jg.thefirm-第2部分

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e　knew。　He　had　gone　to　Martindale…HubbelPs　and　checked　them　out。　He　had　read　the　biographical　sketches　of　all　of　the　forty…one　lawyers　in　；　and　in　a　split　second　he　had　recalled　that　Lamar　Quin；　just　one　of　the　forty…one；　had　gone　to　Kansas　State。　Damn；　they　were　impressed。
　　〃I　guess　that　came　out　wrong；〃　Lamar　apologized。
　　〃No　problem。〃　Mitch　smiled　warmly。　It　was　forgotten。
　　Oliver　Lambert　cleared　his　throat　and　decided　to　get　personal　again。　〃Mitch；　our　firm　frowns　on　drinking　and　chasing　women。　We're　not　a　bunch　of　Holy　Rollers；　but　we　put　business　ahead　of　everything。　We　keep　low　profiles　and　we　work　very　hard。　And　we　make　plenty　of　money。〃
　　〃I　can　live　with　all　that。〃
　　〃We　reserve　the　right　to　test　any　member　of　　for　drug　use。〃
　　〃I　don't　use　drugs。〃
　　〃Good。　What's　your　religious　affiliation？〃
　　〃Methodist。〃
　　〃Good。　You'll　find　a　wide　variety　in　our　firm。　Catholics；　Baptists；　Episcopalians。　It's　really　none　of　our　business；　but　we　like　to　know。　We　want　stable　families。　Happy　lawyers　are　productive　lawyers。　That's　why　we　ask　these　questions。〃
　　Mitch　smiled　and　nodded。　He'd　heard　this　before。
　　The　three　looked　at　each　other；　then　at　Mitch。　This　meant　they　had　reached　the　point　in　the　interview　where　the　interviewee　was　supposed　to　ask　one　or　two　intelligent　questions。　Mitch　recrossed　his　legs。　Money；　that　was　the　big　question；　particularly　how　it　pared　to　his　other　offers。　If　it　isn't　enough；　thought　Mitch；　then　it　was　nice　to　meet　you　fellas。　If　the　pay　is　attractive；　then　we　can　discuss　families　and　marriages　and　football　and　churches。　But；　he　knew；　like　all　the　other　firms　they　had　to　shadowbox　around　the　issue　until　things　got　awkward　and　it　was　apparent　they　had　discussed　everything　in　the　world　but　money。　So；　hit　them　with　a　soft　question　first。
　　〃What　type　of　work　will　I　do　initially？〃
　　They　nodded　and　approved　of　the　question。　Lambert　and　McKnight　looked　at　Lamar。　This　answer　was　his。
　　〃We　have　something　similar　to　a　two…year　apprenticeship；　although　we　don't　call　it　that。　We'll　send　you　all　over　the　country　to　tax　seminars。　Your　education　is　far　from　over。　You'll　spend　two　weeks　next　winter　in　Washington　at　the　American　Tax　Institute。　We　take　great　pride　in　our　technical　expertise；　and　the　training　is　continual；　for　all　of　us。　If　you　want　to　pursue　a　master's　in　taxation；　we'll　pay　for　it。　As　far　as　practicing　law；　it　won't　be　very　exciting　for　the　first　two　years。　You'll　do　a　lot　of　research　and　generally　boring　stuff。　But　you'll　be　paid　handsomely。〃
　　〃How　much？〃
　　Lamar　looked　at　Royce　McKnight；　who　eyed　Mitch　and　said；　〃We'll　discuss　the　pensation　and　other　benefits　when　you　e　to　Memphis。〃
　　〃I　want　a　ballpark　figure　or　I　may　not　e　to　Memphis。〃　He　smiled；　arrogant　but　cordial。　He　spoke　like　a　man　with　three　job　offers。
　　The　partners　smiled　at　each　other；　and　Mr。　Lambert　spoke　first。　〃Okay。　A　base　salary　of　eighty　thousand　the　first　year；　plus　bonuses。　Eighty…five　the　second　year；　plus　bonuses。　A　low…interest　mortgage　so　you　can　buy　a　home。　Two　country　club　memberships。　And　a　new　BMW。　You　pick　the　color；　of　course。〃
　　They　focused　on　his　lips；　and　waited　for　the　wrinkles　to　form　on　his　cheeks　and　the　teeth　to　break　through。　He　tried　to　conceal　a　smile；　but　it　was　impossible。　He　chuckled。
