William looked Matthew in the eye, nodded. "Very well," he said,
"I'll make the recommendation, as we had originally planned.
You've got my word."
Matthew let out a sound that was at once a great sigh of relief and a slightly hysterical chuckle. "Thank you," Matthew said, slapping William on the back. "Thank you, thank you." He ambled alongside William to the gate and quickly ran down his immediate course of action.
"Matthew, relax," William said. "I said you have my word. Now, go home. We'll talk in the morning." William handed the flight attendant his boarding pass, and she removed the ticket and handed him the receipt stub.
"Good-bye, Matthew," William said, then turned and proceeded down the jetway.
It was done.
* * *
Peter picked up the phone to call Kate at her studio, but then he remembered the message Grace had given him. He dialed the number.
"Good afternoon, Phillips and Phillips," a receptionist announced.
"Arnold Phillips, please," Peter said.
The man came on the line a moment later.