When they met again, Derek and his new partner had come to very similar conclusions about Zyzzx.

Just before six-thirty the two men were sitting at a round table, partly hidden at the back of the amazing stand, behind the retaining walls that supported the giant water tank.. Action had decreased to a trickle and most of the staff and visitors had retired to hotels or as with many of the Zyzzx employees to their homes. Gaynor was attending to one of her important customers, who had arrived unannounced and Lucinda was in the kitchen, making everybody a proper English pot of tea.

'What do you reckon then?' It was Derek who spoke. 'Remove the shell of the sex and the glamour, and it's all hard and one hundred-per cent professional. Products, support, people, sales and financial prospects all look very good.'

'I reckon they could be vulnerable, though. There must be five companies with as good as, if not better products, but they all fall way behind, when you compare their levels and quality of customer support.' He pointed at one of the visions in blue, who was in earnest discussion with a very professionally dressed pair of visitors. 'If any of them put together, the same sort of contact and support system, Zyzzx might have a fight on its hands. Even if they left out the sex!'

'I don't think so.' Derek started drawing again. 'They don't have everybody else's overhead. They've built this company from scratch avoiding anything that added to their costs. It's why they're here.'

'I thought it was because it suited Russ!' He smirked. 'You know, all this crumpet!'

'I think you need the history.' Derek started on the story. 'They came for three reasons. His father, the President actually retired near here on the shores of Lake Mead and knew the City and State Governments well. Secondly, the State of Nevada gives extraordinary grants for anything other than gambling, as they sensibly want to diversify the economy. But mainly they came because, Russ and the other partners had decided they wanted to run a round the clock sales and support organisation from one location, using the Internet and all the new methods of data and voice communication.'

'And I suppose, that in this city that's never been known to sleep, it's extraordinarily easy to provide first-class twenty-four hour, three-hundred and sixty five day support. Add that to plenty of space, people, offices, tax holidays and grants, and they probably built the whole organisation for nothing.'

'Absolutely, correct.' Derek was pleased he had got his points through. 'Returning to how they support customers. Did you pick up when Lucinda said you can talk to your main contact any time of night or day?'

'I thought that was just sales patter.'

'No it's not! You would always phone the same number, at any time of night and day. You might not get Gaynor or Lucinda, but the support group is organised into teams of about ten or twelve, so you'll get one of their immediate colleagues. The computer system gives them all about you, your company, your installation and what you're doing at their fingertips.' He started drawing more circles. 'Users and their companies are not always organised as you would expect, but so that each twenty-four hour team has the right balance of work, that suits their skills. They arrange it so that there's at least two on duty at any time. You get teams where half speak Spanish or French perhaps, or even where they're all black. Anything to make every customer feel wanted and happy.'

'And of course, they can afford this level of personal contact, because the overheads are kept low and cut to the bone in other ways.'

'Yes, It's everything all those management books say a company should be! But never gets done.' Derek started crossing out some of the circles. 'There is no middle management, in that under Ross and his father, there are just four other directors with Lucinda, large numbers of workers like Gaynor and then trainees and a few gophers. They use all sorts of ways to foster togetherness. There are no offices outside of Las Vegas. They only do the one show at COMDEX each year. They hardly ever advertise in the trade press.'

'What if customers want large demonstrations and support on site?'

'You'd be surprised as to how much of this they can do over the Internet and by phone and fax. Only if the customer really wants to do it at his site, do they do it. And then he pays!'

'You asked me what do I reckon!' He was trying to return to the original subject. 'How does one hundred and ten million dollars grab you?'

He did not receive an answer from Derek, as Russ Gilbert marched in exactly on the half-hour and offered a hand to each at the same time.

***

'Welcome to Las Vegas and COMDEX, gentleman! I hope you like our stand?' The thin man who was much taller than both of them, indicated for them to sit down, with a rather limp handshake. 'I trust the worthy Gaynor and the gorgeous Lucinda have given you the proper Zyzzx welcome!'

'Yes!' Derek spoke. 'Gaynor's given me the full briefing and she's just seeing to another customer. I think Lucinda's making the tea!'

'There's one thing about you English, that I like above all!' Derek winced at the remark as Russ half laid-back in his chair and dragged hard on a cigar. Churchill might have been envious. 'You all know how to make a superb cup of tea. Never met an American, who knows how yet! Apart from myself, of course!' He laughed hard and the others thought it best to join.

At this moment, Lucinda arrived with a large enamel tea-pot of the dark brown type beloved of schools, working-mens clubs and transport cafes. Gaynor followed her with a tray of milk, sugar and perhaps seven or eight of the Potteries finest cups and saucers. Lucinda poured a cup for each of them and they arranged themselves around the table, leaving spaces for a further two.

'I hope you don't mind, but seeing as we've just made an absolutely enormous sale to the French Government.' He certainly looked like the real fat-cat, beloved of all the cartoonists, even if he didn't have the classic body. 'We're going to keep the business talk short tonight. Then we're going to have a real Las Vegas night out! Are we all ready? We're just waiting for Miss Blue and Miss Yellow!' There were more than a few strange stares around the table.

The questions were answered when two be-wigged girls, both equally attractive and scarcely out of their teens, one African-American dressed in an almost surreal yellow and the other blonde and in a light powder blue, appeared round the partitions and joined them at the table.

'I'm Helen!' Miss Blue had introduced herself. 'And this is Sandra!'

'Gentlemen!' Russ was ignoring the ladies as he talked. 'I've read the proposal from Morgans and feel that a take-over and restructuring of Zyzzx to include Medusa could be in all our best interests. I must admit that I was a bit taken aback to find that you had gotten to our friend here first. But that's business and it probably means that you will get a better price and we will pay a bit more.' He turned to Derek. 'It also means, you get the problem of him keeping to deadlines and specifications.' He laughed.

Russ continued by handing identical packages to the two Britons. 'You will find these contain our latest reports and financial projections. Before you open them, I would ask you to sign this Confidentiality Agreement.'

Derek read the agreement quickly. 'There's nothing here, I would object too.' They both signed and Russ counter-signed and witnessed it. 'It's virtually the same as the one we gave you.'

'Well boys and girls. That's it! Chop! Chop!' Russ clapped his hands. 'Go and make yourself slightly more decent and we'll get going as soon as we have finished Lucinda's lovely tea. We're all going to Jacob's!' Judging by the looks from Gaynor and Lucinda, it was obvious to those other than Russ, that this choice of venue might not be universally welcomed.

'Look, Russ! I don't want to spoil your plans, too much. But I drove up from LA this morning, I've been on my feet since then and I'd like to have a shower and a change into something more casual.' As he sipped slowly from his tea to emphasise he was not going to be hurried, he saw Gaynor give him the slightest hint of an approving wink. 'Why can't we all meet at this Jacob's at say seven-thirty? I'm just over the road at the Desert Inn!'

'I wouldn't mind a shower, too!' Lucinda was continuing the rebellion. 'Can I come and use your bathroom? I know Jacob's and it's only about five minutes in a cab from here.'

'Of course, I'd be honoured!' He felt things could be looking up! 'I've actually got one of these gamblers split level suites, with contrasting his and her bathrooms!'

'If you don't mind!' Russ was trying to regain the situation. 'When we've finished the tea, I'll grab a cab with my two little girls here and we'll start to party!' Russ turned towards Derek and Gaynor. 'Are you two pensioners coming now or later?'

They both replied in unison. 'Later!'

Copyright 1999 by Ewart Higgins