High Table and Depository II Green Bay
Yolanda licked her lips and lithe like a cat stood up slowly, felt like over a minute to anyone watching, but easy on the eyes, she make sure to show some leg. Started singing a verse from a song almost 100 years old, The Harper Valley PTA,
+ + +
Well there's Bobby Taylor sittin' there and seven times he asked me for a date
And Mrs Taylor sure seems to use a lotta ice whenever he's away
And Mr Baker can you tell us why your secretary had to leave this town
And shouldn't widow Jones be told to keep
Her window shades all pulled completely down
Well Mr Harper couldn't be here cause he stayed too long at Kelly's Bar again
+ + +
Some women have that witchlike stick you in the spine look; Yolanda for sure. You can easily imagine colored sparks, or lightning bolts coming out of her eyes; top of the persuasive otter class, a bit of a shoulder shrug. Even though Yolanda didn't share any DNA with her Jewish mother, those cultural body movements were part of her inventory. Nature and nurture both have their place, even in the Blue Circle skewed view of the world.
The breach of the Principus branch was unfortunate, she said to the council. That's totally on me. Hurts my pride to admit it, but I agree it was an operational blunder that constitutes just cause for you to withdraw the hand of friendship and ask me to step down from High Table. That said, stop the moralizing and get off your high horse. This isn't THE High Table, it is one of the high tables in a real life Game of Thrones and I have 3 children from this table, another 5 from other tables to prove it.
Let me remind you that nobody in this room lost a shekel on Principus or H Coin, that is unless you got greedy and made a play on the secondary market. In fact H Coin has increased all of our wealth and that is true, even after factoring the breach clean up cost.
You say you have doubts about Depository II? Fine, I will get down from this high chair and either buy you out of Depository, or you can buy me out. Grant you the whoof on Principus, but Depository is my finest work. So now, palms low, facing the council, send me, with your blessing if possible, to work my risk reward calculus somewhere else. And if you wish to build a Depository III, I'll raise no complaint as long as it isn't in Madagascar or Africa.
Josh sputtered, the grey hairs coming off of his ears jumping to attention, who are you to say what High Table does?
Yolanda looked at Josh serenely, mentally asking her lion personality to cool for a bit while she channeled Whoopi Goldberg's ability to speak the truth with a kindly sense of dispassion. One of the Children of Yolanda was his seed, back when he was younger and more impetuous. Umm, she smiled, that takes me back.
Allow me to render the message in NeoPuritan NoJo for you, she said. With the success of H Coin, the infrastructure growth we both, (pausing to insure the word set in), both need is causing friction between our groups. We're doing a replay of Genesis 13, Abraham and Lot, our herds are large and the current land cannot support both of them. We need to spread out. We need, then Yolanda nailed it with a Walk In The Clouds, "we need room to manuver."
H Coin, we can take with us as blockiamonds, like Abraham did with sheep. But, Yo looked her former lover right in the eye. But, one of us needs to choose to shepherd the very stationary Depository II. . . unless of course, you are thinking about abandoning the project, her voice trailed off softly.
Josh nodded, her answer took the edge off his irritation, (and he certainly did not intend to walk away from an asset like depository). Please give me a minute to confer with the council. Yolanda smiled and walked out of the room. Snippets from their murmurs: corrupt government, poor country, armed gun violence, the big Africa question mark, the plague, these rats. We'd be better off just throwing a dart at the globe and building where it lands, couldn't do worse.
Traveler looked up, his glasses looked even more orange than usual, tactical linen shirt magically absent even the slightest wrinkle. I know unusual doesn't come close to describe what this augurs for coming events. But I am going to have to recuse myself from this discussion and vote, that is my godmother we are talking about. And he stood up, smiled, and walked out to have a cup of coffee with Yolanda.
They didn't say much. Traveler and Yolanda were growing more distant. They were on radically different paths. However, she wasn't godmother in name only, she had always been a part of his life. And yes, even during her time as a NeoPuritan, kind of a gypsy, a free spirit that otherwise was not evident on the ranch. They drank their coffee and reflected, she even mentioned the hoverboard incident.
