"Obviously, I miscalculated a few things." "Eddie" "I know you're in there," "Why is it that, the moment your life exceeds your wildest dreams..." ""The Knife" appears in your back." "Well, I'll tell you one thing..." "I will never let them touch me." "My neighbor, must have opened his door to complain." "For a guy with a 4 digit IQ, I must have missed something..." "And I hadn't missed much." "I'd come this close to having an impact in the world." "And now, the only thing I had an impact on... was the sidewalk." "You see that guy?" "That was me, Not so long ago." "What kind of guy, without a drug or alcohol problem looks this way?" "Only a writer." "strangely enough, nobody believed that I actually had a book contract." "Well it's best rated as a sci-fi novel... but it's really uh, my own personal manifesto about the plight of the individual in the 21 century." "and I sort a created a Utopian society, where, we all sort of uh uh uh..." "It's really..." "It, it's really, it's re- uh." "Today was the day, I was gonna kick its ass" "Here we go." "Here we go." "Here we go." "Here we go" "Man, It's gonna be great." "Just gotta put in the time and stay in the room." "That's the key concept." "Don't leave the room!" "A few weeks passed this way" "Maybe a few months." "At least I still had Lindi." "Just like that?" "Come on, Eddie..." "This is hardly a surprise." "I, I'm surprised?" "Let's just not do this." "I am gonna hand in 90 pages tomorrow on Friday" "You just wait to see what she says." " Eddie!" " What?" "I know how it's going." "I am, I was, your girlfriend." "That word doesn't even begin to describe what you are to me." "Partner?" "Squeeze?" "Paramour." "Inamorata" "Cleaning Lady." "Bank." "Well be there that.." "Well what's mine is yours too." "and you know that I want to share the rest of my life with you." " In fact, I was thinking..." " that we should probab..." " Don't propose." "Why not?" "Because it worked out so well for you last time." "it's true, I did marry once, right out of college - to melissa.." "I do!" "briefly." "This isn't working." "Well, even though everything you said is true, I still love you." "I gotta get back to work." "You didn't even tell me what happened." " I got it!" " You did?" "I'm an Editor." "I have my own assistant." "You believe that?" "Yeah, Of course I believe you." "You deserve it." "Thanks." "She was right." "Why stick it out?" "I had clearly missed the on-ramp." "We both knew what was beckoning." "The lower bunk of my childhood bedroom in Jersey." "My Father happy to welcome me into the challenging field of dental supply inventory." "Eddy Morra!" "Of all the useless relationships better forgotten and put away in mothballs" "Is there any more useless than, the ex-brother in law?" "Holy Shit, man!" "How's it been, like Nine years?" " God!" " Hey!" "You alright?" "You look like you're livin' on the streets." "What's going on?" "Not much." "Uh, I just broke up..." "What am I, what's up uh, I'm writing..." "Writing a lot" "Oh, you still trying to write?" "Matter of fact, I have a book contract" " Really?" " Yeah." " That's great." "how about you?" "Are you uh..." "You still dealing?" " Do I look like I am still dealing?" " No, you don't." "No." "Come on, let's get a drink I wanna hear about this book." "I don't know, it's two o'clock in the afternoon." "When has that ever stopped you?" "So." " So..." " How is Melissa doing?" " Here." " Thanks." "Wouldn't know, I don't see you her." "She moved upstate." "She got some kind of Internet, home-sales kinda job." "Couple of kids." "Couple of kids..." "Who's the husband?" "He walked out on her, if you really wanna know." "But what do you care, man?" "You were married for like five minutes." "Look, I don't wanna talk about her." "I want to talk about you." "Okay?" "Tell me about this book." "How's it going?" "Well it's a..." "I'm behind." "I'm behind on my book, and uh, It's pretty booked... including my days and nights, if you really want to know." " Well, how much have you written on it?" " Not one word." " Creative problems, um?" " Yeah." "Well I suppose, I can help you with that." "Just this once." "Oh, No, no, no..." "You don't even know what it is." " You're still dealing." " Brother, I am light-years from that now." "I've been doing some consulting for a pharmaceutical company." "What, like some off-shore lab making fake Viagra?" "Come on Vern." "No." "This is an exclusive product, that's coming on the stream next year." "They've had clinical tries, and it's F.D.A. approved." "Alright, just out of curiosity and that's all..." "Let me see it." "What's in it?" "They've identified these, receptors in the brain that activate specific circuits." "And you know how they say that we can access only 20% of our brain?" "Well what this does, it lets you access all of it." "Vernon, look at me." "Do I look good to you?" "I'm broke and I'm depressed off my ass." "I don't think that my life's gonna take some sudden upswing into fame and fortune, by taking some shiny brain exotic drug." "Get." "When?" "Tell him we can't do that." "No." "You tell em." "No." "Now!" "Well, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to leave you here Eddie." "But I really, I really do wanna do this again." "So, call me." "And, that's on the house." "I don't want it." "Do not be ungrateful." "You know how much that costs?" "Eight hundred bucks..." "A pop." "You're welcome." "All the way home, I thought about Melissa." "How could she be a failure too?" "." "She'd been so smart." "Smarter than anyone around her" "Clearly, there was a direct link between this Eddie..." "Slightly drunk at three o'clock in the afternoon, and an earlier Eddie." "vomiting on his boss' desk... or stealing his dying aunts Percocet." "So who can blame Lindie for dumping me?" "In the end, how much worse could it get?" "I didn't want to see anybody." "Especially not my landlord's nasty young wife" " Valerie, Tuesday..." " Look!" "Enough!" "Okay..." "Steve handles the rent, so you can feed your crap to him!" "I suddenly had extra reason to get away from her." "I had thoughtlessly ingested