Disclosure_ A Novel - Michael Crichton [146]
Sanders was about to head upstairs when he heard Phil Blackburn say, “I really feel I have a right to protest the way this matter has been handled.”
“Well, you don’t,” Garvin said angrily. “You don’t have any rights at all.”
Sanders moved forward, toward the espresso bar. From his position across the hallway, he was able to see into the bar. Blackburn and Garvin were talking by the coffee machines.
“But this is extremely unfair,” Blackburn said.
“Fuck unfair,” Garvin said. “She named you as the source, you stupid asshole.”
“But Bob, you told me—”
“I told you what?” Garvin said, eyes narrowing.
“You told me to handle it. To put pressure on Sanders.”
“That’s right, Phil. And you told me that you were going to take care of it.”
“But you knew I talked to—”
“I knew you had done something,” Garvin said. “But I didn’t know what. Now she’s named you as a source.”
Blackburn hung his head. “I just think it’s extremely unfair.”
“Really? But what do you expect me to do? You’re the fucking lawyer, Phil. You’re the one always sweating about how things look. You tell me. What do I do?”
Blackburn was silent for a moment. Finally he said, “I’ll get John Robinson to represent me. He can work out the settlement agreement.”
“Okay, fine.” Garvin nodded. “That’s fine.”
“But I just want to say to you, on a personal level, Bob, that I feel my treatment in this matter has been very unfair.”
“Goddamn it, Phil, don’t talk to me about your feelings. Your feelings are for sale. Now listen with both ears: Don’t go upstairs. Don’t clean out your desk. Go right to the airport. I want you on a plane in the next half hour. I want you fucking out of here, right now. Is that clear?”
“I just think you should acknowledge my contribution to the company.”
“I am, you asshole,” Garvin said. “Now get the fuck out of here, before I lose my temper.”
Sanders turned and hurried upstairs. It was hard for him to keep from cheering. Blackburn was fired! He wondered if he should tell anybody; perhaps Cindy, he thought.
But when he got to the fourth floor, the hallways were buzzing; everyone was out of their offices, talking in the corridors. Obviously, rumors of the firing had already leaked. Sanders was not surprised that staffers were in hallways. Even though Blackburn was disliked, his firing would cause widespread uneasiness. Such a sudden change, involving a person so close to Garvin, conveyed to everyone a sense of peril. Everything was at risk.
Outside his office, Cindy said, “Tom, can you believe it? They say Garvin is going to fire Phil.”
“You’re kidding,” Sanders said.
Cindy nodded. “Nobody knows why, but apparently it had something to do with a news crew last night. Garvin’s been downstairs explaining it to the Conley-White people.”
Behind him, somebody shouted, “It’s on the E-mail!” The hallway was instantly deserted; everyone vanished into their offices. Sanders stepped behind his desk and clicked the E-mail icon. But it was slow coming up, probably because every employee in the building was clicking at exactly the same time.
Fernandez came in and said, “Is it true about Blackburn?”
“I guess so,” Sanders said. “It’s just coming over the E-mail now.”
FROM: ROBERT GARVIN, PRESIDENT AND CEO
TO: ALL THE DIGICOM FAMILY
IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS AND A DEEP SENSE OF PERSONAL LOSS THAT I TODAY ANNOUNCE THE RESIGNATION OF OUR VALUED AND TRUSTED CHIEF CORPORATE COUNSEL, PHILIP A. BLACKBURN. PHIL HAS BEEN AN OUTSTANDING OFFICER OF THIS COMPANY FOR NEARLY FIFTEEN YEARS, A WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING, AND A CLOSE PERSONAL FRIEND