Master of the Game

In the morning Kate and David had breakfast and walked around the grounds.

"It’s really lovely," David told her. "I’m glad to be here."

Kate said, "About our conversation last night – "

"It’s done. I was away, and you did what you thought was right."

Would I have done the same thing if you had been here? Kate wondered. But she did not say the words aloud. She had done what she had for the sake of the company. Does the company mean more to me than my marriage? She was afraid to answer the question.

Chapter 17

The next five years witnessed a period of incredible worldwide growth. Kruger-Brent, Ltd., had been founded on diamonds and gold, but it had diversified and expanded all over the world, so that its center was no longer South Africa. The company recently had acquired a publishing empire, an insurance company and half a million acres of timberland.

One night Kate nudged David awake. "Darling, let’s move the company headquarters."

David sat up groggily. "W – what?"

"The business center of the world today is New York. That’s where our headquarters should be. South Africa’s too far away from everything. Besides, now that we have the telephone and cable, we can communicate with any of our offices in minutes."

"Now why didn’t I think of that?" David mumbled. And he went back to sleep.

New York was an exciting new world. On her previous visits there, Kate had felt the quick pulse of the city, but living there was like being caught up at the center of a matrix. The earth seemed to spin faster, everything moved at a more rapid pace.

Kate and David selected a site for the new company headquarters on Wall Street, and the architects went to work. Kate chose another architect to design a sixteenth-century French Renaissance mansion on Fifth Avenue.

"This city is so damned noisy" David complained.

And it was true. The chatter of riveters filled the air in every part of the city as skyscrapers began to soar into the heavens. New York had become the mecca for trade from all over the world, the headquarters for shipping, insurance, communications and transportation. It was a city bursting with a unique vitality. Kate loved it, but she sensed David’s unhappiness.

"David, this is the future. This place is growing, and we’ll grow with it."

"My God, Kate, how much more do you want?"

And without thinking, she replied, "All there is."

She could not understand why David had even asked the question. The name of the game was to win, and you won by beating everyone else. It seemed so obvious to her. Why couldn’t David see it? David was a good businessman, but there was something missing in him, a hunger, a compulsion to conquer, to be the biggest and the best. Her father had had that spirit, and she had it. Kate was not sure exactly when it had happened, but at some point in her life, the company had become the master, and she the slave. It owned her more than she owned it.

When she tried to explain her feelings to David, he laughed and said, "You’re working too hard." She’s so much like her father, David thought. And he was not sure why he found that vaguely disturbing.

How could one work too hard? Kate wondered. There was no greater joy in life. It was when she felt most alive. Each day brought a new set of problems, and each problem was a challenge, a puzzle to be solved, a new game to be won. And she was wonderful at it. She was caught up in something beyond imagination. It had nothing to do with money or achievement; it had to do with power. A power that controlled the lives of thousands of people in every corner of the earth. Just as her life had once been controlled. As long as she had power, she would never truly need anyone. It was a weapon that was awesome beyond belief.

Kate was invited to dine with kings and queens and presidents, all seeking her favor, her goodwill. A new Kruger-Brent factory could mean the difference between poverty and riches. Power. The company was alive, a growing giant that had to be fed, and sometimes sacrifices were necessary, for the giant could not be shackled. Kate understood that now. It had a rhythm, a pulse, and it had become her own.

In March, a year after they had moved to New York, Kate felt unwell. David persuaded her to see a doctor.

"His name is John Harley. He’s a young doctor with a good reputation."

Reluctantly, Kate went to see him. John Harley was a thin, serious-looking young Bostonian about twenty-six, five years younger than Kate.

"I warn you," Kate informed him, "I don’t have time to be sick."

"I’ll bear that in mind, Mrs. Blackwell. Meanwhile, let’s have a look at you."

Dr. Harley examined her, made some tests and said, "I’m sure it’s nothing serious. I’ll have the results in a day or two. Give me a call on Wednesday."

Early Wednesday morning Kate telephoned Dr. Harley. "I have good news for you, Mrs. Blackwell," he said cheerfully. "You’re going to have a baby."

It was one of the most exciting moments of Kate’s life. She could not wait to tell David.

She had never seen David so thrilled. He scooped her up in his strong arms and said, "It’s going to be a girl, and she’ll look exactly like you." He was thinking, This is exactly what Kate needs. Now she’ll stay home more. She’ll be more of a wife.

And Kate was thinking, It will be a boy. One day he’ll take over Kruger-Brent.

As the time for the birth of the baby drew nearer, Kate worked shorter hours, but she still went to the office every day.

"Forget about the business and relax," David advised her.

What he did not understand was that the business was Kate’s relaxation.

The baby was due in December. "I’ll try for the twenty-fifth," Kate promised David. "He’ll be our Christmas present."