+ + + text box + + +
Happy birthday Traveler she said pulling him into her breasts, time with Yolanda usually involved being squished against her tits.
Open it, she said, so he did.
New is box is good, shows no one ever touched it before, but Traveler's trust was worth more than a billion, and trying to assemble something as complex as a Brinkley Hoverboard, could be a bit of a downer. This wasn't new in box, this was ready to fly. Not one of those dimply tied to the earth boards, a real hoverboard, good for up to 75 kilos, but the 5 yr old was just heavy enough to guide the control surfaces and yet allowed for everything the machine could do.
Traveler had already surfed and snow boarded, he stepped right into position on the board.
Helmet smiled Yolanda, the sexiest thing I have ever seen is a boy on a hoverboard with a helmet. He snapped on the helmet.
Just hover first she said, touch your foot here and return it. The board began to blow, napkins and wrapping paper were gusting away. It settled at a 1m height off the floor. Now start to move, she said, see what happens, but do it gently. When you're ready, dip the nose. He did, and off he went circling the house and ranch outbuildings.
When he returned his eyes were the size of headlamps. Nothing quite like a boy with the right toy.
Regrettably, he broke his arm a week later.
+++
She smiled, remembering the story. Don't go back in that room she said. Traveler felt a black chill rushing down his spine, for a second he thought he was going to blow cookies. Passed. Whew.
Back in the conference room Josh looked almost wistful. Yolanda stepping down from our high table is the end of an era. In some sense she was everything you could hope for in a Blue Circle member, brought Caribbean charm to a rather PNW'd group. Yes, she is fast and loose sexually, but he still remembered their tryst fondly, still had fantasies of what else they might have done.
However, dabbling in the supernatural was unnerving. Far more so, since it her branch of numerology was yielding repeatable results. A boatload of textbooks instantly obsolete. And, truth be told, proof of spell was the most exciting thing to happen to blockchain in a decade. But at the same time, he knew in his spirit this was a doorway best not opened. Energy, or something like it, that could pass through the earth and manifest at its destination. Betcha didn't see that coming.
Her father had ensured her place. She was raised just like Traveler, tutors, not a minute to be wasted. Baptized into Blue Circle on her 16th birthday, team leader at Up and Out the next day. Girl was was 22 when she took the High Table Oath. She had served for over 20 years, but the last few were the most significant, her work with H Coin put us all in the money. If she wants Depository II, I say we give it to her and good riddance in the most genteel way. She might even be able to make a go of it.
Earnest Alfred, wizzened old white hair fixture of the table. had remained silent, eyes hawkishly observing every detail. He raised his right hand. Yolanda has a point, if we grow much larger, at least in the Seattle area, we will have to expand geographically. I would love to take over some of her property and I know you would as well.
Maurice stopped him for a second. This is a pretty big decision, should we do this without Gizmo.
The cancer drugs are hard on him, Josh replied, we have a quorom. I've sent him a text, all he wants is her holdings in Puerto Rico. He will pick something additional if that is what we need him to do.
Earnest continued to say, I've seen her accounts, everything is in trusts, most over 20 years old, some much older. Depository II, Madagascar, I think, is a good bet for her, I remember her grandfather building estates, imprinting the circle model, and then her father. She has a lot of history there. It has its problems, as you all pointed out, but she has a number of tools in place. Whatever wierd voodoo she has gotten into will play far better there than our home courts. I move we vote to trade our shares in Madagascar for her assets in Washington State and Canada. The voice vote was unanimous.
When Yolanda came back in, Josh relayed the offer, Her cheeks began to flush, her nostrils flared, nipple extended, you could see the chicken skin on her arms and legs.
After a bit she said, I want to keep Roost, it means a lot to me. However, I will swap you a persona, Mary Adelaide, she has a birth certificate, home school records, a few appearances and a travel card; she is 12 now.
