“Convenience then,” the liaison says. “A happy collision ofcircumstances. We do understand there was a negative interaction with a child, which we could not have foreseen, as Rockton did not allow children.”
“But it allowed women,” Émilie counters. “And your camp has convicted rapists.”
“A mistake, which we will rectify, and it is our hope that we can continue coexisting peacefully—”
“No,” Émilie says. “You will be shutting down that operation.”
“I’m afraid that’s nonnegotiable. We have invested—”
“It’s a camp, not a town. You have thirty days to dismantle it.” She shuffles papers. “Or I have the testimony of a man who executed felons on your orders, along with the location of every buried body and their identities.”
“If Mr. Rutherford took a side job executing—”
“How was it a ‘side job’ when your records would indicate that those convicts never returned? You would have investigated. We can keep dancing, but you know what I have, and you know what I want. Shut down the camp. Leave Haven’s Rock—and everyone in it—alone.”
“We never bothered anyone in it. We were simply amassing data—”
“In the hopes of discovering a problem, and when you didn’t, you would have caused one. You aren’t getting Haven’s Rock. You aren’t getting Eric and Casey.”
Phil clears his throat, speaking for the first time. “Eric and Casey are not a magic key. They are very important components in a system. What you need is to duplicate that system with staff who share their idealism.”
The liaison hits mute and listens to what must be a conversation on the other side. When he comes back on, he says,“The corporation would like to hire you, Phil. In a temporary position, lasting until spring. You could bring Isabel if you like. They want you to manage the new lodge and implement your system.”
Phil nods, as if he expected this. “For the right price, I would do that. But you would need to follow Haven Rock’s strategy. You cannot cherry-pick from it. You must promise to follow it exactly.”
“Of course.”
“Good. The first order of business would be to stop charging residents for their stay.”
The liaison blinks. “I… don’t understand.”
“No one pays,” Phil says, slowly. “Everyone’s stay is covered. Oh, and the staff draws a modest salary.”
“From where? Who pays for this?”
“The benefactors.”
“I… don’t understand.”
Phil taps his pen, looking impatient. “It’s very simple. Exchange the current investors for benefactors. Find people with money who want to make a difference and don’t care about tax deductions.”
“Don’t… care about… tax deductions?” The liaison stares.
“Yes. Didn’t your spy tell you this? His contact didn’t pay for her stay in Haven’s Rock.”
“We thought she was a special case. We certainly would allow the occasional nonpaying resident, with fees to be covered by white-collar residents—”
“No fees. For anyone. Salaries for staff. These things are nonnegotiable.”
“That’s not… that’s not…”
Phil leans back. “Not how you do business? Yes, I know. Butthat is how Haven’s Rock runs. It is how it will continue to run and how anyone who works there will expect other towns to run, should you headhunt them away.”
“We will… We will discuss this,” the liaison says, in a weak voice that says they will discuss nothing.
“You do that,” Phil says. “I am still available, temporarily, for the right price. I believe six figures per month would suffice. But you must agree to exactly the sort of sanctuary we already have. Free of charge. Paid staff. Benefactors instead of investors.” He pauses dramatically. “No charitable tax deductions.”
“That is between you and Phil,” Émilie says, as if there’s a hope in hell they’d go for it. “For our part, you will have that mining camp dismantled in a month. You will never contact anyone from Haven’s Rock or spy on it. You will, in short, leave them alone.”
