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James sat in front of the television hoping to harvest
ideas from the evening news. They covered the stock
market, military action in the Middle East, and weather,
in fact every topic you could imagine except skateboarding
ducks and crime in New York City.
Though it was sunny on the east coast, the weather
girl was pessimistic. "And here sweeping in from
central Canada," she gestured at the map, towards
the Great Lakes, "there's a serious risk of a winter
weather event."
"Does that mean it might snow?" James inquired.
Debbie sat beside him, providing moral support and
idly leafing through an autobiography of Anais Nin.
The photograph on the cover reminded them both, very
strikingly, of Sophie Smith. At last the local news
came on.
"Still no answer to the mystery surrounding the
explosion on the 7th floor of an uptown building which
shattered windows in neighboring blocks. The explosion
happened shortly before midnight Wednesday in a building
owned by KK Harker."
The name meant nothing to James but this was a mystery,
so he listened hard.
"Harker is believed to live with his family in
the 8th floor penthouse overlooking Central Park. He
uses floors 5, 6 and 7 for office space. The remainder
of the building is occupied by tenants. Additionally
Harker owns all the other buildings on the block."
"The Harker fortune derives from a series of patents,
most importantly a group of global patents that grant
him sole ownership of the concept of the Frequent Flyer
awards systems used by airlines."
"You can't patent something like that!" Debbie
was astonished. "Can you?"
James agreed. The idea was amazing. The patent holder
would amass riches beyond the dreams of avarice. He
would be able to license the concept to every airline
on the planet, and charge royalties every time anyone
earned even the smallest credit towards a flight. He
would be able to buy, James tried to think but then
the obvious truth struck him, an entire block on the
Upper West Side.
"Harker is one of the world's most retiring billionaires.
He is believed to devote the majority of his time to
charitable causes and scientific experiments aimed at
helping developing countries to become self sufficient.
He also runs Setinyc, an independent organization that
specializes in deep space research."
"But exactly what caused the side of the Harker
building to blow out is still a mystery to the New York
Fire Department. We'll be back after these messages."
James' brain was racing fast. This was definitely a
project for Sue. He should call Kath and Sue right away.
He glanced at his watch. Sue would probably be out working
but Kath should be home.
Suddenly he realized that one of his favorite pharmaceutical
commercials was airing, and he paused to watch. The
requirement for legal disclaimers in America made these
commercials unintentionally funny but no one seemed
to notice. The confident voice of the announcer, speaking
very fast, warned:
"Prescription Kopaketyl is not for everyone. Tell
your doctor if you are already taking medicines. Side
effects may include nausea, diarrhea, constipation,
drowsiness, anxiety, high blood pressure, low blood
pressure, sexual side effects, depression, diabetes,
acid reflux, attention deficit disorder, and minor psychoses.
Consult your doctor if you suffer from myopia. Do not
take Kopaketyl prior to driving or operating machinery.
Kopaketyl can transform your life. Your free trial
pack is waiting. Kopaketyl."
The logo remained on the screen for a few more seconds,
just in case you didn't hear the name.
He turned to Debbie. "Who in their right mind
takes that stuff?"
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