Narrator:

Antony leaned back in his chair as the meeting droned on, letting Noal do all the talking as he stared across the table at Duke. Duke sat at the other end of the table between his accountants with his attention focused on Noal. He kept a serious face, with his hands tucked in front of him, twiddling his fingers as he listened. Antony refused to take his eyes off him, knowing the moment he did, Orlinia’s kingpin would think him spineless and consider him weak at the knees.

Duke had established one of the modern rules of business the moment Antony walked in for their meeting. An unspoken rule within the thriving business world of the upper city. A challenge Antony gladly accepted; if Duke made eye contact with him during their meeting, he would be obligated to do business with him.

Antony leaned forward and knocked on the table a few times. Duke glanced over at Antony’s tie, seeing he was still watching, obviously aware Antony was trying to provoke him into looking at him. He sneered under his gray mustache in amusement. Antony sneered back, sensing he was close to folding.

Noal:

“You see, Mr. Sprit, our books are as clean as we can make them without drawing suspicion, but there’s still some frayed ends we need to deal with before the trial. Here’s what records we do have that need cleaned,”

Narrator:

said Noal going through the paperwork on the table in front of him. He slid the papers over towards Duke expecting him to read them.

Duke:

“You misunderstand the nature of business, Mr. Wilde. The nature of business comes from the ties and connections between people and their associates. Not numbers and reports.”

Narrator:

Antony worked up a fake cough, using the conversation as his moment to strike.

Duke glanced over at him without control and made eye contact. He closed his eyes for a brief second with a sly grin on his face before turning his attention back to Noal, clearly amused by Antony’s persistence which had led him to victory. Antony laid back in his seat with a smug grin.

He had won.

Noal pulled the papers back towards him.

Noal:

“With all due respect, sir, I understand that, but I didn’t spend all my years at MIT just making connections. I read the world in numbers, and so will the judge. When we step into that courtroom, we’ll need to have the pen on our side as well as the sword.”

Narrator:

Antony glanced up at the clock projected on the conference room wall. Noal still had a minute left.

Duke:

“College is a waste of time in many ways, Mr. Wilde. Dreamers who have been drawn into promises of success, only to leave just as blind as the day they arrived. The way I see it, if it wasn’t for your long friendship with Mr. Caracalla, you wouldn’t be sitting in this room. My business is in managing those connections, and using them to not only help myself, but those who are looking to help themselves. That’s the true nature of business,”

Narrator:

Duke said.

Antony watched Noal glance over at him. He nodded with some sense of agreement. Noal shook his head at him.

Duke fiddled with his tie.

Duke:

“If I’m going to make a new relationship with someone, I prefer to gain something in return.”