a substance." "Like the rent's not low enough!" "I had gotten remarkably little information from Vernon about what this drug would do." "you can even be a biker messenger and come up with that." "Really!" "What if it was a hallucinogen?" "." "It's pathetic!" "Oh my God!" "Listening to her rag - If I were tripping, I'd jump out a window" "Hello!" "Are you listening to me?" "Do you get it?" "You are gonna be out on the streets!" "And then I felt it." "I was blind, but now I see." " What's wrong?" " What?" "You don't like me and I don't blame you." "You see a self defeating, energy sucking, piece of shit who's sponging off your husband... you're wishing I'd blow my brains out... but my existence shouldn't make you this upset" " What is it?" " That's none of your business!" "Something wrong in Law school?" "How do you know I am in law school?" "People who aren't, usually don't carry around dry.." "academically constipated books about a dead supreme court justice." "You are a creep aren't you?" "You've been following me." "No, I just noticed the book." "You just saw the corner of it." "How did you know that?" "I'd seen it before." "12 years ago in college." "sitting on the couch with a T.A. I was trying to make... waiting for her coming back out of the bathroom, hoping she'd have a condom." "Somehow, my unconscious had served that up." "A memory I'd never even recorded... or was there the whole time and I all I need was the access?" "If you're writing a paper, that's not the book I'd use." "Who asked you?" "Hastings has it's own history." "I'd start there." "Interesting point..." "Grammatically, this guy was an idiot which sort of gives credence to the theory that one of the clerks, he had fired.." "actually wrote most of this guy's major opinions." "you'd ruler the clerks sons..." "They'd love to talk to you; exonerate their dad." "that'd give you something that no one else has... information from the odd museum show..." "a half read article, some PBS documentary... was all bubbling up in my frontal lobes, mixing itself together into a sparkling cocktail of useful information." "She didn't have a chance." "What, what, what are your suggestions?" "We'd really worked on her paper too." "In 45 minutes, it was a polished gem." "She was pleased." "Home... but it couldn't be my home, could it!" "?" "and who would live like this?" "My first thought..." "Torch it!" "." "But, saner heads prevailed." "What was this drug?" "I couldn't stay messy on it" "I hadn't had a cigarette in 6 hours;" "hadn't eaten..." "So, I'm steamiest and tidy." "What was this?" "A drug for people, who wanted to be more anal retentive?" "I wasn't high, wasn't wired..." "Just clear." "I knew what I needed to do, and how to do it" "The next morning, I sent a little probe down into my brain." "No surge of brilliance came up to greet me." "In short, I was back." "But something remained" " You're kidding?" "!" " No" " Words have appeared on paper." " Yes." " Written by you?" " All you have to do, is to read 3 pages" "Just read 3 Pages in the next hour." "and, if you don't want to keep reading, I'll give you back the advance." " Okay, Eddie." " Okay" "Eddie, give me a call, when you get in." "Eddie, I am 40 pages further in." "call me." "It's, a little grandiose but I am still reading." "Okay, how did you do this?" "I really..." "Call me the minute, you get in." "Call!" "Okay?" " Who is it?" " Hey, Vernon, its Eddie." " Eddie who?" " Morra." "not a good time, Eddie." "Hey Vern, I really just need to talk to you." " Vern, what happened?" " Don't worry about it." "I'm fine." "So, Eddie, you are interested after all." "That stuff's amazing." "Works better, if you're already smart." " Vernon, who did this to you?" " Trust me, you do not want to know." " So, uh, what, what's it called?" " Doesn't have a street name yet." "But, the boys in the kitchen, are calling it NZT-48." "The "boys" and, the "kitchen"?" "Doesn't sound very, FDA approved Vern." "FDA approved." "That's a laugh." "You didn't really believe that shit." "Did ya?" "Okay, so what do we have here?" "some unknown, untested, possibly dangerous drug scammed out of some unidentified lab somewhere." "given to me by a highly unreliable guy I hadn't seen in years" " So you want some more?" " Yes." "Definitely." "Alright, we'll talk about it." "But I need a favor first." "Obviously, I'm in no condition to go out right now" "So I was wondering if you could pop down to the uh, dry cleaners; grab my suit for me?" "And maybe grab a little breakfast for us." "He knew, he had me." "Sure." "From now on, I'd happily be his errand boy." "Wash his windows, scrub his toilets..." "Anything I can do, to get my hands on this little clear pill that would bring back, enhanced Eddie." "Vern?" "Vern?" "Vern?" "Oh God." "Hey!" "HEY!" "911..." "What's your emergency?" "Hi, I need to report uh..." "A murder?" "7B, yes." "Okay, I'll hold." "It took them forever." "And the longer I stood there, the clearer I saw" "Vern had known, whoever had done this" "And one guess, what they'd been looking for" "But had they found it?" "Shit." "If you ever cooked, I'd be dead too." "Police dept!" "Open the door please." "Police dept!" "Open the door!" "Open the door please!" "Police!" "Open the door!" "Let's go!" "Open the door!" " Let me see your hands!" " I'm the one who called!" " I called you guys!" "So you guys tight?" "Hang out a lot?" "No." "He's my ex-wife's brother." "I just actually met him on the street and he asked me to come up." " To buy drugs?" " No, No!" "What?" " What did this guy do?" " I do not know." "He was..." "I heard he was an antiques dealer." " A dealer?" " Yeah uh, Antiques, um..." "Like uh..." "Like, Viennese kinda uh, um chairs and stuff." "like, curly cue leg things." "Yeah?" "That is correct." "An Edward Morra." "He's here." "The victim's sister." "I hadn't heard her voice in ten years." " Eddie?" " Melissa?" "You were there?" "um, just, just before." "I had run into him on the street, and uh, yeah" "Oh God" "I wish I was more surprised, he was involved in some stuff." "I better not to say anymore." "No, no, that's