Aslan Norval

14.

On Monday morning, the cameras were once more already rolling twenty minutes before the actual show began. The patient television audience had to endure advice on the following: the only toothpaste that would truly keep their teeth healthy; the only carburetor in the world that could guarantee a savings in gasoline of 43.29 percent; the only mattress in the world that guaranteed healthy and normal sleep; the only ground coffee in sealed tin cans that fully retained its aroma until the very last cup of coffee; and the face cream that “gives you the fresh face of a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl—or your money back.”

Aslan appeared a few minutes before the beginning of the hearing. Once again, she was wearing a new dress. The cameras slid along the garment as if they wanted to undress her. Although this dress was also made in Vienna, they announced it as “le dernier cri,” manufactured by a famous company on Fifth Avenue. The next morning, the company received a bill for an advertisement they had not ordered. Of course, the company could refuse to pay for the advertisement, but then the advertiser would use the first opportunity to announce that they had erred, and that the company had not made the dress after all, since they did not have the latest models yet. The retraction would cause more damage than paying the large sum requested for the unwanted advertisement.

Senator Clifford assumed the position of chair this morning. Without any introductory niceties, he immediately began shooting questions at Aslan: “Miss Norval, the committee members and I are now convinced that it is indeed a possibility—even if it is a very remote one—that a conflict about the Panama Canal Zone might arise, just as it did in the unfortunate case of the Suez Canal several years ago. In the meantime, my colleagues and I have researched the possibility of building a new canal through Nicaragua or the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Have you heard or read about that, Miss Norval?”

“I am familiar with the literature about these plans. Both projects are feasible. Even combined, both projects would barely cost a twentieth of the canal that our company is intending to build. However, both canals would go through land that we do not own. Even if one or both of those countries were to sell or lease the land to us, we would not have any guarantee at all that we would not face the same problems someday that we might unexpectedly confront with regard to Panama. The only solution is to build a canal that runs through land we own in its entire length.”

“Miss Norval, do you admit that a canal directly from New York to San Francisco is not feasible?”

“No, I do not admit that at all. Such a canal is feasible. However, it would go through rich and very expensive areas. You would have to circumvent large cities and important industrial centers, which would make the canal unnecessarily long. The cost of such a canal would be excessively high. However, it is a feasible project. I am convinced of that. I do admit, however, that a trip through that canal would not save a lot of time due to the many sluices.”

“Can the canal that your company intends to build become reality more easily, Miss Norval?”

“It can indeed become reality, and taking all circumstances into consideration, it will only cost about a tenth of the total for a direct canal. Probably a lot less. This canal from Galveston via Houston to the Pacific Coast goes through land that is mostly flat and infertile and partly desert. One would only have to cross a few insignificant rivers, and none of the mountain ranges present difficulties of the kind that we could not overcome relatively easily today.”

“How many nautical miles would a ship save traveling from New York, let us say, to Los Angeles if we assumed that your planned canal was open for traffic?”

Maps and tables appeared behind Aslan.

“From New York to Los Angeles, the distance is four thousand nine hundred thirty-one nautical miles. From New York to Los Angeles via the canal we have planned, it would be approximately three thousand one hundred twenty-five nautical miles. So the canal will shorten the ship’s trip from New York to the Pacific Coast by one thousand eight hundred six nautical miles. That is about half the distance of the sea route from New York to Hamburg, Germany. We can cut this distance by another one hundred fifty nautical miles.”

“How is that, Miss Norval?” interrupted Senator Clifford.

“In order to save another one hundred fifty nautical miles, it would only become necessary to cut through the peninsula of Florida at its narrowest point and to build a canal that would be merely double the length of the Kiel Canal in northern Germany. This canal would also cut the distance of travel from New York to New Orleans by one hundred fifty nautical miles. Let us add these hundred and fifty nautical miles that the Florida Canal saves us to the total savings in nautical miles from New York to the Pacific Coast, and we get approximately one thousand nine hundred fifty-six nautical miles, so about two thousand nautical miles. Without a doubt, you can see how much this would save in terms of time, fuel, delivery times, and wages under normal circumstances. However, every intelligent person can imagine what this enormous shortening of the sea route would mean in times of trouble, catastrophes, and war.”

