Free Power Down by Ben Coes

bigger.”
    Marks sat back and smiled. He was silent for a few moments. He appeared slightly uncomfortable, even embarrassed.
    “No, you’re right about that. It’s not about profits.”
    “What
is
it about then?” Badenhausen asked. “You’re going to get that question. The harder we pound the patriotic theme, the more it begs the question of why a company cares about anything other than the profits.”
    Marks sat in silence. “If they ask, I’ll be ready.”
    Badenhausen leaned forward and refilled the empty champagne glasses. He looked to Nick Anson. “So what do you think?
America’s energy company.
Keeping America free from Middle East oil. Can you repeat that about a hundred times?” he asked with a smile.
    “I think I can handle that,” said Anson as he reached for his glass and the three men shared a long laugh.
    The next morning, Marks and Anson rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, the two executives clearly enjoying their timetogether. Marks even invited Anson and his wife, Annie, to his ski house in Aspen that weekend, an invitation Anson found himself, to his surprise, accepting. The mood on the floor of the stock exchange, and throughout the day, was celebratory.
    After opening up trading on Wall Street, the two men held a press conference off the floor of the stock exchange. Present was a room full of reporters from various news outlets; ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox, Bloomberg, MSNBC,
The Wall Street Journal,
Reuters,
The Financial Times, The New York Times,
and a variety of others.
    The two executives stayed on theme throughout the press conference.
    “Won’t this merger create a company that controls a substantial portion of the energy that is produced and consumed in a large section of the U.S.?” Sara Jamison from NBC pressed Marks halfway through the press conference.
    “I’m glad you asked that,” said Marks. “What this announcement is really about is keeping America free from Middle East oil.”
    “Isn’t it dangerous to give that kind of power to one company?” followed Jamison. “To one man?”
    “Dangerous is relying on oil from suppliers who do not have our best interests at heart,” said Marks. “Dangerous is depending on others for one of the most critical products used in your daily life. Would you buy a bottle of water from someone who doesn’t have your best interest at heart, someone who might in fact be an enemy? A loaf of bread?”
    “Do you anticipate any problems getting support from members of Congress, the SEC, or the Federal Trade Commission?” asked Bill Radford from
The Wall Street Journal.
    “When you’re creating a company that helps America become independent of Middle East petroleum, I think that’s something most citizens will rally around,” Anson shot back.
    After half an hour of similarly predictable questions, the reporters started to slow down and prepare for the press conference to end. A young female reporter in the back stood up. She had auburn hair, and a yellow cable knit sweater.
    “Hi. Astrid Smith,
Baltimore Sun.
”
    “Good morning, Astrid,” said Marks. “What’s your question?”
    “You say this is all about creating independence from the Middle East, right? But is that really your concern? Shouldn’t you be concerned with profits? With financial performance? I mean, my grandparents own KKB stock. They rely on you to create the dividend that allows them to live comfortably in their retirement.”
    The room was silent. The question Badenhausen had warned of had come. Everyone looked at Marks. He took a few steps to the right, silently, looking down as he walked, deep in thought. He glanced at Badenhausen, who stood against the wall to the side of the room. Marks’s limp was visible as he walked. After a moment of silence, he looked at the young woman who’d asked him the question.
    “Great question,” Marks said after several moments. “Oh, we’ll make money. I can assure you of that. Your grandparents can