probably a good idea." "So uh, we should probably um, meet or something, right..." "No, I gotta do the funeral and God knows what else..." "We can't meet, okay?" "Right." "I guess I'll just see you at the funeral then. uh?" "No!" "I don't, I don't want that." "Please don't." "I call you at the point okay, when this is over" "Okay." "Alright" "Okay." "You know, something doesn't gel here." "Write down your number." "I'll need it to contact you later." "Worth the risk?" "What would you do?" "Vern's cash, combined with an unprecedented surge in motivation enabled me to finish the book in 4 days" "A tablet a day, and what I could do with my day, was limitless." "In learned to play the piano in 3 days." "Math became useful And fun..." "All in." "Even half listing to any language, I became fluent." "So that Shakespeare's text, it is polite mediocrity." "who'd ever argue with you?" "This was great." "So mom, I've been doing a little research on aunt Helen's tumor." "And... it's totally clear, that anybody with Familial Adomis Phalacrosis... should be supplementing Platinum doublet regiments... with lico cimpenti oic acid." "I suddenly knew everything;" "about everything." "Sure dude!" "You'd get a short term spike... but wouldn't that rapid expansion devalue the stock completely in two years?" "No, cause there are safeguards." "Against the aggressive over expansion?" "There aren't." "Cause there are no safeguards in Human nature." "Oh, we're wired to overreach." "look at history..." "All the countries that ever ruled the world..." "Portugal with his big massive navy." "All they got now are salt Cod and cheap condoms." "The Brits!" "Now they're just sitting in their dank little isle and fussing over their suits." "No-one stopping and thinking..." "Hey!" "We're doing pretty well." "We got France." "We got Poland." "We got a big Swiss bank account" "You know what..." "Let's not invade Russia in the winter." "Let's go home." "Let's pop a beer." "Let's live off the interest." "Yeah." "My brain was just pouring this stuff out." "Everything I'd ever read, heard, seen was now organized and available here it is, here you go" "Eddie!" "Hey..." "Listen, I'm sure you have a portfolio but if don't..." "I'd be very interested working with you." "Okay, Kevin." "I made some new friends who invited me to the beach." "The beach, was not nearby." "All my fear, all my shyness, gone!" "But mere lounging wasn't enough." "only problem, if I wasn't moving forward" "I felt like I was going to explode" " Anybody ever jumped?" " Are you crazy?" " He is gonna do it." " He's not gonna do it." "Oh my God!" "And then I began to form, an idea." "Suddenly, I knew exactly what I needed do." "It wasn't writing." "It wasn't books." "It was much bigger than that" "But it will take money to get there." "In a down market, no-one was making much." "But, no one had NZT." "Armed Vern's last 800 Dollars, I made $2,000 in a day." "Next day, 7500" "It was too slow" "I'd need more capital." "Banks weren't lending to guys like me." "That's him in the corner back there." "So, uh..." "Liv told you that, I'm looking for a short-term loan?" "Yeah, and I told them that - forget it." "Why?" "Because I don't see you before, and I don't like you already" "Why do I give you $100,000 Dollars?" "Because..." "I quintupled my money 4 days in a row." " So you got a fix on the game?" " No, not a fix." "I was able to calculate certain patterns in the algorithms." "If you look at column 4, This was the first..." "You're good." "Okay, its a fix." "Yea, and all you people get caught." "What are you gonna do then?" "Well it's not as I if have a black book with your name in it..." "If that's what you're talking about." "...and besides, I get the strong feeling... that, you're not somebody I want to disappoint." "Don't get up." "I said don't get up." "Sit down!" "Okay." "Okay, you take this, you're mine. - okay" " You understand?" "you don't pay..." "You know what we do?" "I cut you at waist." "peel your skin up over your head and tie a knot in it" "You don't die from this, You suffocate" "Good luck." "My new friend, Kevin Doyle, showed me how you can leverage." "two and a half times your cash at day trading firm" "I've been upping the dose for over a week." "It seemed to cut my learning curve." "Hey, Why you buying that?" "The CEO was just indicted" "But not for the big fat defensive contract he bribed his way into" "That's still on should be announced next week" "I was jacked in, booted up." "At the end of week, My brokerage account." "contained over two million dollars." "word, quickly got out." "You have 19 messages." "four job offers, My bank raising my line of credit a reporter from the New York Post..." "Really call me back Mr. Morra." "No one makes money that fast" "This Article's gonna get written - with or without you." "And finally, Kevin Doyle, trying to sound casual." "Eddie, I was talking you up to my boss and well, the impossible happened bud." "But we got you a meeting with Karl van Loon." "Karl van Loon wants to meet you?" "apparently so." "But you are not in the finance game?" "What can you do for Karl van Loon?" "Since when do you speak Italian?" "Self improvement month." "I guess uh, somebody gave me a wakeup call." " I hope you didn't do it for me." " No, I just wanted to apologize to you." "And that you know, that apparently, my capacity for self-sabotage wasn't boundless after all." "The real question is..." "Why did you ever put up with me?" "I was in love with you." " So when does the book come out?" " Next year." "How's your new assistant?" "She's Good." "You know, I'm really happy you're here with me." "I'm proud of you." "And... a little intimidated." "We started up again her place." "my place." "basically everyplace." ""In a sizzling 3 days of trading, the unknown Mr. Morra"" ""trumped the market, prompting one top hedge fund manger to comment:"" ""He's Houdini." "He's a prophet of our times. "" "Okay, give me that." " He's god!" "?" " You coming over later?" "I can't." "I don't have a key." "Oh that's right." "Can I have it back?" " No" " No?" "I mean, does