“You mention wartime, Miss Norval. And what happens if enemies bomb your canal in a war?”

“I will ask you right back, Mr. Senator. What happens if they bomb the Panama Canal? Or what do we do if they sink a few big cargo ships to block the canal? I have an answer to those questions. We can repair a canal that goes through our own country in a time span of twenty-four hours because we can transport ten thousand workers with the best machines to the damaged areas within six hours. However, a similar repair of the Panama Canal would take two weeks, if not much longer.”

Aslan looked from one senator to the other, as if she wanted to read a ruling or decision on their faces. After a few moments of silence, she smiled warmly at them, and the gentlemen could not refrain from smiling back. They felt that Aslan’s smile did not intend to bribe them, nor to influence their judgment; this apparently well-meaning smile hid quite a bit of irony. It gave the impression that Aslan had won and the senators had lost. They could not come up with any argument that would dismiss Aslan’s project as quixotic.

Aslan was exceedingly well prepared, better indeed than the committee, which did not know most of the facts she presented. She had managed to divert the hearing from its original focus—an investigation—to an area that the committee only followed with difficulty.

The numbers, which Aslan juggled so easily as if it were a game, confused the gentlemen. They were used to the slow-thinking processes of career politicians, who never gave a concrete answer and did not have anything better to say than: In some ways, yes—but then in other ways, no.

Numbers can sometimes wield truly crushing power, since they do not seem to have a shape you can attack. In and of themselves, they mean nothing. However, a demagogue or a car salesman can more easily hide his intentions by rattling off numbers than by giving beautiful speeches. Sometimes—not always, but definitely occasionally—you can even conquer a woman just as easily with numbers as with pearls.

The gentlemen of the committee were convinced that Aslan’s numbers were authentic. And you cannot drown out authentic numbers with words. The silence in the chambers began to weigh heavily on those present. With the sure instinct of a woman, Aslan understood the moment correctly: “Gentlemen, I have said what I felt it my duty to say in order to prove that the canal we are discussing here is not only feasible, but that we must build it. I assure you, most honorable gentlemen of the Senate, our company will raise the funds necessary to complete the project.”

The senators put their heads together and began conferring with one another fervently. The cameramen were happy because it finally gave them the long-awaited opportunity to present an interesting new scene to their audience.

Aslan signaled Beckford and her assistants to prepare for a turn in the hearing.

The chairman, Senator Clifford, rapped the gavel. “Miss Norval, you have convinced the committee members and myself that it could be possible to realize your project under certain circumstances and with help from the government. However, that is not the committee’s last word. We will communicate our final decision in a few weeks’ time. However, I have a few important questions for you.”

At this point he blew his nose awkwardly and noisily. Then he continued: “Your company is an entirely capitalist, private enterprise. Its shareholders hope for more or less high profits, or let us call them dividends. Is that correct, Miss Norval?”

“Entirely correct, Mr. Senator.”

“To build such a canal through land that is partially private but also partially owned by Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, you need permission from state governments. Have you begun the process of obtaining said permits?”

“Not yet, Mr. Senator.”

“And why not, Miss Norval?”

“Up until now, we have only worked on obtaining an approximate budget for the cost of construction.”

“I understand virtually nothing of canals and their construction costs. However, common sense tells me that this canal will not cost less than fifty billion dollars.”

“Fifty billion dollars, Mr. Senator? The canal would practically be free of charge if its construction cost amounted to a mere five hundred billion dollars.”

“I am afraid I misunderstood, Miss Norval. Did you really say that the canal would be practically free if it cost five hundred billion dollars?”

“That’s exactly right, Mr. Senator. Five hundred billion.”

“Do you have any idea, Miss Norval, how much money that is?”

“I do have an idea, actually a very exact idea how much money that is. It is five hundred thousand million dollars.”

“Does that kind of sum not make you dizzy, Miss Norval?”

“Not at all, Mr. Senator. I have dealt with much higher numbers for months now. And what is a sum of five hundred thousand million dollars if our country’s budget for one year alone, in 1960, was more than seventy-seven thousand million dollars. Taxes not only covered that huge sum but even exceeded it!”