Yolanda had seen this day coming for a long time. She only confided in one person; Controller. Now is the big moment, showtime, she said to herself. Murder, she wrote.
PRESENCE: Controller acknowledged the group.
This is what I understand you wish to do, and he showed them the deeds of trust. As each member of the High Table authenticated, assets blocked to different chains. The whole thing took about 10 minutes.
END PRESENCE.
Yolanda addressed the group. I'll settle up with my God son later, it's been nice ruling with you. If you ever need me I'll be up the Canal de Pangalanes.
Josh nodded, she walked over, kissed him on the lips, tongue pushing a small pill into his mouth. He tried to remain calm, to show no emotion. Removing the hand of friendship was a pretty big deal, this could play out a number of ways. She shook hands with Josh,.
Yolanda: I willingly end my covenant with The Steilacoom High Table.
Josh: You are released from your Oath to The Steilacoom High Table.
Tableman Alfred, had a moment of doubt. Was releasing Yolanda from her oath a bit jonked? But it passed. She went around the table and shook a final handshake with each party, ending the term of the oath. The poison was quick acting, paralysis was the first visible effect, irreversible save the antidote that was in the pill thrust into her lover of yore's mouth. Turns out sound mind and body has an expiration date.
Traveler asked Josh later, how did he know. He said he didn't. But if Yolanda is out to kill you then you are walking dead, and so he just hoped she wanted him around a bit longer.
Her self drive was waiting, she moved quickly to the car and headed for the gulfstream at the airport. She wanted to be outside of the United States before anyone realized half of a high table was poisoned. Controller was in motion as well. His office as seal of trust was permanently closed, as he had transferred many of the non-operational assets between Yolanda and himself. As chance would have it, or so it would seem, Pedro was already on the island, with Dr. Clara Bow and XXX.
The businesses that needed to keep running, most of them were bombshelled to Wonk who was going to have to scramble to pick up the pieces; welcome to your sudden seat at a High Table in need of reconstitution. Initially it would have to be Josh, Traveler and Wonk and they would need to consider who in the Circle was ready for a seat in the big chair.
+ + +
Well there's Bobby Taylor sittin' there and seven times he asked me for a date
And Mrs Taylor sure seems to use a lotta ice whenever he's away
And Mr Baker can you tell us why your secretary had to leave this town
And shouldn't widow Jones be told to keep
Her window shades all pulled completely down
Well Mr Harper couldn't be here cause he stayed too long at Kelly's Bar again
+ + +
Some women have that witchlike stick you in the spine look; Yolanda for sure. You can easily imagine colored sparks, or lightning bolts coming out of her eyes; top of the persuasive otter class, a bit of a shoulder shrug. Even though Yolanda didn't share any DNA with her Jewish mother, those cultural body movements were part of her inventory. Nature and nurture both have their place, even in the Blue Circle skewed view of the world.
The breach of the Principus branch was unfortunate, she said to the council. That's totally on me. Hurts my pride to admit it, but I agree it was an operational blunder that constitutes just cause for you to withdraw the hand of friendship and ask me to step down from High Table. That said, stop the moralizing and get off your high horse. This isn't THE High Table, it is one of the high tables in a real life Game of Thrones and I have 3 children from this table, another 5 from other tables to prove it.
Let me remind you that nobody in this room lost a shekel on Principus or H Coin, that is unless you got greedy and made a play on the secondary market. In fact H Coin has increased all of our wealth and that is true, even after factoring the breach clean up cost.
You say you have doubts about Depository II? Fine, I will get down from this high chair and either buy you out of Depository, or you can buy me out. Grant you the whoof on Principus, but Depository is my finest work. So now, palms low, facing the council, send me, with your blessing if possible, to work my risk reward calculus somewhere else. And if you wish to build a Depository III, I'll raise no complaint as long as it isn't in Madagascar or Africa.
Josh sputtered, the grey hairs coming off of his ears jumping to attention, who are you to say what High Table does?