it have to be that key?" "Can it be a new key?" "to our place?" "It'll be cost-effective." "And you say I am not practical." "Can I walk you to work?" "What you doin, hon?" "Nothing." "You should sleep." "Isn't your Van Loon meeting tomorrow?" "Eddie?" "Are you okay?" "What are you doing out here?" "When's the last time you ate something?" "Here he is." "Nice Article in the post buddy." "He is on his way." "Now be warned, he's mercurial." "One minute your best friend, the next, you're a leper." "And he needs direct answers." "Anything tentative, and you've lost him forever." "I think we should rehearse a few scenarios." "I am eating, Kevin." "Hey!" "Are you up for this?" "You sure?" "Because I got a little bit on the line here." "Have a toast plate." "Hey, Karl." "Good to see you." "How are ya?" "So, Eddie Morra, What's your secret?" "Medication." "I'm on a special medication." "okay." "There's a formula with a complex method- but of course, research was a component;" "massive research" "I knew every helix of every scrap of DNA in every company I bought." "Papers stacked like the Himalayas in my office." "And you know what?" " The stocks went up." " by a hair." "Sure, the stocks rose, but who wants to do all that work, for a shitty little uptake?" "It's not the visceral kind of spike you want in short-time holding." "So..." "I dispensed with all the hard statics and I went right to the rumor mill" "So your bought your stocks based on what the tom-toms beating in the street?" "Sure." "The share prices aren't really based on how a company works it's about how mass psychology works" "So, if I found certain algorithms in the perception of the stock..." "Pattern recognition." "That's your cycle help?" "Well, not everybody understands the patterns." "and that gave me a little bit more of an uptake, but it's just a parlor trick." "so then I went to door number 3" "You're really implying that you've, some sort of ultimate formula?" "Well, from 12,000 to 2.3 million in ten days." "I do have a formula, Mr. Pierce." "delusions of grandeur" "I don't have delusions of grandeur I have an actual recipe for grandeur." "I do not know who you are Eddie, or what your game is," "But I'm sure of one thing, you don't work in my world." "I'm up to my ass with investment guys... and you don't have the half terrified, half cocky line of crap; which is, not to say, that I like yours any better, but you obviously pick your stocks in a way that I haven't seen before." "Take a look at these companies and tell me what you think." " Right now?" " Yeah." "Take your time." "Sure." "These companies aren't the question, are they?" "Explain." "Unless you're playing both sides of the fence." "control the whole power enchilada..." "But no, these companies wouldn't get you there in a merging markets" "You would have..." "Oh whoa!" "Whoa, this must be some, big-ass merger you're contemplating" "And there's really only one company with enough bling to justify a merger with Van Loon and associations." "Who've you been talking to?" "Oh, I am just connecting the dots." "Is Hank Atwood really gonna go for it?" "Well you're an amazing con artist, or you're a very smart young man..." "I mean, come on!" "The two of you together..." "The whole world will have to come begging for energy like Oliver Twist and his bowl of Gruel." "Well now you're going backwards." "What else you got?" "A prediction." " It won't come off." " Why's that?" " You'd have to back off Libya" "Really?" "But, you don't want hear this from some schmuck who needs a ride home." "Alright." "You get your shot." "Meet me tomorrow at the Saint Regis at 10 and tell me how the gutsy little schmuck who needs a ride home, would restructure these deals." " And you better be prepared." " I am at your disposal." "You don't really live here, do you?" "Well, um Spart's weren't big on amenities." "Yea, and they eventually got their asses kicked." "I didn't go in." "I wanted to walk, move, digest, ingest" "There are moments in life moments, when you know, you've crossed a bridge." "Your old life is over." "Van Loon was my bridge." "I finally had my shot." "Wall Street would provide my nest egg." "but then how far could I go?" "CEO?" "A global force?" "Maybe president." "time, somebody shook up the free world and got the things done." "Suddenly, there was another skip." "How have I gone the last 20 blocks?" "I got another 10 blocks ...and then..." "I was way up town." "Hey!" "Watch it!" "a fight?" "I don't know how to fight." "or do I?" "if your assailants do not stop, your insistence will distract the attacker." "off balancing your opponent, can make use of his momentum" "What bar was this?" "When it finally stopped" "I couldn't account for the last 18 hours in my life" "Hey, it's me." "I thought you were coming over." "Is everything okay?" "Call me when you get this." "Even off NZT, I decided to give Van Loon's files a shot." "they were hieroglyphs." " Hello?" " Kevin, it's Eddie." "Eddie?" "Listen, I can't" " I can't make the meeting today." "What are you talking about?" "I can't come in today." "I'm sick." "Yeah?" "Well, you can't have the flu right now." "He'll never give you this chance again." "I know." "Listen." "I just, ah..." "I have all this data to analyze." "What have you been doing for the last day?" "Don't you get it?" "This is your test." "Yeah." "Well, I can't pass the test right now." "And how am I gonna look if you don't?" " I know." "Listen..." " Sh!" "Listen to me." "Pull yourself together - get down to the meeting" "Okay." "Okay." "I, I, I, I'll be there." "I'll be there." " Hey." "How are you, Eddie?" " Good to see you again." "Sit down." " What do you know about Hank Atwood?" " Atwood..." "Atwood..." "Um, He's an iconoclast... uhm..." "He owns about a half of Colorado..." "So, this is "prepared"?" "Eddie." "What is this, Atwood 101?" "I mean..." "Doesn't everybody know about Atwood?" "Where was he two years ago?" "Hm?" "Nowhere." "Two years ago, he wasn't even on Forbes radar." "That was a great leap forward." "Right?" "I'm baffled by this guy..." "Comes out of nowhere, so strong..." "Has