“Well, you have to admit, Miss Norval, that you cannot compare the budget of a large country such as ours to that of a private enterprise you are preparing.”

“I do not see any difference, Mr. Senator. My project is of equal importance to our country as its defense, which devours approximately one-third of the budget.”

“But how do you think you can get a sum of such astronomical proportions? There is not that much money to be had in the country.”

Aslan discreetly played with her right earring and behind her, tables appeared. The television cameras jumped on this opportunity to show their audience something new.

“Mr. Chairman, we have more money than we need for ourselves and our well-being. After World War I, not only did we forgive the war debts of England, France, Italy, and even Germany, which we conquered, but we also forced millions of dollars on those nations to get their devastated economies back on track, which created stiff economic competition for us. We supported czarist generals, white guards, and dissolute insurgents with millions of dollars, since they promised to get rid of Bolshevism overnight.

“Gentlemen of the Senate, we did the same thing after World War II. We gave away our taxpayers’ money to all parties, whether they had asked for it or not; because we did not know what to do with all our money. Without the money that we gave them, England, France, Italy, Greece, Germany, Turkey, Portugal, and Spain would probably not exist as independent countries today. Of course, no honest person in the world would have a right to accuse us of wrongdoing for that.

“Approved by Congress in its session of July 13, 1946, we forgave England a debt of twenty-five thousand million dollars, and on the same day, we gave England a new loan of four thousand four hundred million dollars, without the slightest hope of repayment on their part given that England cannot even pay the interest on current debts and is constantly forced to request extensions. As if that were not enough, on January 1, 1951, we forgave England another two thousand six hundred ninety-four million and three hundred thirty-nine thousand dollars in order to save the crumbling British Empire from collapse, although there is nothing to save anymore.

“And you are asking me, Mr. Senator, where we should obtain the money for the construction of our canal? Honorable committee, our country lost all of that money I have been talking about, all those enormous sums of money. We will not get a single one of those dollars repaid. And the saddest thing about all this is that aimlessly giving away American taxpayers’ hard-earned money has not made us a single friend. Instead, it has garnered distrust and, in most cases, bitter hatred. We have no assurance that we could count on the support of these countries in case of a serious conflict. We cannot even be sure of English help in case such help was contrary to their own interests.”

It was only possible to talk to the public in a hearing in front of a Senate committee, as Aslan was doing. Protected by the Constitution, it was her right to defend herself against an accusation of supposed fraud.

The senators were getting antsy. Senator Shearer cleared his throat loudly and pointedly looked at the chairman. Senator Clifford banged the gavel.

“Miss Norval, I am forced to ask you to avoid any reference to our political circumstances, especially when it comes to international relations.”

“I apologize, Mr. Chairman, if I went too far. However, you are the one who claimed that the amount of money we need could not be found in the entire country. Therefore, you forced me to prove with hard numbers that there must be enough available money in our country that we can count on for our project if we can give away uncounted thousands of millions of dollars without suffering economic collapse.”

“Miss Norval, it is not my intention in the least to deny you your right to defend yourself. However, I will reiterate that our relations with our allies do not have any bearing on the feasibility or lack thereof of building your canal. Therefore, I am asking you to remain focused on your canal and the costs associated with its construction because we have the eyes and ears of millions of people on us.”

“Most honored gentlemen of the Senate, I do not see any other way. I must briefly come back to the tremendous sums that we have given away in all directions—money that we continue to give away almost every week. I must do so to show you the difference between, as I must say, senselessly giving away thousands of millions of dollars and investing thousands of millions of dollars in a company in a healthy and insightful manner.”

“Well, Miss Norval, I do understand what you mean. However, I repeat my request. Please stick to your hard numbers and avoid any digressions into the political realm.”

“Mr. Chairman, I will do my best to follow your advice because it is in no way my intention to cause our government any problems. I will return, then, to the thousands of millions of dollars that we have given away. We will never see any of that money returned, which means that it is lost to our country and economy. On the other hand, the thousands of millions of dollars that we will spend on building the canal will remain in the country. Every single cent will remain in our country and will bear interest. The money we invest in the construction of the canal will give tens of thousands of Americans willing to work well-compensated employment for ten, fifteen, and maybe even for twenty years. The completed project will not only greatly serve the American people, but all nations whose ships sail the oceans or countries who will be able to import needed products at lower prices due to lower shipping costs.

