                           Gary Morant

You are Gary Morant, a Washington Lawyer. 
You graduated from George Washington Law in
DC, in 1977.  You were in the same classes in
college with Grant Cochran, which is how you
got to know him.

You have never really practiced law.  You
specialty is out-of-court settlement.  If it had
been you in The Devil and Daniel Webster you
would have had them settle out of court for fifty
years in hell plus three cardinal sins and legal
fees.  Always legal fees.  Very important.

You mostly handle domestic cases, because they
pay pretty well, and if you do have to go to
court, even you can manage to cross examine a
spastic housewife and end up looking like a
decisive pro.  Your senior partner Harlan Steele
did not like your methods.  You did not like the
fact that he smoked.  You read in a novel by
one of Grant Cochran's spooky friends that you
could use nicotinic acid to poison a smoker
without any trace.  You contrived an excuse and
borrowed some from your old professor, Roger
Pierce. Just a dash in Harlan's coffee, and sure
enough, he keeled over with a heart attack. 
Shame you never learned CPR.  That made you
the senior partner.  Roger owed you a favor
because you acted as his attorney when his
psychiatric license was revoked, and he was
disbarred from practicing medicine in D.C. 
That was shortly after you graduated.  You
didn't keep him from losing his license, but you
managed a fair amount of spin control, and kept
the University from firing him.

Not that you are a bad lawyer.  Au Contraire. 
You just don't like to work very much.  Which
is why you got into a sideline as an investment
broker.  It seemed like easy money, and lots of
lawyers have made a killing in investments.  Or
so you had heard.  Besides it was other people's
money.

You took some heavy losses the first year, but
what the hell, you weren't a CPA.  So you just
decided to wait and file taxes the next year and
eat the penalty, so you would have the money to
reinvest.  The losses would offset the penalty as
a deduction.  You lost a little in 82 through 84,
but it was getting to be less, and you learned a
little about the market.  Then the market began
to soar.  You dumped everything in.  This was
actually going to work, you were making
obscene amounts of money.  In January the Dow
broke 2000.00 for the first time in history.  You
were one a one-way rocket trip into the financial
stratosphere.  There was a 51.60 point rise in
mid January.  The month's end advance was a
cumulative 250 points, a record.  By August the
Dow had reached 2722.42.

October changed that.  The market had been
dropping steadily and had lost 200 points.  You
were worried of course, but everyone said it was
just a "correction."  Then in three weeks it lost
more than 300 points.  You were already
panicked.  You had been reinvesting during the
"correction."  Everyone you had consulted said
prices would surely rise.  Then on October 19,
the market plunged 508 points.

Realistically, you were bankrupt.  Your
investment company of American Mutual
Investments, is bankrupt.  And unfortunately,
you had been embezzling a fair amount of the up
front money for personal use. But the truth is,
you have a way out.  All you need is to take the
funds from one investor, and pay them out to
the others as dividends, in order to get them to
re-invest at a higher risk under different
conditions.  Then you can juggle your losses,
and tell them they lost money, too bad. 
Everyone is expecting some losses.  Your total
losses have been about $780,000. 

Fortunately, you have one investor who never
really put anything much on paper.  You always
thought Grant would be useful, and he was in
the habit of thrusting money at you, and
assuming you would do something useful with
it.  You have gotten him to sign several very
official and very bogus agreements, and beyond
that nothing is on paper, at least nothing that
Grant has any copies of.  He always had you
keep his legal papers.  Grant was invested to the
tune of half a million dollars, you suspect most
of his wealth.  He called you when the market
crashed.  You blithely reassured him that his
money was in "ultra safe" Special Commodity
Bonds.  You just made that up off the top of
your head, but it sounded good at the time.  You
are a bit worried because Grant said the last
$16,000 he gave you was for "a friend."  Once
Grant is safely out of your misery, you should
be personally about $100,000 down, and you
can swallow that and keep your shirt.

Ideally you would like to have use of all Grant's
money.  His will is a little bit of a problem.  It
names you as the administrator of his estate, but
it makes his brother Thomas the beneficiary and
executor.  This is because since Grant had some
sort of breakdown a year ago, Tommy has been
taking care of him.  Now you don't mind
Tommy getting something, but you would like to
see yours truly get some consideration for your
long service.  Unfortunately Grant has a copy of
his will.  You need to convince him to update it,
and get his copy back.  Then you can put his
name on any sort of bogus bullshit you care to
invent.  Under any set of circumstances if Grant
dies the only traces in the world of the money
he gave you to invest are in your lock-box.