Yolanda looked at Josh serenely, mentally asking her lion personality to cool for a bit while she channeled Whoopi Goldberg's ability to speak the truth with a kindly sense of dispassion. One of the Children of Yolanda was his seed, back when he was younger and more impetuous. Umm, she smiled, that takes me back.
Allow me to render the message in NeoPuritan NoJo for you, she said. With the success of H Coin, the infrastructure growth we both, (pausing to insure the word set in), both need is causing friction between our groups. We're doing a replay of Genesis 13, Abraham and Lot, our herds are large and the current land cannot support both of them. We need to spread out. We need, then Yolanda nailed it with a Walk In The Clouds, "we need room to manuver."
H Coin, we can take with us as blockiamonds, like Abraham did with sheep. But, Yo looked her former lover right in the eye. But, one of us needs to choose to shepherd the very stationary Depository II. . . unless of course, you are thinking about abandoning the project, her voice trailed off softly.
Josh nodded, her answer took the edge off his irritation, (and he certainly did not intend to walk away from an asset like depository). Please give me a minute to confer with the council. Yolanda smiled and walked out of the room. Snippets from their murmurs: corrupt government, poor country, armed gun violence, the big Africa question mark, the plague, these rats. We'd be better off just throwing a dart at the globe and building where it lands, couldn't do worse.
Traveler looked up, his glasses looked even more orange than usual, tactical linen shirt magically absent even the slightest wrinkle. I know unusual doesn't come close to describe what this augurs for coming events. But I am going to have to recuse myself from this discussion and vote, that is my godmother we are talking about. And he stood up, smiled, and walked out to have a cup of coffee with Yolanda.
They didn't say much. Traveler and Yolanda were growing more distant. They were on radically different paths. However, she wasn't godmother in name only, she had always been a part of his life. And yes, even during her time as a NeoPuritan, kind of a gypsy, a free spirit that otherwise was not evident on the ranch. They drank their coffee and reflected, she even mentioned the hoverboard incident.
+ + + text box + + +
Happy birthday Traveler she said pulling him into her breasts, time with Yolanda usually involved being squished against her tits.
Open it, she said, so he did.
New is box is good, shows no one ever touched it before, but Traveler's trust was worth more than a billion, and trying to assemble something as complex as a Brinkley Hoverboard, could be a bit of a downer. This wasn't new in box, this was ready to fly. Not one of those dimply tied to the earth boards, a real hoverboard, good for up to 75 kilos, but the 5 yr old was just heavy enough to guide the control surfaces and yet allowed for everything the machine could do.
Traveler had already surfed and snow boarded, he stepped right into position on the board.
Helmet smiled Yolanda, the sexiest thing I have ever seen is a boy on a hoverboard with a helmet. He snapped on the helmet.
Just hover first she said, touch your foot here and return it. The board began to blow, napkins and wrapping paper were gusting away. It settled at a 1m height off the floor. Now start to move, she said, see what happens, but do it gently. When you're ready, dip the nose. He did, and off he went circling the house and ranch outbuildings.
When he returned his eyes were the size of headlamps. Nothing quite like a boy with the right toy.
Regrettably, he broke his arm a week later.
+++
She smiled, remembering the story. Don't go back in that room she said. Traveler felt a black chill rushing down his spine, for a second he thought he was going to blow cookies. Passed. Whew.
Back in the conference room Josh looked almost wistful. Yolanda stepping down from our high table is the end of an era. In some sense she was everything you could hope for in a Blue Circle member, brought Caribbean charm to a rather PNW'd group. Yes, she is fast and loose sexually, but he still remembered their tryst fondly, still had fantasies of what else they might have done.
However, dabbling in the supernatural was unnerving. Far more so, since it her branch of numerology was yielding repeatable results. A boatload of textbooks instantly obsolete. And, truth be told, proof of spell was the most exciting thing to happen to blockchain in a decade. But at the same time, he knew in his spirit this was a doorway best not opened. Energy, or something like it, that could pass through the earth and manifest at its destination. Betcha didn't see that coming.
