Page 196 - harryDEC12_clean.iba

Of course we as brokers put it in writing that we were in no way responsible for the choice of the company – that is what you do in such cases, John said, and I had taken a powerful step forward. The rest was office routine: basic data were gathered for the IT section, the shares were allocated over a panel of insurers, and the secretaries prepared with writing automats respectable looking cover notes of many pages, which were then transmitted by a fax machine of group 3, which had been in use for some years, to New York. Peter Behring had in the meantime informed us that responsibility for the re-insurance contract had been transferred for organizational reasons to the worldwide "marine division" of AIU. There a certain Captain Schulz was responsible, a German, as I discovered later, a German who for 25 years had been working in various parts of the world for the company. The answer did not take long to emerge. It was short:
+++++
"Job well done - pleased to confirm order and would welcome your visit to New York in the next 10 days,“
Signed Capt. Schulz.
+ + + +
"That will be a welcome trip to New York,"
Said John.
„Which hotel will we stay in?“
"Park Lane,"
I answered without hesitation - a welcomed reminiscence of the past - and Moira prepared the papers and made the bookings, business class, of course, with British Caledonian Airways, short BCal.
"Why Caledonian?"
I asked her.
"Because there you automatically get upgraded to first class,“
Said Moira.
"We have a certain quota with us, I’ll put you in there. Of course only if you bring something back – something little from Tiffany.“
"Sure, Moira, but that’ll cost a few pennies.“
"Whatever you like,“
Said Moira, pulling her already short skirt a little higher.
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