me on the run, before I could even get to anybody in his camp." "beats me out of two properties, investment companies up north..." "We're here in the front of the hotel where a woman... identified as Maria Winberg, was found dead in her room last night." "a victim of foul play.." "Miss Winberg was a well known socialite... but was also known for her dedicated charity work around the city." "Police spent hours, questioning hotel staff and patrons." "and an eye witness reported seeing a man leaving the scene." "How can we convince him that I can raise his game?" "Got any ideas?" "What do you think?" "Hm?" "You're not one of those kind of guys - are you Eddy?" "we lose you, if there's a screen in the room?" "These are tectonic plates that are shifting right under us." "Pardon me one second." "Was it possible?" "Could I have killed someone?" "Was is it even me?" "Eddie?" "This is Melissa.." "Listen..." "Vernon hasn't been giving you anything-has he?" "Because that stuff is dangerous." "Melissa?" "Hey." "Do you think we can meet somewhere?" "I really need to talk to you we're talking now." "No no, let's meet at uh, Billy's on Grant..." "At noon?" "You can't see me Eddie." "Please please come." "Please come." "It's important." "I really need to know what you're talking about." "I realized, that there were other people, who I might now about NZT." "Vern's other clients." "Yeah, Hi." "May I please speak with Jerry Braden?" "Jerry's in the hospital.." " He's what?" " Yeah, he's not doing well at all" "Yeah, hello." "Is Paul Kaplan there?" "Ah, no." "No he's not." "uh, uh, Paul passed away - uh, three days ago" "Oh my God!" "I'm so sorry." "Yeah, he started getting headaches, then he collapsed at work." "Now he's in the I.C.U.." "Okay, well please give him my best." "thank you." "Of all the people I called... three were dead, and the rest were sick." "Hello" "Go!" "GO!" "Eddie." "Melissa." "Hey." "Do not tell me I look good like this, I know." "I didn't want you to see me this way." "You look good." "Well I uh..." "Yes, I sorta got myself together." "NZT will do that to you.." " What do you mean?" " I mean, I took it too." " Vernon didn't tell you any of this, did he?" " No" "What, when we he told me about this amazing new drug..." "I was like, "down the hatch. "" "and it was." "It was amazing." "I read Brian Green's, The Elegant Universe - in 45 minutes and I understood it." "My, my work rate increased, just as insanely overnight... and my boss started to hate me" "They offered me his job." "And then, then I got, I got scared." "Why?" "Why?" "Because I am not stupid." "Nobody can operate at that level of mental activity and not crash." "I stopped taking it." " Then?" " Then I got sick." "Headaches, throwing up So I went back to, Veron... he told me about all the people that were dying." " How much you have been taking Eddie?" " I've been taking a lot." "Well maybe..." "Maybe they've worked out the bugs maybe." "Maybe this is a different batch." "Yeah." " You're off it right now, aren't you?" " Just finish the story." "Well, I didn't take anymore and I didn't die" "But after a while I realized that I couldn't concentrate on anything for longer than 10 minutes.." "I missed deadlines..." "Got lazy." "Slow." "So slow." "That was two years ago." "I haven't been the same since." "You have some left?" "Good." "Well you go home and you take it." "You take the dose down," "But you don't just stop." "You'll die, if you just stop!" "Try to taper off." "Otherwise, the headaches are just beginning." "I have to go." " Do you know who makes them?" " I do not know." "I have to go." "Oh Shit!" "Listen listen listen listen..." " You forget about me eh?" " No no no 12:00 and you're not here!" " I'm here now." " Come on, keep going." " I can to write you a check." "Check." "Check" "Are you out of your mind?" "What do you think I am, some financial institution?" "Alright." "You're right." "Maybe at least you can go to the bank." "What you got there?" " What is it?" " It's just aspirin." "Don't look like no aspirin I ever see." "I feel good man, what's in this stuff?" "Well, it's just some vitamins and aspirin." "You're full of shit Eddie baby..." "I'm sorry" " Tyler, I gotta go." " I'm sick." "I'm sorry!" "I couldn't make it home." " I'll take you to a hospital." " No no no no, honey..." "I need yo to get..." "It's really simple baby." "I need my pills." " Eddie, what pills?" " Baby, it's complicated." " What are you taking?" "Are you on drugs?" "I had no choice." "I told Lindi everything" "So all this energy of yours, all this focus, has been a drug?" "Well, it was supposed to be legal." "I, I have a supply stashed." " you want me to go get it." " No." "No no no." "I'm gonna, I'm gonna go get it." "Give me your keys." "I'll go to your apartment." "It's not in my apartment." "I moved it." "Okay..." "So where did you move it?" "In my house." "Unbelievable!" " Have you got it?" " Yeah." "There's someone following me." " Are you sure?" " Yeah." "He got into the cab behind me, and he's making every turn I'm making." "Better call the cops." "Can you go around him?" " Baby, what's happening?" " We're stopped dead." "He's getting out..." "Eddie, he's walking over here." "Lindi..." "Oh God!" "Help!" "Help!" "This man, this man is chasing me." "He followed me from my building." "I don't know him." "Please!" "Yo buddy!" "Let's leave her alone." "Are you deaf?" "I said, leave her alone!" "Hey buddy, are you trying to piss me off?" "What are you doing, man?" " Are you still there?" " Yeah, I'm here." "What happened?" " I'm stuck!" "He'll find me." " Okay, stop talking." "Don't move..." " He killed two guys." " What?" "He's gonna kill me too." "No no no no no." "Let me look." "Can you see him?" "No." "Nothin'." "I don't know what to do." "Okay..." "I need you to go into the bag and take one of the pills." "Why?" "Because you'll know what to do." "You'll take it and then you'll know." "He's got a knife." "Eddie, I can't think my way out of a knife." "Just listen to me." "It'll come on in 30 seconds, and you'll think your way out." "That's what it