Seven or eight men sat around a long oak table. They were the Sect Leaders of ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and several top coal and shale gas companies.
Sterling pushed the door open and walked in.
"The talks fell through."
Sterling's voice was steady, betraying little emotion.
"George Vance of Pfizer not only refused to supply medicine to Pittsburgh, he also threatened to use the power of Wall Street to short our stocks."
"His exact words were: 'Pittsburgh isn't important. Getting rid of Leo Wallace is.'"
"He also said the energy industry is an obsolete dinosaur, and that we're not just dirty, we're stupid."
A round of low curses echoed through the conference room.
"The arrogance."
A gray-haired coal tycoon stubbed out his cigar in an ashtray.
"These pharma hacks think they're God just because they're holding a few patents."
