Pool_2

>> stilo inverso <<

The tall room was as ostentatious and dominating as ever. The long cherry wood table was exactly as before, except that there was a very large chocolate covered strawberry set at each place, save one. "Gentlemen," Mr. P. was smiling and upbeat in his courtesan like bowing arm extending gesture directing the parties to their seats. As always, they sat first closest to the red velvet throne and then in sequence toward the end nearest the main entry door, which was now closed and latched. "Gentlemen. These strawberries are the sweetest of the sweet. The chocolate is bittersweet. Delicious and appropriate. Symbolic, wouldn't you say Beej?" The latter nodded smiling, as the chair continued, "With only one exception, although a glaring one, we have not only made this period's projection but have repaired the last period's short fall." There was applause, smiling, and happy head bobbling except, of course, at the one seat missing the strawberry. That fellow, the same one who had swallowed his misgivings at the last meeting, just sat head drooped in an uninterrupted negative nodding of thinly visible reproach. B.J., standing as usual, waited out the rush and the garbled stuffed mouth expressions of scrumptious and like superlatives, to enumerate positive consequences. "With our funding surplus, we have attained flexibility of expression, expression of a form which facilitated our bringing two key senators over to our way of thinking. The threats against us, by the several bills now before the congress, of constraints on our practices which would cap executive remuneration and options, are now as good as dead."