does." "He's getting closer." "Lindi, I love you." "Eddie..." "Here." "It's gonna be okay." "You're gonna get outta here." "Eddie." "Are you okay?" "Yeah." "I'm so sorry about what happened." "I want you to know that you'll never, ever have to go through that again" "Cause I can take care of us now." "I'm sure you can." "I can make us safe." "I'm back!" "Okay" " Who's back?" "Eddie." " Me." "No!" "It's not you You were different before." " I am still the same person." " I wasn't when I was on it." "I did things, I would never do." "Those things saved your life." " But they weren't me." " Yes." "You know the way it works..." "I know how it works." "I get it, I totally get it." "You feel invincible." "Where it will take us Lin, you can't even imagine The things we'll be able to do" "Where we'll be a year from now The kind of life that we'll finally be able to live" "Well, you might have to live it without me." "Look!" "I am gonna stop taking it." "There's just some things I have to do to keep us safe and to, to set us up" "And then, I'm gonna get off it..." "I mean, that's the plan." "Look!" "I have a plan." "I swear I'm gonna get off it." "Okay" "I hope you do" "Looking for me?" "Think you can run out on me?" "uh!" "You think, I don't know where you are?" "I was under the impression, our business was settled." "Well I want some more of that stuff, or I shoot you right here." "Take your pick." "This guy was not going away." "A few pills would buy me some time" " Here it is." "We're done." " We will see." "Until I found a more..." "permanent solution." "Unless you see a real threat, I never want it known that I have any security." "You'll never proceed me" "You'll always follow me." "never more than 15 steps behind." "And never stand too close together." "I wanna be able to look behind me if the opportunity presents itself." "And don't wear the same color suit." "This isn't the Matrix!" "You have to know Eddie..." "I wrote you off." " I was sick." " You don't get sick" "You're playing at this level" "You get hit by a car, you don't even die." " You're absolutely right." " I know I'm right." "I mean, I didn't know who or what I was talking to." "105." "That's who you were talking to Carl." "Delirium." "Hm hm." " I sent over my revised projections." " I didn't ask for your projections..." "I know, but I think If you take a look at them..." "I already have." "As a matter of fact..." "I fired a few people, over your projections." " I'm sorry." " No, you're not." "You're relieved, that you know things, my team missed." "The minute, the instant, that's no longer true..." "Two months after I'd started NZT..." "I was brokering the biggest merger in corporate history." "Ironically, it's gonna be crude." "Crude is gonna be where we're gonna hit em." "Which yields a projected profit of 200%." "That makes both of us very happy campers." "I found that if I maintained an even dose, remembered to eat drank no alcohol..." "The blackouts didn't occur" "Tom is it possible to construct an imperceptible compartment?" " In this jacket?" " In all of them." "Certainly, sir." "Safer though my stash now was," "I was not sitting around until I ran out." "Well, can I combine these ingredients in the same exact quantity?" "Yes." "but, the exact method of delivery to the brain, uhhh..." "Dart to the dart board." " Meaning?" " clinical trials, guinea pig people." "that's gonna take too long." "It is was it is." "Or you'll kill people." "Look." "You need 12-18 months" "I'll give you two million dollars If you can do it in 6" "I found that we could cart the cost, 30%." "and uhm..." "Excuse me for one sec" "I thought we straightened this out, detective." "This isn't about Vernon again, Mr. Morra." "What is this about?" "The witness identified the Maria Winberg suspect..." "As this person." "Wanna tell me your whereabouts the night of April 2nd?" "I couldn't keep this quite on my own" "Enter Morris Brant, the most lethal lawyer in New York." "You're lucky, somebody wiped the room." "It's weak circumstantial at best." " Just between us..." "Were you there?" " I don't remember." "I don't want to make concessions to you..." "Karl van Loon's and Hank Atwood, had no idea" "I might soon be charged with murder." "But Ci-Corps, An-Dine and others, are jockeying for the same industrial concessions in Libya that both our companies are pretending, we're not sniffing out." "How do you know this?" "The governmental bribes system is itself corrupt" "So of course, information about its inner-workings, like anything, can be bought." "Go on." "If you take a look at the lower left hand column in 2008, five companies were jockeying for a position before we even took notice." "Jesus, he looks frail." " Could be an act." " He's not even 60." "So have you decided Eddie, whatta ya gonna do?" "When this is over?" "I do not know." " You haven't given me the answer." " You haven't you asked the question." "Well, Given the scale of my contribution..." "let's say 45" "Humph!" "$45,000?" "40 million's plenty Eddie." "There's a lot more where that'll come from" "You know, Eddie... it may be on your mind, that you're not gonna continue to work for me anymore..." "This has been the learning experience of my life." "I hope has." "I hope you don't think you've gotten enough from me." "on to the next..." "Well, in order for a career to evolve, I'm gonna have to move on." "That you would even think that, would only show me how unprepared you are, to be on your own." "I mean, you do know, you're a freak?" "Your deductive powers are a gift from God, or chance, or straight shot of sperm... or whatever, or whoever the hell, wrote your life script." "A gift. not earned." "You do not know what I know, because you have not earned those powers." "You're careless with those powers." "You flaunt them and you throw them around like a brat with his trust fund." "You haven't had to climb up all the greasy little rungs..." "You haven't been board-lined at the fundraisers... you haven't done the time in that first marriage, to the girl with the right father..." "You think you can leap over, all in a