Page:The Cannery Boat.pdf/249

Rh plans. “Do you get that? We’ve got to keep cool. If we’re going to ferret out what they’re up to, we’ve got to force ourselves to be calm…”

“Look, what are they?” Kondo caught sight of something and gave Nagai a prod in the back. “Look, cops went in that room just now; I’ll swear I saw their sabres.”

They all looked round, but the door to which he pointed, leading into the president’s room, had shut tightly.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of.” Nagai opened the door on the other side and strode in first. The company’s men, seven including the heads of each department and the managing director, were already lined up with their backs to the president’s room. The workers lined along the window side opposite. Then the president and a young “gentlemen” they did not recognize sat down a little apart from the rest.

“Who is that gentleman? If he has no business here I ask that he be requested to leave,” said Toyama roughly, from his seat. The man without any hesitation got up and spoke for himself.

“My name is Suzutani, I am vice-president of the Federated Printers’ Association. I ask to be allowed to watch the proceedings.”

There was a general movement of surprise. … Oho, so this was the fellow who’d been going round trying to make an agreement among the bosses of the twelve big companies!

Toyama spoke again: “Then we shall call a representative of our union to watch too.”