Nick returned to work and was greeted by everyone at the office. Br even gave him a very heroic and proud speech, comparing him to a war hero. Right after the speech one of Nick’s coworkers asks Nick if he’s going to quit smoking. He hasn’t smoked since the incident. Nick replies by asking for a cigarette and lighting up. After 2 drags he gets dizzy and lightheaded. He immediately puts out the cigarette.
All of the employees are briefed on new security tactics. No corners are to be cut; everyone is worried that the people who did this to Nick are going to strike again. The employees all receive basic training on what to do in bomb threats. They are all also given locator devices in case anyone is kidnapped and even pepper spray. The employees are then informed that they will all go away for a weekend to learn about security tactics and what to do in an emergency. As you can see, the tobacco industry is very worried about the whole incident.
Nick is receiving an enormous amount of publicity from the kidnapping. Surprisingly, it’s mainly positive. He even went back on the Larry King show. His boss thought that maybe the kidnapper would call back again and make another threat. Nick didn’t want to go back on the show but Br insisted. It seems as if the tobacco industry is starting to use Nick and his kidnapping to their advantage, and is disregarding Nick’s personal feelings on the subject.
The book constantly talks about the woes of being involved in the tobacco industry. They are always complaining that there is never any good news. It’s always a new lawsuit or some anti-smoking advocate making headlines and ruining business. Lorne Lutch is the new anti-smoking advocate in this case. Lutch is a man who used to smoke, but then got terminal lung cancer and now is running an anti-smoking campaign. There is even talk about creating the Lorne Lutch foundation, which would be a ranch for terminally ill smokers and lung cancer patients to go and live out their final days, weeks, months, or years. This, as you can imagine, would really negatively impact the tobacco industry. The Captain wants Nick to try to talk him out of this and get him to hush his mouth. Captain suggests that they give him 500 grand to shut his mouth. This is quite the bribe in my opinion.
Two FBI agents, Agent Allman and Agent Monmaney, are assigned to Nick’s case. The show up at work one day and ask Nick a few questions. The questions are very rude and have little to do with the actual case. They are almost implying that the incident was choreographed just to give the tobacco industry the positive publicity that it is receiving.
Br now wants Nick to do interviews with Young Modern Man, a Japanese magazine. The Japanese are very understanding when it comes to smoking. The books says that 2/3 men aged 16-25 smoke in Japan. Smoking is even allowed in children’s tv commercial in Japan. The interview is about Nick’s company selling their cigarettes in Japan. Nick also has a meeting with “the puffers” and Lady Bent. The puffers are a group of people who are for smokers’ rights. They are the old fashioned men who smoke at least 2 packs a day. Lady Bent is the ex Prime Minister. She serves on the board of Agglomerated Tobacco and is very influential in the world of smoking. The FBI agents randomly show up at Nick’s office again and ask completely unrelated questions and then leave. They are starting to seem a little fishy if you ask me. Nick walks into the room where he is performing the interview with “the puffers” and it is full of smoke. He gives a speech relating these men and women to the doughboys of World War II and expresses his adoration for them. The cloudy room gets to him though and he almost goes into paroxysmal atrial tachycardia again.
Nick has no time to waste; he has to rush to his meeting with Lady Bent. When he gets there he has to talk to one of her guards first. After searching to room for bugs Nick insists he and the man speak in the bathroom, so he can be sure there are no bugs in the room. Nick tells the man how he is afraid that Lady Bent might be the target of another murder attempt like his since she is on the board of Agglomerated Tobacco. Nick then gets to speak with Lady Bent herself. He tells her the same thing and asks, basically begs, her not to make and public or private statements regarding tobacco at all. He tells her that her life might depend on it. The next day’s Wall-Street Journal has an article about Lady Bent. It says how she supports the right of American cigarette companies to enter the Asian cigarette market. She also says that this has nothing to do with her being a member of the board of Agglomerated Tobacco. Nick receives a call from Br thanking him enormously. Nick knew Lady Bent wouldn’t listen to him, in fact he knew she’d do the exact opposite so he told her exactly what he didn’t want and she did exactly want he wanted her to. This means that sales will most likely go up. Nick seems to be fantastic at his job.
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