TMB VI: Tough Guy In A Basement

The room I entered was big and rectangular, without much in it as far as I could see, which wasn't very far anyway.
It reminded me of an abandoned underground parking lot every time. Most of it lay in deep shadows. A lone, large desktop prominently resided in the middle of it, just barely visible in the dark.

A few meters in front of that desk, a single chair stood in a circle of white light, cast by a bright spotlight far overhead. That was where I was supposed to sit down for our talk. Mr. X probably was already seated behind his desk. Regularities like these were such a comfort sometimes.

Seated, I stared into the gloom. The chair was just uncomfortable enough to make you uneasy. Besides being one of our best customers, Mr. X also was kind of a wily guy. I more felt than actually could see his silhouette behind the heavy table top.

"I need more information", he intoned out of sudden, startling me. He loved surprises, as long as they were his. His voice was deep and sonorous. If he had been upset yesterday, now there wasn't any apparent sign of it. Yet I cold sense a certain sharpness underneath everything else. That was enough to be concerned. You didn't want a guy like Mr. X to be dissatisfied with you, you really didn't. Well, at least I didn't.

After that remark of his, he remained silent and waited for my opening bid.

"What is it you lack?" I ventured.

"I'm paying your organization generous fees. Yet I feel that the scope of information you're delivering me is incommensurately limited - much too limited, that is."
He paused a second, over there in the dark, and let his words sink in.
"I think the scope of your delivery is indeed defined in our mutual agreement, isn't it? Especially in regard of Case C."

I knew it. He was up to "Case C".

Those stupid code words weren't my thing, but in this line of business, I had to run with the pack. When you were dealing with the sort of products we were dealing with, a certain amount of precautions were out of the question. However, those stupid codes were really getting on my nerves lately.

I hastily searched my mind for the actual state of Case C, and behold, Mr. X had a point. Case C was proving problematic.

"Case C is proving problematic", I told him. No use to try to put wool over his eyes. He had been in his part of the business for so long, I couldn’t hope to lead him astray even for the shortest time. Besides, I really valued my health. This was another thing about this business. One continuously ran a given health risk, and it paid off not to raise that risk if one could help it.

The silence behind the desk was unsettling. I counted on being allowed extra time, to check things out. Yet it got on my nerves anyway.

"So what are you going to do about it?" he finally asked.

That was a good question.