"Well, I was originally thinking of maybe Vail or Aspen for Christmas this year, even if there is no snow to ski on, but since you must stay within Moon Lake for at least 30 days of proven stability and we can't take Frieda out of town without the Elders' Council fearing we might be trying to ship her off to some private boarding school or something, maybe we could use her upcoming winter break for something positive this year," suggested Amanda Knight.
"How so?" asked her husband Benton.
"As the kids say, we could hang out with her. Get to know our daughter more as a person than as a parental obligation or business asset," pointed out his wife. "Have breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner out once in a while. Frieda's told me some nice things about The Local Diner, and I can't wait to get out of this hospital room and try that GRRRRRRR place she talked about."
"From what I've heard, it's quite... interesting," confirmed Benton.
"We could decorate the Christmas tree as a family instead of just supervising the servants doing that. While we'd have to stay in Moon Lake of course, we could go Christmas shopping. Take in a movie at the cinema. There's all kinds of possibilities when you stop and think about it," pointed out Amanda.
Benton smiled and was about to say something, when his cellphone rang.
He pulled it out of his suit jacket pocket, and was puzzled when the caller ID said it was ANTON KNIGHT.
"Hello Dad. What's up?" wondered Benton, answering the phone.
"Just wanted to let you know that we'll be heading to the airport as soon as your mother finishes going over the last of her luggage to make sure she has everything. I swear she's taking more gear with her than the soldiers had in Afghanistan during Desert Storm," said the senior werepanther, while looking at his mate fuss over a pile of luggage. "Depending upon the weather, layovers, and customs, we should be arriving in Seattle around 1 AM, your time," he added, adjusting for the time zones between Washington State and the exclusive retirement community for weres in the tropics the older Knights had moved to after both had celebrated their respective 200th birthdays.
"That's great, but I'm not going to be able to pick you up," revealed his oldest son, before explaining the Elders' Council's edict concerning his medical condition.
"No problem son. We can stay over night in Seattle and then hire a car to bring us to you in the morning. Besides, despite traveling on a private charter, jet lag may have us sleeping in tomorrow morning anyway," pointed out Anton.
"So tomorrow afternoon at the latest?" asked his son.
"Something like that," confirmed his father.
"Listen, dad. While I have you on the phone, there's something you should know that maybe you can help me with," began Benton.
"If it's within my power, all you have to do is ask. What is it?"
Then Benton Knight explained Jack Crawford's attempted stock take over of Knight Industries, but that he had acquired enough to become a minority shareholder. One who would be trying to force a confidence vote on CEO Benton Knight at the annual shareholders meeting in New York City in January.
"I warned you ousting the Crawfords from the company they helped build would come back to bite you in the ass," said his father, "but there is a way out of this."
"Lance has already suggested a proxy representative, but I'd have to chose carefully, for regardless of who I send, it could give the stock holders the wrong idea and they'd vote against me anyway," pointed out Benton.
"Then I'll go," offered his father.
"You?" said Benton in somewhat of a state of shock.
"After you, I'm the next biggest shareholder in Knight Industries. I'm still an active board member, despite the fact I attend most meetings either through teleconferencing or proxy myself. We keep the plan a secret until I step into the boardroom of our New York headquarters the day of the meeting, and have you on screen via teleconference."
"But won't that work against us? People could say something's wrong with the son if the father has to appear and do what Crawford wants to begin with," pointed out Benton.
"We'll say the whole idea was mine because I still want to keep an active paw in the business," suggested Anton. "Besides, I'm still on speaking terms with Jack Crawford's father," his father reminded him. Especially since it was you who drove him out of his own company and not me, the father silently remembered. "Once I'm back in the States, I can arrange a meeting with him and at least try to get everything worked out before the January meeting."
"That would be nice dad," said Benton. "With everything going on..."
"I know. Your mother and I will be back in Moon Lake by tomorrow night. Our vacation is open ended, so January's board meeting is no problem. Now you just take care of yourself, and have that daughter of yours ready to meet her grandparents when we get there."
"I will dad," promised his son.
"I'll call you with updates along the flight. Take care son."
"You too," said Benton, before ending the call with his father.
Then Benton looked at his wristwatch. "I wanted to stop by and talk to Lance about that Gazette article on Far Houjin and Kai Wu Wang. The idea was to stir up people so I'd have a chance to buy their shares of Knight Industries stock, if not some of Wang Technological Consortium as well. Not to tell them all is well," he said, referring to the last paragraph of the article. "But that will have to wait now until in-between Julie Stovall's court appearance and my first therapy session, if there's time. Take care honey," said Benton, before kissing his wife.
"Are you taking care of yourself? You taking your medicines?" asked Amanda, concerned about her husband.
"You better believe it. I don't want to end up downstairs in the subbasement," said Benton, thinking about the secret feral ward within the hospital.
MEANWHILE...
Just as he finished talking to his son, Anton Knight heard an extra click on the phone line of his private residence at that exclusive were retirement complex in the tropics.
I may be old, but my hearing's still as sharp as ever. There's a spy in the house! And considering I've already given most of the staff the holidays off while we go back home, that certainly narrows down the list of potential suspects, as he angrily left the master bedroom to let his wife finish going over her luggage.