　　〃That's　incredible；〃　he　mumbled。　Eighty　thousand　in　Memphis　equaled　a　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　in　New　York。　Did　the　man　say　BMW！　His　Mazda　hatchback　had　a　million　miles　on　it　and　for　the　moment　had　to　be　jump…started　while　he　saved　for　a　rebuilt　starter。
　　〃Plus　a　few　more　fringes　we'll　be　glad　to　discuss　in　Memphis。〃
　　Suddenly　he　had　a　strong　desire　to　visit　Memphis。　Wasn't　it　by　the　river？
　　The　smile　vanished　and　he　regained　his　posure。　He　looked　sternly；　importantly　at　Oliver　Lambert　and　said；　as　if　he'd　forgotten　about　the　money　and　the　home　and　the　BMW；　〃Tell　me　about　your　firm。〃
　　〃Forty…one　lawyers。　Last　year　we　earned　more　per　lawyer　than　any　firm　our　size　or　larger。　That　includes　every　big　firm　in　the　country。　We　take　only　rich　clients…corporations；　banks　and　wealthy　people　who　pay　our　healthy　fees　and　never　plain。　We've　developed　a　specialty　in　international　taxation；　and　it's　both　exciting　and　very　profitable。　We　deal　only　with　people　who　can　pay。〃
　　〃How　long　does　it　take　to　make　partner？〃
　　〃On　the　average；　ten　years；　and　it's　a　hard　ten　years。　It's　not　unusual　for　our　partners　to　earn　half　a　million　a　year；　and　most　retire　before　they're　fifty。　You've　got　to　pay　your　dues；　put　in　eighty…hour　weeks；　but　it's　worth　it　when　you　make　partner。〃
　　Lamar　leaned　forward。　〃You　don't　have　to　be　a　partner　to　earn　six　figures。　I've　been　with　　seven　years；　and　went　over　a　hundred　thousand　four　years　ago。〃
　　Mitch　thought　about　this　for　a　second　and　figured　by　the　time　he　was　thirty　he　could　be　well　over　a　hundred　thousand；　maybe　close　to　two　hundred　thousand。　At　the　age　of　thirty！
　　They　watched　him　carefully　and　knew　exactly　what　he　was　calculating。
　　〃What's　an　international　tax　firm　doing　in　Memphis？〃　he　asked。
　　That　brought　smiles。　Mr。　Lambert　removed　his　reading　glasses　and　twirled　them。　〃Now　that's　a　good　question。　Mr。　Bendini　founded　　in　1944。　He　had　been　a　tax　lawyer　in　Philadelphia　and　had　picked　up　some　wealthy　clients　in　the　South。　He　got　a　wild　hair　and　landed　in　Memphis。　For　twenty…five　years　he　hired　nothing　but　tax　lawyers；　and　　prospered　nicely　down　there。　None　of　us　are　from　Memphis；　but　we　have　grown　to　love　it。　It's　a　very　pleasant　old　Southern　town。　By　the　way；　Mr。　Bendini　died　in　1970。〃
　　〃How　many　partners　in　？〃
　　〃Twenty；　active。　We　try　to　keep　a　ratio　of　one　partner　for　each　associate。　That's　high　for　the　industry；　but　we　like　it。　Again；　we　do　things　differently。〃
　　〃All　of　our　partners　are　multimillionaires　by　the　age　of　forty…five；〃　Royce　McKnight　said。
　　〃All　of　them？〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。　We　don't　guarantee　it；　but　if　you　join　our　firm；　put　in　ten　hard　years；　make　partner　and　put　in　ten　more　years；　and　you're　not　a　millionaire　at　the　age　of　forty…five；　you'll　be　the　first　in　twenty　years。〃
　　〃That's　an　impressive　statistic。〃
　　〃It's　an　impressive　firm；　Mitch；〃　Oliver　Lambert　said；　〃and　we're　very　proud　of　it。　We're　a　close…knit　fraternity。　We're　small　and　we　take　care　of　each　other。　We　don't　have　the　cutthroat　petition　the　big　firms　are　famous　for。　We're　very　careful　whom　we；　hire；　and　our　goal　is　for　each　new　associate　to　bee　a　partner　as　soon　as　possible。　Toward　that　end　we　invest　an　enormous　amount　of　time　and　money　in　ourselves；　especially　our　new　people。　It　is　a　rare；　extremely　rare　occasion　when　a　lawyer　leaves　our　firm。　It　is　simply　unheard　of。　We　go　the　extra　mile　to　keep　careers　on　track。　We　want　our　people　happy。　We　think　it　is　the　most　profitable　way　to　operate。〃
