“Vishal,” said Sharpe when he returned from Barclay’s. “How would you package our system if we wanted to move it to another computer?”
“Easy enough. Since we’re running Ubuntu Linux, I can get the whole thing, operating system and all, onto a memory stick. The 16 gigabyte ones now will do it with lots of room to spare. But you know we are needing the Katsuyama hardware to be installed in the PC, and there’s no way we can duplicate that. Why?”
“We’re going to hand the thing over to Jon Campbell. Lock, stock and barrel.”
Vishal stared at him. “Why the bloody hell are you going to be doing that?” he asked.
“Because,” Sharpe said. He went over the arguments that he’d just been through with Barclay and Kurokawa.
“I see. As long as you’re happy with it. We have enough money for my sister.”
“And that was the main thing, after all.”
“Well, you should come out ahead as well. Nothing would have happened if it hadn’t been for you.”
“Not convinced that it’s been a 100% success.”
“Come off it, Kenneth, thanks to you, my sister is probably going to have a new life. And Meema and I are a bit better off than we were, and so are you and Mieko.”
Sharpe sighed. “I suppose you’re right, but I really don’t feel like exposing everyone to these risks, and I don’t fancy being exposed to them myself.”
“It seems a shame, but you’re the boss. Do we tell the girls?”
“Of course. We know that Meema’s had enough of all this, and I am sure that Mieko will be relieved.”
“What are you going to be doing while I’m doing all this work of packaging the system?” asked Vishal.
“Doing what I do best. Writing sodding documentation, that’s what. And I don’t understand half of what you’ve been up to, so you’re going to have to explain it in words of one syllable.”
“It’s not as bad as that. Most of the hard work was the testing, and now we know what the answers should be, I think you’re going to find it quite easy to write about those procedures.”
“Hope so,” said Sharpe.
-o-
As he had predicted, both Meema and Mieko took the news with a sense of relief once he had explained the reasons, and reassured them that there was enough money to pay for Vishal’s sister’s treatment in the worst possible scenario, and still leave a little over.
He and Vishal worked together on making the Katsuyama technology into a product that could be easily transferred and operated by anyone with relatively little computer knowledge.
“We should be selling this,” grumbled Vishal. “Think how much it’s worth to someone.”
“There are two good reasons why not,” said Sharpe, glad of the chance to take a break from the business of writing about market data feed installation. “One, it’s not our technology to sell.”
“You think Katsuyama’s going to object? He’s a bloody psycho from what you say, and the police will have him in jail PDQ if he comes to Japan.”
“Even so, it’s not ours, and we couldn’t run the risk. And, more importantly, the way it makes profits depends on only one of these systems being around. If everyone has the same technology, it’s not going to work. No-one has the advantage over the others. Come on, Vishal, this is why Meema was developing all those trading strategies at the bank. To give your bank an edge over the others. There’s no advantage if we’re all on the same playing field. The free market’s a myth – always has been – someone is always the leader with an unfair advantage.”
“I suppose that’s true. Seems to me that we’re throwing this all away for no good reason that I can see. I’m going to make a copy to keep for myself, in any case.”
-o-
After only a day, Kurokawa called Sharpe. “Everything is sorted out,” he smiled. “Here’s the piece of paper.”
Sharpe read it through. He assumed that the English and the Japanese were the same. In any case, someone had inserted a clause stating that the English was to be used as the official text in cases of disagreement. All the clauses seemed to be in order, and promised that any arrests made of him, Vishal, Meema or Mieko in connection with that was termed “the Katsuyama technology” would be mere formalities, and that they would never be brought to trial. Furthermore, all record of such arrests would be removed from the records, leaving a clean sheet.
“Who is this?” asked Sharpe, pointing to the name and seal at the bottom of the document.
“A very senior civil servant in the Ministry of Justice. You’re all very well covered, believe me. All you have to do is sign. All of you. There’s a copy for each of you and two more for the government.”