“We will accept money from anyone. And we will sell our shares to anyone who wishes to purchase them. Although we have not yet attempted to reach out to shipping companies, I am convinced that they will make an effort to become shareholders in our company as far as our laws permit, whether they are American or not.”

“Miss Norval,” the chairman interrupted Aslan, “I have declared repeatedly that I know almost nothing about canals and the construction of canals because my private career is in banking and I can only judge the financial aspects of your project. Regarding the financial aspect, I noticed that you always only talk about the canal. You neglect to mention the numerous side projects, many of which will be extremely costly. Just to name a few examples: what about the many bridges that must cross a canal of such length, to maintain regular traffic of trains, trucks, cars, and pedestrians? I know the car route from Houston to Los Angeles, and in my humble opinion, at least four if not six hundred bridges might be necessary. Since those bridges must be very high to allow the passage of large ships with great heights, they will surely be very expensive. So-called bascule bridges, which open and close to allow large ships to pass, will likely not cost much less. In my opinion, you have to add the cost of building bridges to the budget for building the canal. Those costs are part of the entire canal budget. Do you not agree, Miss Norval?”

“You are absolutely right, Mr. Senator. However, I do not intend to build bridges across the canal.”

“The government will not issue you a permit to build your canal if you cut off connecting traffic routes.”

“I will not cut off a single connecting route between the north and south side of the canal. I do not have the details yet, but several of my engineers think that tunneling is less expensive than any kind of bridge because it occurs during excavation for the canal, that is, before the canal is filled with water.”

“Miss Norval, congratulations on this idea. Such a simple solution would have never occurred to me, unless maybe while driving through the Hudson tunnel or during my vacation trip from Detroit to Windsor for several weeks of fishing in Canada.”

As soon as he had said this, the chairman began to daydream, most likely about his summer vacations in Canada. Then he began looking through his papers, not intending to search for something but rather vaguely hoping he would come up with a new question, maybe the one last question to complete his report. Then he could submit the report to the Senate and the House, since both houses would have to approve construction of the canal at the end of the day. Their approval was necessary, since the canal traversed four different states and therefore would become a federal project.

Senator Clifford gave a slight nod to the cameramen. At once, half of the cameras were pointing to his face while the other half focused on Aslan and her assistants.

“Miss Norval, let us assume that for whatever reason, the government is forced to deny you the permit for the canal’s construction. What happens to your company then? Would you dissolve it, or would you concentrate the company’s capital and efforts on a different project, and if so, what project would that be? I would like to add that you are not required to answer this question.”

“I do not see any reason, Mr. Chairman, not to answer your question. In one of our last board meetings, this question came up, and I will give you the same answer I gave the board. If the government denies us the construction permit for the canal, we will build a train track from Galveston, Texas, to the Pacific Ocean with a terminal station somewhere between Los Angeles and San Diego.”

“If I am not mistaken, Miss Norval, there are already several train routes that connect the east coast of Texas with the west coast of Southern California.”

“Yes, but those are not rail connections of the kind we would create. We will build two rail lines, one from East to West and a second one from West to East. Instead of building two rail lines with two tracks each, we will build two lines with sixteen tracks each, and if that is not enough, with twenty-four tracks. Instead of regular freight cars or open wagons, we will use train cars with mounted steel frameworks that can be widened or narrowed depending on what is needed. In Galveston or Houston, depending on where it is more convenient, ships will sail into a sluice. The sluice will lift the ship to the level of our railway tracks, where it will sail into the next lock chamber. The steel framework will welcome the ship in this chamber. Steel cables powered by electrical winches will carefully maneuver the ship—which is still afloat at this point—above the steel structure. Then, while the water drains from the lock chamber, the steel arms of the structure tighten their grip around the hull of the ship. As soon as the ship is satisfactorily secured, the door of the lock chamber opens, and gigantic diesel- or nuclear-powered engines begin to work. The ship travels to the Pacific Coast held by the steel structure mounted on the train cars on sixteen rail tracks.

