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

I drove down from Glasgow,” said Andrew. “I thought about flying to Leeds’ or Manchester airport, but that would have meant another long journey by taxi. I thought about catching a train to Carlise or Preston, but a taxi from there would have been even longer.”
“Next time you come here, you may as well take a train ride – there’s a station right next to the house,” Henry told him. “You can get here from Carlisle.”
“I noticed the railway line when I was coming here,” Andrew said a little inquisitively. “I didn’t think there’d be a station in the middle of nowhere, though.”
“In actual fact, there are more stations in the middle of nowhere, up in Scotland,” replied Henry. “Like Tulloch and Rannoch Moor, for instance.”
“Ai, you’re right,” admitted Andrew. “Tell me, is this the Settle and Calisle line, we often hear about?”
“Yes it is,” confirmed Henry. “Mind you, there aren’t many trains running on this line, about half-a-dozen a day, each way.”
“Probably about five services too many, if you ask me,” commented Andrew.
“Actually, this station is perhaps a little more popular than you may think,” Henry then suggested.
“Oh really?” asked Andrew.
“Ribblehead station is in the middle of the Three Peaks of Yorkshire,” Henry told him. “You must have heard of them? There’s an annual race combining all three of them each year.”
“I suppose it can’t be too difficult to run up and down theses three midgets,” laughed Andrew. “Up in Scotland, we have real mountains.”
Henry then asked Andrew about his new job, when, all of a sudden, they heard a whaling scream from upstairs.
“I’ll go and see to baby Rebecca,” Maria announced from the kitchen, at which point Henry asked to be excused while he went to make the tea. A few minutes later, Henry went back to the lounge, with a couple of cans of bitter instead.
“I thought you’d prefer one of these,” he said to Andrew.
“Ai, you know me,” said Andrew, who couldn’t help grinning. “I shouldn’t drink too much, though, as I’m driving.”
“You can stay here for the night,” suggested Henry.
“I wouldn’t mind, but I haven’t anything else to wear overnight,” said Andrew. “Thanks for the offer, anyway.”
Henry then went to the sideboard and picked out a couple of pints, one of which he passed to Andrew.
“I think you gave a good account of yourself at that TV interview last month,” Andrew then told him, as he poured the bitter into his glass. “You certainly will have appealed to the environment, and to the consumer, too.”
“People have said that to me, but I went there to fight for myself, rather than the consumer,” admitted Henry.
“You may even appeal to people as a new Prime Minister,” said Andrew. “Together with Joanna Lumley as Foreign Secretary, Esther Rantzen as Home Secretary and Carol Vorderman as Chancellor, you’d make a great team.”
“I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be flattered by that?” queried Henry.
“Seriously, the four of you would make a better team than the current one we have at Westminster,” said Andrew. “You certainly wouldn’t be any worse.”
“That is probable, but it isn’t going to bring any new developments to this country,” Henry replied. “We need our energy companies to act more in the interests of the environment. If it makes things cheaper for the consumer, then that’s an added bonus.”
“I know, I know,” said Andrew. “I may have some positive news for you."
“Oh?” said a bemused Henry.
“I know that Scottish Energy are looking at new technologies, and how to best utilize our own environment,” Andrew told him.
“Where did you hear that?” asked Henry, sipping his pint.
“It’s policy, as implemented by the company’s Energy Production Manager,” replied Andrew. “That’s me!”
Henry turned around with surprise, before congratulating Andrew and shaking his hand again. Andrew simply smiled.
“Well done, well done,” Henry added. “Perhaps now our energy companies may start to utlilse our resources.”
“It’s not going to happen overnight, I’m afraid,” warned Andrew. “I convinced Scottish Energy that the best way forward was to utilise our natural resources. This will cost far less than oil from other parts of the world. I said that the turbine was just the start of an environmental revolution, and that we needed to be at the forefront.”
“Too true,” said Henry. “Mind you, come to think about it, I hadn’t thought you’d be the sort of person they’d appoint. I mean, you helped with the turbine. It’s like you’ve been batting for the other side.”
“I think you’ll find that’s called poaching,” said Andrew. “It happens every day. You just have to look at the football transfer market. If the offer is large enough, anyone will accept the bait.”
“So, what plans do you have?” asked Henry.
“I’d like to develop another turbine or two along the Scotttish coast,” replied Andrew. “I’d like to work with you, rather than against you, as I know that you will come up with further revolutionary ideas that we should take full advantage of.”
“What other visions do you have?” asked Henry. “A fleet of digital motors, perhaps?”
“That would be handy for the future, but I’ll leave any further ideas to you,” suggested Andrew. “However, we don’t require de-salination plants, and we don’t get enough sun to develop solar paneling.”
“They would be more suitable for the Environment Agency to implement,” said Henry. “Would I be able to propose ideas to other authorities and businesses?”.