　　〃I　have　another　impressive　statistic；〃　Mr。　McKnight　added。　〃Last　year；　for　firms　our　size　or　larger；　the　average　turnover　rate　among　associates　was　twenty…eight　percent。　At　Bendini；　Lambert　&　Locke；　it　was　zero。　Year　before；　zero。　It's　been　a　long　time　since　a　lawyer　left　our　firm。〃
　　They　watched　him　carefully　to　make　sure　all　of　this　sank　in。　Each　term　and　each　condition　of　the　employment　was　important；　but　the　permanence；　the　finality　of　his　acceptance　overshadowed　all　other　items　on　the　checklist。　They　explained　as　best　they　could；　for　now。　Further　explanation　would　e　later。
　　Of　course；　they　knew　much　more　than　they　could　talk　about。　For　instance；　his　mother　lived　in　a　cheap　trailer　park　in　Panama　City　Beach；　remarried　to　a　retired　truck　driver　with　a　violent　drinking　problem。　They　knew　she　had　received　41；000　from　the　mine　explosion；　squandered　most　of　it；　then　went　crazy　after　her　oldest　son　was　killed　in　Vietnam。　They　knew　he　had　been　neglected；　raised　in　poverty　by　his　brother　Ray　（whom　they　could　not　find）　and　some　sympathetic　relatives。　The　poverty　hurt；　and　they　assumed；　correctly；　it　had　bred　the　intense　desire　to　succeed。　He　had　worked　thirty　hours　a　week　at　an　all…night　convenience　store　while　playing　football　and　making　perfect　grades。　They　knew　he　seldom　slept。　They　knew　he　was　hungry。　He　was　their　man。
　　〃Would　you　like　to　e　visit　us？〃　asked　Oliver　Lambert。
　　〃When？〃　asked　Mitch；　dreaming　of　a　black　318i　with　a　sunroof。
　　The　ancient　Mazda　hatchback　with　three　hubcaps　and　a　badly　cracked　windshield　hung　in　the　gutter　with　its　front　wheels　sideways；　aiming　at　the　curb；　preventing　a　roll　down　the　hill。　Abby　grabbed　the　door　handle　on　the　inside；　yanked　twice　and　opened　the　door。　She　inserted　the　key；　pressed　the　clutch　and　turned　the　wheel。　The　Mazda　began　a　slow　roll。　As　it　gained　speed；　she　held　her　breath；　released　the　clutch　and　bit　her　lip　until　the　unmuffled　rotary　engine　began　whining。
　　With　three　job　offers　on　the　table；　a　new　car　was　four　months　away。　She　could　last。　For　three　years　they　had　endured　poverty　in　a　two…room　student　apartment　on　a　campus　covered　with　Porsches　and　little　Mercedes　convertibles。　For　the　most　part　they　had　ignored　the　snubs　from　the　classmates　and　coworkers　in　this　bastion　of　East　Coast　snobbery。　They　were　hillbillies　from　Kentucky；　with　few　friends。　But　they　had　endured　and　succeeded　quite　nicely　all　to　themselves。
　　She　preferred　Chicago　to　New　York；　even　for　a　lower　salary；　largely　because　it　was　farther　from　Boston　and　closer　to　Kentucky。　But　Mitch　remained　nonmittal；　characteristically　weighing　it　all　carefully　and　keeping　most　of　it　to　himself。　She　had　not　been　invited　to　visit　New　York　and　Chicago　with　her　husband。　And　she　was　tired　of　guessing。　She　wanted　an　answer。
　　She　parked　illegally　on　the　hill　nearest　the　apartment　and　walked　two　blocks。　Their　unit　was　one　of　thirty　in　a　two…story　red…brick　rectangle。　Abby　stood　outside　her　door　and　fumbled　through　the　purse　looking　for　keys。　Suddenly；　the　door　jerked　open。　He　grabbed　her；　yanked　her　inside　the　tiny　apartment；　threw　her　on　the　sofa　and　attacked　her　neck　with　his　lips。　She　yelled　and　giggled　as　arms　and　legs　thrashed　about。　They　kissed；　one　of　those　long；　wet；　ten…minute　embraces　with　groping　and　fondling　and　moaning；　the　kind　they　had　enjoyed　as　teenagers　when　kissing　was　fun　and　mysterious　and　the　ultimate。
　　〃My　goodness；〃　she　said　when　they　finished。　〃What's　the　occasio