single bound." "You haven't had to bribe or charm or threaten your way, to sit at this table." "You don't know how to assess your competition, because you haven't competed..." "Don't make me your competition." "Now I'll open up a line of credit for you." "You'll be wanting a few toys." "hotel rooms were no longer an option." "What I needed, was a bunker." "There's a built in safe... central surveillance, vault grade pneumatic doors." "It's an unparalleled three tier security system." "A fortress, with a hell of a view." " What is the asking price?" " 8.5" "I'll take it." "Right away, it was obvious, he was on NZT" "Next week, I'm gonna need 20 pills." "Next week, you can go, fuck yourself." "Not that you'll feel anything." "I don't think your fortune 500 financial friends, would appreciate the details, of your little dilemma with the police." "Thursday, I'm gonna need the pills here." "Getting smarter..." "Obviously, this can not go on" "But there is very little on this earth that 40 million dollars can't solve and tomorrow at 9:00, Atwood would sign the papers." "Do you wanna call it?" " Cold feet?" " With all last night to tell us that." " Anything?" " I'll call it again, sir." "Okay, the decision could've changed..." "That makes sense - but discourtesy doesn't." "It's still on." "Oh!" "Based on your charts and projections?" "You know, remind me..." "Who are you anyway?" "I'm sorry Karl, I've had it with this unqualified posturing little prick." " Look..." " Since when is this the Delta quarrel?" "Don..." "Pull it back!" "Excuse me." "Mr. Van Loon, Mrs. Atwood is in your office." "Ah." "Mrs. Atwood, Karl van Loon, My associate, Edward Morra." "Pleasure." " I wanted to make this as confidential as possible." " Of course." "My husband experienced some pain and dizziness this morning." "He's currently at Lenox Hill - undergoing test." "I just want you to know we have every intention of signing the contract." "And as soon as he is able, we will proceed." "I realize this is a useless platitude, but if there's anything we can do..." "Please don't hesitate to tells us." "Obviously, we want to be as helpful and as practical as possible, Mrs. Atwood." "Thank you, gentlemen." "I rely on your discretion." "There wont be a proxy." "a crazy prick like him giving away power of attorney?" "Well, better get better." "But Atwood wouldn't get better because Atwood was out of NZT." "Well, why are we surprised?" "How many other meteoric rises might be explained by NZT?" "At least I had some." "My life wasn't in jeopardy" "You wait here." "only my money. and my liberty" "I've been all over them." "We can't allow any disparity in race or physical type between you and the rest of the line-up." "they're as close to your clones, as I could possibly get." "It's gotta be, just one big handsome blur to this guy." "Who was out there?" "the woman's husband?" "the hotel maid?" "Was this how, it was all going to end?" "Not the dimmest clue." " He was dithering "He was the third from the right." "No not him. "" "Here you go." "A thing of beauty." "You had that made?" "I did." "This today..." "The Dow has been YO-YO-ing amid speculation, that Van-Loon Associates, and Hank Atwood have negotiated a merger..." "Have you been talking to anyone?" "NO." "I haven't been talking to anybody, Karl." "I'm not stupid!" "I know you're not stupid Eddie, but don't make the classic smart person's mistake... thinking no-one's smarter than you." "Where the hell have you been?" "This is the second time you've turned to vapor." "I was in the building." "I was getting coffee?" "Why?" "Has there been movement?" "Yeah!" "There's been movement alright." "Atwood's in a coma." "He wasn't playing us, he's dying." "What do you know about this?" "I was less than usually equipped to answer." "The dullness was coming on." "I was overdue to take my NZT." "And the pain was starting behind my eyes." "Excuse me." "You're not excused." "What, a man in your employ, can't take a piss, Karl?" "Was it Brant, or someone else?" "The police station?" "The coat room?" "Mr. Morra..." "Mr. Morra." "Mr. Morra!" "This just came for you." "Alright, I'm gonna ask you again Eddie..." "What do you know about this?" " What?" "About the leak?" " No..." "About Atwood." "What?" "What about Atwood?" "Look..." "You got a long way to go" "as a liar kiddo..." "Heck Karl, I don't know what your.." "Listen, what you about to say is bullshit!" "I know there's something you're hiding from me." "I smell it on you!" "Right now,I wanna know why this deal is dead in the water!" "Karl." "Hey!" "Eddie!" "Outside Lennox Hill Hospital today, more twists and turns in the Van Loon" " Atwood merger." "There is absolutely." "no truth to the rumor of this merger." "None whatsoever!" "My husband is having tests..." "it's a difficult time" "We would appreciate you direct, your further questions to our attorney." "Ah, Yes..." "We have no further comments at this time... we're just awaiting the results from the latest round of test, and hoping the best." "Thank you!" "Eddie..." "I know you're in there Eddie" "Eddie, come out." "Come on!" "Open the door." "And so, here I am." "I knew that they will kill me slowly and horribly." "But this choice would at least be mine" "But we're instinctive creatures..." "We wanna live." "so my foggy brain tried to remember where one tablet of NZT might be" "it was possible." "and possible was enough." "Hey, Eddie." "You know, I want more, so why would you upset me?" "I don't like being down to this last one" "You do not even know how to use it." "You don't appreciate it." "You see, I dissolve it in solution." "you shoot it." "It goes straight into the blood and brain." "lasts much longer." "So..." "You tell me where the rest is?" "I'm plum out.." "You know, these guys are gonna find it..." "Or I gonna make you tell me" "Question is..." "Which is gonna come first?" "I guess, we gonna find out uh?" "." "This is a waste of my time, you know." "I'm getting out of this side of the business." "I'm branching out..." "I'm starting import export company." "very exiting stuff." "I got a lot on my plate, you're