“While this ship would sail at thirty-five knots in good condition, it is now the job of the rail track quality and the engines’ power to increase the transportation speed to sixty knots or even more. Which mountain ranges the train can cross will depend entirely on the power of the engine. We would not rely on sluices or deep cuts through mountains as we would with a canal. After arriving at the West Coast, the ship is taken into a lock chamber. Once the water in the chamber has reached a level sufficient to float the ship, the steel arms around its hull loosen and free the vessel. A cable maneuvers it into the next lock chamber, where it will slowly be lowered to the level of the ocean. As soon as it has reached that level, the chamber opens. Pulled by tugboats, the boat sails into the open ocean.”

The senators listened as if Aslan were telling the story of a miracle. When she finally fell silent, Senator Clifford said: “Miss Norval, that is the most fantastical of all the quixotic ideas I have heard from you in this room. However, when I think about it calmly, it does not seem as infeasible as at first glance. Actually, Miss Norval, I think that transporting a ship by train from one ocean to the other would be easier to realize and cost significantly less than the construction of the canal, which we have looked at so carefully here.” He then turned to his colleagues: “What do you think about this new idea, gentlemen?”

The senators looked at one another as if to guess what the others were thinking. Since they knew that the cameras were trained on their faces, they shrugged indifferently and kept their expressions blank so as not to indict themselves. Two senators had an especially easy time with this since they never said anything, and in the Senate, only ever said yes.

“It seems important”—Aslan interrupted the indecision of the senators—“to bring up a few points here. The size of the ship—its length, width, height, and tonnage—do not matter at all. The possible weight of its load at maximum speed depends entirely on the resistance of the railbed. We can determine the required strength, durability, and resistance of the railbed by calculating the pressure exerted per square meter. It also depends on the engine’s horsepower, which is limitless given today’s technological advances.

“Based on our still-superficial estimates, excavating the railbed will take less than a fifth of the time needed for the construction of a canal. In serious national emergencies, transporting ships by rail rather than by canal is more than ten times faster. In addition, we could fix any damage to the railbed quicker and more easily than we could the canal.”

“Miss Norval, as far as I can tell, both the canal project as well as the railway project only exist in your head.”

“That is absolutely correct, sir. Every project, no matter what it is, first exists in someone’s head before it can be realized.”

“I will concede that point, Miss Norval. Do you think you can find engineers who can make either of your projects a reality?”

“Mr. Senator, the dictionary of an American engineer or architect does not contain the word ‘impossible.’ If Russian engineers and architects are planning to build a tower of two hundred ten kilometers in height, no matter for what purpose, American engineers can build one three hundred kilometers higher, in much less time and without the help of slaves. All that appears to be necessary is to give an American engineer or architect the opportunity to realize a project that has at that moment only existed in someone’s head.”

“Yes, the opportunity and the necessary funding. Especially the necessary funding. Don’t you agree, Miss Norval?”

“Of course, the necessary funding is an essential aspect, Mr. Senator.”

“Everything you say, Miss Norval, and everything you concede sounds so simple. It sounds as simple as if God were to say: ‘Let there be a canal!’ or ‘Let there be a ship-transporting railway system of outrageous dimensions!’ But you have to admit, Miss Norval, all this is easier said than done.”

“I am sure you are right, Mr. Senator.”

“And if I have repeatedly expressed doubts about the feasibility of your canal project, I have to say that your railway project appears just as infeasible in my opinion as well as that of my colleagues. It appears that the cost of the railway project would merely be less than that of the canal project. Neither of your projects can be realized without government funding. As you know, I am sure, tax rates in our country have increased—in many cases up to ninety percent of your income—such that they can hardly be raised any more without causing disarray to our national economy.

“The government could not guarantee the billions you have not yet accurately calculated that you need to complete one of your projects. And with that fact, we are back to square one of our negotiations: If you do not manage to raise the funds for the execution of at least one of your projects, all the money that shareholders invested will be lost. Since we are not talking about a project in the millions but probably an enterprise that will devour more capital than one hundred times our annual national budget, the consequence would likely cause a panic on the stock market with unforeseeable consequences.”

