"
Matthew had his own preface: "Rolland has been my mentor at
International Foods for more than ten years. I don't feel any ill
will toward him for telling you, as long as you respect the fact
that my trip was confidential."
"Of course," William said, and took a drink of water. Then he
began. "Matthew, an unusual feeling swept over me when I heard
this." Already his enthusiasm was quickening. "I realized that
Wallaby must be up to something really big if they were calling
on someone of your caliber. It's been a long time since Peter
Jones has made any brash statements about us, the industry, or
anything. Too long.
"I thought it would be interesting to meet you when you returned.
You see, a plan began to unfold in my mind, one that you may find
interesting." A smile lighted William's face, and he leaned
forward a little. In a lowered voice he revealed the heart of the
matter: "I've always had a strong admiration for Wallaby. But of
course it's the sort of thing one must keep in check at ICP.
"Sure, we currently have a great portable computer. But we're not
innovative the way Wallaby is. And I suspect that they're up to
something new. Something exciting."
Matthew saw the purity of William's candor and honesty. His
intuition was waking, and he was beginning to understand where
this conversation would take them.
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