h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yes, there is something... not a charity... a foundation, a trust fund... Yes - a trust fund...

Very big... I know that much - the name I must still remember.

She remembered a dream about umbrellas pouring down on her poor head, it almost hurt...

Kaydee? Kaydee? Does that name mean anything to you? Was that what they talked about?

Kyrgyz is, naturally, the language of Kyrgyzstan... both your brother and my father speak it quite fluently...

Lichtenstein is quite a small comfortable country, uphill and downhill and lots of stamps and banks...

But you know that... somewhere, there must be a link.

Yes -- a link -- they talked about a link in the CD!!!!

I think I see one end of the link
Come on - stay with me - did they mention a Kaydee?

Kaydee? No. No Kaydees?

Wait! I thought they were saying something in Portuguese - cadê...
it was Kaydee... I had forgotten.

What is it? What does it mean?

Well, not so much "cadê", perhaps as WHAT is it?

Kaydee is the holding company that controls our family trust - simple really - K for me, and D for him .... except he delights in being me.

Most of the assetts are held offshore - in tax havens - Lichtenstein is one of those places.

Ha! Now we have both ends of the link - between the deal with your family ..... and my family trust.

(He finds that one hand has strayed slightly down Peaceful's arm. Concentration lapses a little ... pullovers ...)

PE was starting to get interested, so you mean they put the money there?

So they are cheating the two families?

We mustn't let them get away with this. We must find his CD as soon as possible, and find where they are hiding those assets...

*Concentration gone for a moment*

(Gently down her arm .... three little fingers ... up her arm again ... three fingers ...)

Three! My God Peaceful. Three? They said "in three weeks"? Before you were meant to come here.
That's almost two weeks ago.

(All fingers - gripping rather too tightly)
Oh. Sorry.
(Lets go)

You know what happens next week?

PE smiled. Sometimes she forgot all about her vocation... she almost felt sad about Kes' having let go of her arm... but she remembered all her training -

Next week? No Kes, what is it?

Grief! Next week is the AGM for our family trust company. I am responsible for preparing the financial statements. ... which is what I should be doing in London now - instead of being here.

*Anger does wonders for the mind - not nice wonders, but effective. The mist clears a little*

Right! That's how he planned to get all 3 CDs together. Mine should be in London - he would come with his - a day or so before the AGM. The trustee could then allow access to the data, for the report to be prepared. But (in brother's original plan) he would have CD3 - the one you brought - so he would have access to all the information ... able to move and hide all the funds and assets.

Presumably .... the deal he did with your family .... they would use your family business to move all the money through.

Peaceful - I hate to tell you this, but what do you think he would do after "laundering" all my money? I think he'd let your business go broke ... and your family with it ... except for his "ally"

Of course, he's got a bit of a problem now - he only has one CD; we have two ... but the date for the AGM won't change ... it all has to be resolved before then ... before the 3 CDs come together in London. Wed don't have much time.

(We don't have anything like enough time ... for business ... or )

*The exotic rocket fuel has finally reached Kes's motor functions. He wobbles badly on his stool, and holds Peaceful's arm - this time for support*

Sorry - Not used to this stuff. Sorry - didn't mean to say ...

(Hold on - I didn't say anything bad out loud)

Must remember all this. You will reemember?

*Peaceful nods*

Peaceful: "Rest now - In the morning, we must find your brother, and trick him into showing us where his CD is kept. Now we'd better sleep this off."

*They stand. Peaceful discovers that her coordination is only a little better than Kes's*

*As they try to define "up", a pink elephant flies past, trailing a huge baggy pullover from its trunk*

Peaceful - I think "up" is that way (points to the door). Let's go.

*They leave the bar, looking like a badly organised three-legged race*

Morning all,
Who wants a drink?
Me, that's who.

Morning, Hon. Would you like breakfast? It's pancakes, all that syrup, ooooooh, very sensual....

Food??
At this time of the morning!

I really don't think I could. Now please pass the Bloody Mina's.

*looks around disaprovingly, and teleports up to the Space Station...*

I'm disapproved of?
Wonderful! My every dream come true.