lucky I am here." "Back in the old times." "I might peel your skin back, flay you." "Flay." "That's a nice word, I didn't know this before." "I had such a poor vocabulary." "But then I discovered this thing..." "Google." "Did you know the small and large intestines is 20 foot long?" "I had no idea, I don't believe it." "I gotta see this for myself." "I'm dubious." "That's another nice word." "Anyway..." "I am sure you're curious too." "But don't worry." "Everything's sterilized." "We're gonna keep you alive through the whole shebang." "You're gonna get a front row seat, baby!" "not much of a triumph, was it?" "because I would die here too." "only NZT could help me and the last of it, was in this pug's bloodstream." "Victor!" "What?" "Victor." "Victor?" "Victor!" "The police would later note,  that my apartments previous owner was an arms dealer." "of course these intruders, had been his dissatisfied clients and the night was still young" "Well, I'm sure you're curious to know what happened to your boss." "I certainly am." "I mean, if my attorney was really working for Mr. Atwood, trying to save his life..." "Why is he dead?" "I mean, at what point was the pony express, supposed to ride in with his life saving medication?" "his boss was dead." "So, I didn't matter now." "But he did not appreciate that Morris Brant had kept the pills for himself." "and it was all still possible" "after 12 months" "Actually, now there's no more tickets." "Yeah, I got it." "An overbooked fund-raiser; that's a first!" "Well, here he comes." "I'll ask him." "Ah!" "That's much better." "Great job!" "Edward..." "I think we looking at a second overflow of bent." "There's a league of donations coming in, and I don't think they're even gonna try a second debate." "Great." "Hold on." "There's guy from Ivan Chemcorp's in your office." "I've a lunch." "Look..." "The biggest contributor, give him his two crappy little minutes?" " Ivan Chemcorp pharmaceuticals?" " Yeah." "Finally get to meet the guys that keeps the lights on." " Karl?" " Mr. Morra." "what a surprise!" "They told me somebody from Ivan was coming across..." "Yes, thats me now." "I am moving out of the energy business." "Come on!" "That's like Hefner moving out of the mansion." "I bought Ivan several months ago." "I'm surprised you didn't hear." "No." "No." "Well, I know they keep me hoppin' here." "Well, it's gonna pay off Senator Morra." "The Senate, well who knows?" "Everything's a technicality from here on." "Isn't it, Eddie?" "I think we both know where it's headed, if you can, maintain." "Have you asked yourself, what you're gonna do, when you run out?" " When did you know?" " Does it matter?" "I know now." "I wish you'd come to me at first, Eddie." "I could have bought Ivan at 33 a share." "We could have been partners." "So Ivan makes NZT." "We it'll never officially exist." "Obviously, I don't need to point out the advantages for you.." "Oh I think maybe you do." "Limitless supply." "We know you can't get anymore." "You sure about that?" "I shut down your lab this morning." "Eddie, I just wanna help you." "That's all." "Keep your supply." "No disruption in service." "Give you piece of mind." "That's all." "And in return..." "I do what?" "Give a little advice maybe." "I won't be bothering much at first." "And later..." "What are gonna be bothering me with?" "Well, given where you're heading..." "Some of our ideas are a bit ambitious." "But hey!" "I think they're achievable." "And what if I don't like your ideas?" "Well then we'll say..."God-speed."" "and your candle will have shed a brief but lovely light." "But you know what Eddie, let's not even go there right now." "Right now, I just want to keep you brilliant and healthy." "Let's go get some lunch." "After you, Senator." "Thanks for stopping by, Karl." "Give us a second." "What are you doing?" "You want to be president of the United States... or brain dead - stuck full of tubes?" "I'll take my chances." "I told you..." "Your chances don't exist." "We shut down your lab." "You don't you think some smart-ass and NZT might have two or three, or even four labs?" "So what." "You're not making anymore." "That's right." "I'm not." "I thought better of it." "See once you know what's in it, you can tweak, re-engineer... get the bugs out." "Taper off" "I'm off it, Karl." "Well on it, or off it, there's no scenario where you are not working for me." "How you gonna pay me?" "In cigarettes?" " Last year you traded insider information 17 times." " You threating me?" "Like checks from Dubai, dumping in Chile, disappeared officials" "When you said the spot..." "You wanna go to war with me?" "And trust me when I say this I am not even being creative." "There's no way you can be making accusations like that and be walking around alive." "That you wouldn't even think that shows me how unprepared your are to fight me." " You're not longer equipped to fight me." " Do you think I didn't learn anything... that my synapses didn't change, that I kept absolutely nothing?" " You have no idea, what kind of enemy I can be..." " That van's gonna rear-end that taxi." "What?" "The driver's distracted; he's texting; he's going 30mph..." "He needs 60 feet stop; he doesn't have room to work with." "I see everything, Karl." "I'm 50 moves ahead of you and everybody else." "What makes you think I don't know the guy with a beat on you right now?" "How do you know you're gonna be alive this time next year?" "What are you doing?" "Somethin's pumpin' at half-mast in there." "Walls of your heart are dilated." "Aorta's not standing up." "Soon you need to get that replaced." "But you already knew that." "You know, you should really be glad about this." "Cause me working for you, you'd end up as my bitch." "Maybe we should cool off and talk again" "I don't think so." "Don't forget to vote." " Edward, you good?" " Yeah!" "Told you I have a lunch." " I am sorry." " Hey, don't worry." " How's your day going?" " I've had better." "I still can't deal with that haircut." "I don't even recognize you on the street." "Well I'm a new man." "I've already ordered." "What?"