Sharpe went round collecting the signatures, and passed two copies back to Kurokawa.
“Thanks. Now, if you don’t mind, Mr Sharpe, I’d like you to call Campbell and arrange a handover.”
“How long till you’re ready, Vishal?”
“About another three days, if the testing goes well.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“Five.”
“And I reckon I’ve got at least five days’ writing to do, so let’s tell him this time next week. You happy with that, Vishal? There’s no pushing this deadline back, you know.”
“Go with it, man. I’m with you all the way.”
“You want to record this call?” Sharpe asked Kurokawa.
“Yes. Don’t put it on speaker this time, though. Can you do it from your office phone?”
“Sure.”
Kurokawa brought out some cables that connected the phone to his pocket recorder. “When you’re ready,” he invited Sharpe.
Sharpe took a deep breath and started dialling Jon Campbell’s mobile number. It was answered after about six rings.
“Hello?” came Jon’s voice. “Who’s this?” Obviously the number displayed by the office Internet phone system had confused him.
“Kenneth Sharpe here.”
“Ah, Kenny.” Sharpe gritted his teeth. “How nice to hear from you. I heard from Tomiko that you have some special friends looking after you who don’t really want me to meet you. Is that still the case?”
“It is indeed, Jonny,” said Sharpe, returning the compliment. “Where are you? And who’s giving you that information?”
“Both of those are my business, not yours, I think.”
“Please yourself.”
“So what can I be doing for you, then?”
“Actually, it’s what I can be doing for you,” Sharpe corrected. He tried to make his voice sound a little more submissive. It wasn’t that hard to feel frightened when he remembered what he had seen of Ishihara’s face.
“Go on.”
“We’re not in a position to give Tomiko the money she wants. You know as well as I do how fucked up the markets are right now.”
“I can accept that. I’ve tried to explain all this to the crazy bitch but I think it’s a case of the deliberate dumbs. So? You’re not calling me just to say you can’t pay, are you?”
“No. I’m going to make you a present of the whole of the Katsuyama technology. The hardware, which as you know, is the only one of its kind, the original disc he gave to me, a real live working system – a copy of the one we were using, and the instruction manual. It’s going to take a little bit of work for you to set it up and get it working, but I’m busy writing down how you can do that.”
“You’re not going to do that for us?”
“You wish. No, I’m not. I don’t want you or Tomiko breathing down our necks while we do it. There’s lots of competent people out there you can use to set it all up and get it working, now the banks are shedding IT staff like dandruff.”
“How poetic you are, Kenny. We may call on you for help.”
“The way I write manuals, you’re not going to need any help. It will all happen nice and smoothly.”
“Famous last words. So why this sudden burst of generosity? Has Christmas come early this year?”
“Let’s just say that I’m rather fed up with the lifestyle you and your lady friend have imposed on us. I’d like a return to normality, and this seems the best way of going about it.”
“Fair enough. And when are you putting on the Santa suit and driving the reindeer over? On second thoughts, no reindeer. Just you.”
“The system and the documentation won’t be ready for another week.”
“An IT contractor’s week or a real week?”
“Very funny. A real week.”
“OK, I’ll call you in a week’s time and give you the time and place. And no funny stuff. Any tricks and you’re history, mate. Trust me on that, and keep it in mind any time you think about being clever.”
“I understand.”
“Then you’ll have the pleasure of hearing my voice this time next week. I’ll pass on the news to Tomiko and I’m sure that she’ll send out a hands-off notice, if that makes you feel any better.”
“It does, as it happens.”
“Then I’ll bid you a fond farewell until next week.” Jon hung up, and Sharpe looked up at Kurokawa who was grinning.
“Excellent, Mr Sharpe. That’s exactly what I expected. So as soon as you get the time and place, send me a message on my mobile, and I’ll get the men in position to protect you. Good luck with your work.”
-oOo-