“I don’t see why not, if it doesn’t directly affect Scottish Energy,” replied Andrew. “It would be useful if you can keep in contact with Malcolm at Stornoway. The more savings the Western Isles council make, the better it will be for us, as we can demonstrate the benefits of these projects.”
“So, what are you offering me?” asked Henry.
“I’m not sure just yet,” said Andrew. “I’d like to work with you as a consultant, to start with. What materialises from there depends upon other factors. Ultimately, what happens to me will depend on some of these factors. I can’t say fairer than that, can I?”
“That’s fine by me,” said Henry. “Will I be in receipt of a salary, or one-off payments as and when my services may be required?”
“Probably the latter,” said Andrew. “I’ve got that interview on DVD. If you have the sales figures for the first three months of operation of the turbine, I may be able to sell the idea to the Board.”
Henry went upstairs to get the sales figures for the turbine from his safe. He took them to his mini office, where he copied them, before putting the original back in his safe. He then took the copy down to Andrew, who had taken out a contract which he gave to Henry.
“Is everything on there okay?” Andrew asked him.
“It seems to be,” said Henry. “An ad-hoc role may suit me, as I have other businesses to monitor, and may need to visit them from time to time.”
“There is one other option,” Andrew suggested before Henry signed the contract.
“What might that be?” asked Henry.
“The patent to the turbine is probably yours,” Andrew pointed out.
“What about the one in Ireland?” Henry queried.
“I checked that one over,” said Andrew. “It was first drawn-up shortly after you first sent me your proposals.”
Henry became rather curious.
“I seem to recall you telling me that you submitted your proposals elsewhere, before sending them to the Western Isles council?” Andrew asked. “That would make the date it was drawn-up even earlier and avoid any dispute.”
Henry went to search for any saved messages on his email facilities. It seemed, however, that these may have been deleted. He then went to check a file of letters he had kept, and found some dating back to November 2008. He took the file down to Andrew and showed it to him.
“I suggest you make a claim for the patent, before they do in Ireland,” advised Andrew.
“So what do you want to do about the contract?” Henry asked him.
“That’s up to you,” replied Andrew. “If you have the patent, we, Scottish Energy I mean, can buy it off of you for about £100K, perhaps.”
“Hold on a minute,” said Henry. “The patent would be worth far more than that. The current figures for the turbine are greater. It could make up to a million pounds in one year. If you take on similar projects, just think how much money you can gain when the turbines come to fruition.”
”That’s something to speculate about in the future,” said Andrew. “What do you want to do at the moment?”
“Make a claim for the turbine, to start with,” insisted Henry. “Is there an address online?”
“There’s a sight to send your claim to online,” Andrew advised him. “See what you can come up with. If you need any support, just let me know.”
Henry then went to examine the contract Andrew had offered him, before signing it.
“I thought you were going to apply for the patent?” Andrew asked him
“We don’t know the outcome of that, yet,” pointed out Henry. “For now, I’d sooner sign this. We can see whatever happens to the patent in the future.”
“Ai, ai, that makes sense,” agreed Andrew. “I’ll give you a personal copy of the contract, and raise this at the next Board meeting.”
“If you explain the financial benefits of the turbine, perhaps the board may accept the patent for a million quid,” suggested Henry.
“What!” shrieked Andrew.
“If it makes a million quid in one year, and you have the rights to several turbines, Scottish Energy will be quids-in,” insisted Henry.
Andrew thought to himself for a moment.
“I suppose it does make sense,” he admitted. “I doubt the Board will see it that way, though.”
“I could keep the patent and sell it to the highest bidder,” said Henry.
“Hold on a moment,” said Andrew. “Don’t you think you owe me, if not Scottish Energy, something? I told you about the patent.”
“How about half-a-million quid, and 10% of the profits?” suggested Henry.
“I’ll see what the Board say,” replied Andrew. “That’s if they agree to the proposal of new turbines.”
“And if they don’t agree, I can keep the patent?” suggested Henry.
“If the Board don’t agree to the proposals, I’d like a share of the patent,” said Andrew. “After all, I brought this to your attention.”
“Agreed,” Henry said to him. “We can discuss the percentages when we know a little more about what’s going to happen.”
Henry then walked over to the sideboard and took out a bottle of champagne.
“Would you like some?” he asked Andrew.
“Thanks for the offer, but don’t you think it’s a bit premature, just at the moment?” commented Andrew. “You may have signed a contract, but the Board haven’t agreed to anything yet. If my proposal doesn’t go through, there may not be any developments to consult you about.”
“I just feel that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Henry.
“Save the champagne for next time,” suggested Andrew. “I may have better news next time I come to visit you.”
Just then, Maria came downstairs and went to sit with Henry and Andrew. When she saw they had been drinking, she went back to the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee, before going back and talking to Henry and Andrew.
They were still talking a couple of hours later, when Ramondo arrived home. After he was introduced to Andrew, he went to the kitchen to take three more cans of bitter, before joining-in the debate with the others.
A little later, Henry agreed to treat them all, as they went for a meal at the Inn around the corner, by which