me think about it,” Henry said to him.
“I’m sorry to have to say this, but that’s all you’re doing at the moment, thinking about things,” commented Ramondo. “The longer you think about these matters, the longer they will take. And it may then be too late to do anything about it.”
Henry wasn’t very happy. He said nothing, but stared at Ramondo.
“If we don’t act, someone else may come along with these ideas and projects,” said Ramondo. “Frank Marshall is already using our idea of vehicles. Gaspar and Gonchaves have considered going it alone. And from what you’ve told me, someone in Ireland has already developed a similar Atlantic turbine project.”
Henry acknowledged Ramondo’s statement, but again, said nothing.
“Don’t let this opportunity pass you by,” Ramondo added.
“I accept what you’re saying and agree that we may need to take on staff,” replied Henry. “I don’t think this is the right time, though.”
“Because of the recession?” asked Ramondo. “Don’t drag us down, because we aren’t in a recession. All the vehicles we sell have been replicated.”
“And that’s how I want things to stay,” Henry told him. “For now, anyway.”
“Can we at least use Richard for a few days?” asked Ramondo.
“Do you know where Richard Copeland lives?” asked Henry. “Moreover, do you know if he’ll accept this offer?"
“I believe Richard lives in Dentdale,” said Ramondo. “I don’t know if he’d be interested in the role, but we can make inquiries.”
“Okay, go ahead,” agreed Henry, reluctantly. “Keep me informed at all times.”

The following day, Ramondo asked Zebrina to contact Richard, to see if he was available. Richard told her that he was employed in a retail position at the time, but that bearing the recession in mind, he never felt too comfortable. Zebrina said a new car salesperson position may become available at Skipton. Richard confessed that he wouldn’t mind the opportunity, though the journey from his home in Sedbergh had to be born in mind.
Henry, in the meantime, notified Andrew MacDougall at Stornoway that he was prepared to fully finance the Atlantic project himself, after which Andrew would seek to gain planning permission for the project.
Henry had his own views on the project, and wasn’t too sure how precisely to handle it. He decided to speak to Rico, and request the labour of Robinson and Frickas. Rico agreed to this, on condition that he could recruit local people into his business. At first Henry wasn’t too keen on the request, to which Rico pointed out that local employees had to be sought in order to keep the business mushrooming. He also emphasised that with plenty of stock and materials in the warehouse, new staff only had to come to the site to pick up the necessary items. Rico stipulated that any new stock or materials would be replicated only by himself or Gaspar, and that no-one would discover how everything was produced. Henry agreed to his request, though he didn’t know that Rico had already taken on his female companion as a receptionist.
Henry then went on the internet, to look for the Irish turbine project. He noticed a construction date had been set, but decided to query any further details with Andrew, when he met him at Stornoway airport the following Thursday.
“Have you read the latest about that Irish Atlantic turbine?” Henry asked Andrew after they had shaken hands and greeted one-another.
“To be honest, I haven’t had much time to look into that recently,” replied Andrew. “I’ve been more concerned with our own scheme, to tell you the truth.”
“Have you arranged local meetings regarding planning permission yet?” queried Henry.
“Yes thanks,” replied Andrew. “The first of these took place last Friday.”
“Did you indicate the financial benefits, at the local consultations?” asked Henry.
“I did point this out, but there was so little opposition to your scheme that it didn’t seem necessary to fully highlight the case,” admitted Andrew. “Has the infrastructure been completed yet?”
“Not just yet,” Henry told him. “I’m sorting my staffing out, first. I’ll let you know when they’re all ready.”
“I may be able to send some of my labourers along to help,” suggested Andrew.
“That shouldn’t be necessary,” Henry said quickly, not wanting anyone to muscle-in on the work, and find out about him and his team. “I haven’t seen anything on the news about that Irish project? Have you?” he asked trying to change the subject.
“No, I haven’t, actually,” said Andrew.
“That’s a shame – we could certainly do with a positive story on the news, instead of this recession,” Henry commented. “From what I last saw, the work on it is about to begin.”
“I’ll tell you what, when we go back to my office, I’ll check the latest on the internet,” suggested Andrew.
“Would you mind if we went and had a bite to eat, first?” asked Henry. “I haven’t eaten since I got up this morning.”
“That’s fine by me,” said Andrew, before he looked at his watch. “Is that the time? We can discuss things at the Herbridean Man.”
Andrew led Henry to his car, and on the brief journey to the Hebridean Man, they discussed lunch. When they arrived there, Andrew went to order drinks, while Henry went to order lunch.
“So, how’s your business doing in these difficult times?” Andrew asked Henry, back at the dinner table.
“Not too bad, on the whole,” Henry told him. “My motors weren’t selling as well as they did six months ago, but we’ve remedied that by setting up a new showroom near Heathrow.”
“Near the airport?” queried Andrew.
“It’s a few miles from the airport actually, perhaps better described as being on the outskirts of London,” admitted Henry. “Sales seem to be going fairly well.”
“These are very difficult times for motor manufacturers,” commented Andrew.
“The good thing about my motors is that they’re eco-friendly,” Henry told him. “They run on digital motors, which don’t require any fossil fuels.”
“You seem to be quite an eco-friendly businessman,” Andrew said curiously
“Have you heard about the new motor manufacturers in America?” Henry asked.
“I heard something about a green car company on the news the other day, but it was just a few words while they were talking about the demise of GM and Chrysler,” said Andrew.
“This company are constructing solar-powered vehicles,” explained Henry.
“Nice idea,” muttered Andrew. “I don’t think it’ll catch on here though. We don’t get enough sun to warrant such vehicles.”
“These motor manufacturers are based in California,” said Henry. ”Solar-powered vehicles should do fairly well there. Apparently the MD reckons they’ll sell quite well, even in the current climate.”
“Well good luck to them, I say,” commented Andrew. “I suppose California is the right sort of place to try out solar-powered energy. Did you get to hear about this company in your neck of the UK?”
“Not really,” said Henry. “I happen to know the MD personally, and the company.”
“Oh really,” said an intrigued Andrew.
“I happen to be a shareholder in the business,” Henry told him.
“Ahh, perhaps that explains where you get your money from,” laughed Andrew.
“Not really,” replied Henry. “We shareholders won’t get a penny until next year. We’ve had to put money into the business to ensure it’s buoyancy in the current climate.”
“I can see this project being a success, but I can’t imagine vehicles around these parts being powered by the sea, can you?” commented Andrew.
“No, I don’t suppose I can, but there are other ways we can develop eco-friendly transport, as my engineers have shown,” replied Henry.
“This digital motor of yours, can you tell me a little about how it runs?” asked Andrew.
”There are several chips which rotate as the car moves,” explained Henry. “This movement creates energy, which the chips pick up, and become continually charged as the car is in motion.”
“What are these cars like for speed and efficiency?” asked an intrigued Andrew.
“Very similar to your regular motor,” said Henry. “Everything runs similarly, it’s just that the energy comes from a different source. The car still requires the battery for it’s initial starting, but we’re working on something to eliminate that necessity.”
“How very interesting,“ said Andrew. “Do you rely on the sales of your cars for revenue?”
“Fortunately not,” said Henry. “My main source of income at the moment comes from my solar-panel industry in Tenerife.”
“I can see you truly are a man of the world,” chuckled Andrew.
“A friend of mine came to visit me one day last year,” explained Henry. “He was impressed with the solar panels on my house, and asked