After leaving The Gazette, Benton Knight went to the Moon Lake office of Knight Industries, to catch up on things there for a bit before heading home and getting ready for the werepanther gathering that night, among other things.
Alone in his office, Benton checked the stock market and the reports from his brokers.
Their final estimate was that Jack Crawford now owned roughly 11% of the public assets that comprised Knight Industries, with 3% of that being official voting stock.
A minority holder, but enough to remain a constant pain in my ass and a hemorrhoid that seriously needs to be removed! he growled, to no one but himself.
Benton knew he had to tread carefully, for the Elders' Council was watching his every move since his recent actions led to the discovery of being bi-polar.
I DON'T want to go feral! There's too much at stake now and in the future! he moaned.
Then, while Benton Knight was trying to compose himself and contemplate his next move(s), the Intercom on his desk chimed.
"Sir?" began the secretary in the outer office. "Security is here with a bonded courier who says he has a delivery only you can receive."
"Has the courier passed all the required checks?" Benton asked in return.
"Yes sir," the male voice of one of the security guards replied.
"Good, then show him in," said Benton, as he got up to greet them.
An uniformed Knight Industries' security guard was on either side of a man in a business suit as they entered in unison.
"Benton Knight?" asked the courier.
"Yes. You have a delivery for me?" asked Benton, not seeing an attache or package present. The fact the courier was also a normal surprised him.
"You know the procedures. I need to see some identification first," replied the courier.
"Of course," said Benton, showing the courier both his complex photo pass and his Washington State driver's license.
After confirming that he was indeed talking to Benton Knight, the courier slowly reached inside his suit jacket, so not to make the guards escorting him think he was reaching for a weapon and attack.
He pulled out a regular, business size envelope and handed it to the addressee.
"This is it?" Benton asked, puzzled, while holding it up to the light, but the envelope was too thick to see anything that way. The fact that only his name was written on the front in a fine script was interesting.
"Yes sir. Have a nice day." Then the courier turned and left the office.
The back was sealed with white wax, and what looked like the image of a tiger pressed into it.
Curious, Benton Knight went back to his desk, grabbed a letter opener and sliced the envelope open.
Inside was a folded sheet of fine parchment.
It turned out to be a letter for Benton, in the same fine script that wrote his name on the envelope.
It said...
Benton Knight,
My grandson and I are presently on a spiritual retreat, but your current situation and e-mail reminding me as to your legal option of first right of purchase, should I chose to sell my shares of Knight Industries, has come to my attention.
While I have no plans or desire to part with my stock at this time, should I ever do so, I shall make sure they are returned to the proper hands.
The handwritten letter was signed Far Houjin.
Benton expressed a genuine smile as he read the missive again.
He could go ahead with his plans to re-acquire every share of Knight Industries stock possible once news of the duo's disappearance was made public, knowing that the 20% Far Houjin and his grandson Kai Hǔ Wáng owned via the Wáng Technological Consortium was safe and guaranteed his whenever they did decide to part with it.
Spiritual retreat, huh? Probably off somewhere discrete secretly having the kind of fun that their religion and the Chinese government won't allow, he assumed.
As Benton called his brokers to start the ball rolling, what he was unaware of was that Far Houjin and Kai Hǔ Wáng were actually in Moon Lake as honored guests of Tachibana no Akane herself.
Benton Knight would be further shocked to learn that when they did part with their shares of Knight Industries, I shall make sure they are returned to the proper hands actually meant they would be given to his daughter Frieda, so she could run the conglomerate honorably and properly like it should be.