The senator stopped for a moment and looked at Aslan with cold eyes. He asked icily: “Miss Norval, do you want to add anything at this time?”

“I’m afraid I have nothing else to say, Mr. Chairman.”

The chairman rose, used his gavel, and announced: “The investigation regarding the financial capability and security of the Atlantic-Pacific Transit Corporation, Inc., is hereby complete. The final report will be delivered in six weeks.”

He gaveled the meeting closed and left the chamber, followed by his colleagues. A dozen reporters rushed toward Aslan, intending to bombard her with questions. They were careful to stand in a half circle around Aslan so as to remain in view of the cameras.

“Gentlemen of the press, I am sorry that I have nothing important to share with you at this time. I will be forced to change my strategy completely. However, as soon as I have consulted with my board and lawyers, and as soon as we have reached a decision, you will hear from me. Gentlemen, I thank you for your attention.”

She nodded at the reporters with a sweet smile and left the chambers with the poise and posture of a winner. The reporters, of course, had the impression that she had lost and that there was little hope of rescuing her company. The chairman had made that quite clear.

The cameras watched her walk away. When she had left, the cameras swiveled toward the uniformed assistants, who were currently packing up maps, displays, and tables, unwittingly showing more of their beautiful legs and their plump bottoms. The viewers in front of their televisions, the men, at least, could have hugged the cameramen in gratitude. You rarely saw such lovely, shapely girls, let alone within your own four walls.

Accompanied by Amy, Aslan raced to the airport. She was in New York in her own home that same evening.

“First of all, and most importantly, Lita”—she rushed toward her maid—“a hot bath. As hot as I can possibly stand it. God, I am so tired!”

“Ya lo creo, señora,” said Lita, “I believe you.”

“And as soon as you have the water running, help me undress! I am going to collapse. I’ve never known what it means to be tired.”

She was sitting on the bed when Lita came back from the bathroom, knelt in front of her, took off her shoes, and massaged her feet.

“It is exhausting to remain so tense for so many hours and to know that thirty, maybe sixty million people are listening to you, observing and criticizing each one of your facial expressions.”

“I sat in front of the television the entire time, señora. You were wonderful. Simplemente maravillosa. Really and truly magnificent. Better, much better, and more natural than any actress. However, in the end it looked bad for you, señora. I don’t think the senadores are sympathetic to you.”

“As if I didn’t know that!”

“I say, there is more to this, señora. The caballeros want to give this huge deal to their families and friends. And then they want to ask for their own cut.”

“Well, look at that! I would have never in my dreams thought of such an interpretation.”

Lita draped a bathrobe over Aslan’s naked body and disappeared into the bathroom. After a few seconds she called: “Señora, your bath is ready.”

Aslan sank deeply into the hot water and sighed with pleasure.

“Lita, add more hot water! It feels so good. I felt the same way when I took a hot bath in my hotel in Washington during a break in the hearing.”

“Que más, señora?”

“Bring me heated bath towels in fifteen minutes. I want to wrap myself in them. And then bring me a salad sandwich, two very runny boiled eggs, grapes, an apple, and a glass of Burgundy. And just so you know: I don’t wish to be disturbed until four o’clock in the afternoon tomorrow. Even if the secretary of the interior and the secretary of state were to be on the phone simultaneously. I am not home. You don’t know where I am. You have no idea. I have disappeared. Just disappeared. Without a single trace. I have to sleep for eighteen hours to remember my name.”

“Señora, I am ready to shoot anyone who tries to disturb you.”

Not eighteen but rather twenty hours later, Aslan called her maid.

“Good Lord in heaven, señora, you really did sleep well!” said Lita as she entered.

“I did sleep well indeed!” Aslan stretched and yawned loudly. “And I am hungry—I could eat three entire dinners.”

“Massage, señora?”

“Yes. A light massage. To get my limbs back in balance.”

“Would you like the newspapers, señora?”

“No newspapers. I don’t want to read my name and I don’t want to be horrified by photographs of myself. Not yet. First, I have to relax. At the beach.”