Her father had ensured her place. She was raised just like Traveler, tutors, not a minute to be wasted. Baptized into Blue Circle on her 16th birthday, team leader at Up and Out the next day. Girl was was 22 when she took the High Table Oath. She had served for over 20 years, but the last few were the most significant, her work with H Coin put us all in the money. If she wants Depository II, I say we give it to her and good riddance in the most genteel way. She might even be able to make a go of it.
Earnest Alfred, wizzened old white hair fixture of the table. had remained silent, eyes hawkishly observing every detail. He raised his right hand. Yolanda has a point, if we grow much larger, at least in the Seattle area, we will have to expand geographically. I would love to take over some of her property and I know you would as well.
Maurice stopped him for a second. This is a pretty big decision, should we do this without Gizmo.
The cancer drugs are hard on him, Josh replied, we have a quorom. I've sent him a text, all he wants is her holdings in Puerto Rico. He will pick something additional if that is what we need him to do.
Earnest continued to say, I've seen her accounts, everything is in trusts, most over 20 years old, some much older. Depository II, Madagascar, I think, is a good bet for her, I remember her grandfather building estates, imprinting the circle model, and then her father. She has a lot of history there. It has its problems, as you all pointed out, but she has a number of tools in place. Whatever wierd voodoo she has gotten into will play far better there than our home courts. I move we vote to trade our shares in Madagascar for her assets in Washington State and Canada. The voice vote was unanimous.
When Yolanda came back in, Josh relayed the offer, Her cheeks began to flush, her nostrils flared, nipple extended, you could see the chicken skin on her arms and legs.
After a bit she said, I want to keep Roost, it means a lot to me. However, I will swap you a persona, Mary Adelaide, she has a birth certificate, home school records, a few appearances and a travel card; she is 12 now.
Yolanda had seen this day coming for a long time. She only confided in one person; Controller. Now is the big moment, showtime, she said to herself. Murder, she wrote.
PRESENCE: Controller acknowledged the group.
This is what I understand you wish to do, and he showed them the deeds of trust. As each member of the High Table authenticated, assets blocked to different chains. The whole thing took about 10 minutes.
END PRESENCE.
Yolanda addressed the group. I'll settle up with my God son later, it's been nice ruling with you. If you ever need me I'll be up the Canal de Pangalanes.
Josh nodded, she walked over, kissed him on the lips, tongue pushing a small pill into his mouth. He tried to remain calm, to show no emotion. Removing the hand of friendship was a pretty big deal, this could play out a number of ways. She shook hands with Josh,.
Yolanda: I willingly end my covenant with The Steilacoom High Table.
Josh: You are released from your Oath to The Steilacoom High Table.
Tableman Alfred, had a moment of doubt. Was releasing Yolanda from her oath a bit jonked? But it passed. She went around the table and shook a final handshake with each party, ending the term of the oath. The poison was quick acting, paralysis was the first visible effect, irreversible save the antidote that was in the pill thrust into her lover of yore's mouth. Turns out sound mind and body has an expiration date.
Traveler asked Josh later, how did he know. He said he didn't. But if Yolanda is out to kill you then you are walking dead, and so he just hoped she wanted him around a bit longer.
Her self drive was waiting, she moved quickly to the car and headed for the gulfstream at the airport. She wanted to be outside of the United States before anyone realized half of a high table was poisoned. Controller was in motion as well. His office as seal of trust was permanently closed, as he had transferred many of the non-operational assets between Yolanda and himself. As chance would have it, or so it would seem, Pedro was already on the island, with Dr. Clara Bow and XXX.
The businesses that needed to keep running, most of them were bombshelled to Wonk who was going to have to scramble to pick up the pieces; welcome to your sudden seat at a High Table in need of reconstitution. Initially it would have to be Josh, Traveler and Wonk and they would need to consider who in the Circle was ready for a seat in the big chair.
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