At any rate, it is time that Grant's plummeting
career comes to an end.  After the reception his
last novel got, you will probably be doing him
a favor.  And this will give you the money and
slack you need to get back on your feet.  So you
have brought a little gun along, and a glove. 
Goodnight, Grant.  You wish you had a
silencer, but you understand a pillow is almost
as good. 

This seems to be the perfect time and place. 
Grant's spooky friend Carter is around.  He is a
real loony tune.  He was married to a beautiful
girl named Emily Breezewood, the daughter of
a Senator from Connecticut.  You got him off
real good.  You convinced him to persuade a
friend, Mike Ballistas, to seduce Emily.  You
hired Mort Nicholson, a PI, to take pictures,
then told the Senator about them.  He agreed to
pay off Carter out of court.  You took 50% as a
blackmail commission.  Carter, the ungrateful
bastard, wanted more.  Men seldom get anything
in divorce cases.  

You have been trying to let as few people as
possible know that you are an investment
broker.                                           

                                          Special Knowledge

School: You attended George Washington
University from 1971 to 1974.  You know Grant
Cochran, Avery Carson, Mike Ballistis,
Matthew Allen Carter, and Margot Matthews
from a circle of acquaintances there.  You
attended UW Law from `75 - `78
THE OTHERS

What they know about you:

Gary Morant:  Washington Attorney. 
Graduated from George Washington University
in 1974, GW Law in 1978.  Formed Morant and
Steele with Harlan Steel in 1980.  Known for
handling some of the messiest and most
prominent divorce and lawsuit cases in the
Washington social spectrum.  Morant is a rising
star in the social constellation of Washington,
and is Grant Cochran's attorney, and is currently
representing him in all of his sordid legal
affairs. 

PEOPLE YOU KNOW WELL:

Mike Ballistas:  One of your legal clients. 
Ballistis is a shady figure, and you are pretty
sure that he is involved in something
underground. 

A wealthy international consultant with
impressive offices downtown.  Ballistas has
numerous prominent government contacts, and
is generally known to be an influential
businessman.  He donated heavily to the Reagan
Campaign.

Emily Breezewood: Matthew's ex, she has no
good reason to love you.  She is as nutty as he
is, and probably as dangerous.

A college friend of Grant Cochran, and a prep-
school friend of Margot Matthews, Emily is the
daughter of Senator Breezewood of Connecticut,
a very powerful senior U.S. Legislator.  Emily
was married to Matthew Allen Carter, and
divorced him, in a particularly messy case
during which Mr. Carter was represented by
Gary Morant.  They are reported to be on barely
civil speaking terms now.  Emily is living with
Mike Ballistis.

Matthew Allen Carter: A well known mystic,
Carter is associated with decadence, drugs, and
bizarre mysticism.  It is unclear where his
money comes from, though he is known to be at
least moderately wealthy, and eccentric.  
M.A Carter provides spiritual consultation to
some of Washington's most prominent social
figures.  He has appeared on several area talk
shows, notably Panorama in July 1979 where he
was involved in an altercation, and declined to
appear on Good Morning America in August of
1982 on the topic "Senators who follow the
Horoscopes."  He has assisted Federal
authorities as a consultant on "Cult Related
Cases", and appeared before a Senate
Subcommittee Special Hearing in 1983 to
discuss "Cult Phenomena and Crime."

Grant Cochran:  The man you will kill.  You
want to find out beforehand whether or not he
invested anyone else's money through you, or
whether anyone else knows about his
investments.  

Grant Cochran is a horror writer whose early
work brought him wealth and recognition.  His
first acclaimed work was a collection of short
stories in 1977 entitled Look Ma, No Hands! 
Grant achieved a more limited success with The
Sickness in John Harrol, 1977; The Collection,
1979; but his mainstream horror novels  Dark
Symbols,1980; and Trinity, 1982; were
extremely successful.  His Lovecraftian fantasy-
horror The Sightless King, 1984 was universally
panned.  Grant also wrote the screenplay for the
1981 film The Blinding. Numerous short stories
including The Metallic Taste of Blood Omni,
Feb 1982.

Grant's work has tended more towards the
occult and fantasy side than Stephen King, and
his success has been less marked, but his early
novels were commercially successful.  Born
1955 to a wealthy Virginia family, Grant
graduated from George Washington University
in DC in 1975, aged twenty.  Writer and
playboy, known to have inherited some money
from parent's death in 1974. He is widely
rumored to have been hospitalized recently for
rehabilitation.

Sarah Lamont: Your secretary.  Bright girl,
who knows more than you would like about
your financial affairs.  Could try and blackmail
you, so keep cool and keep her happy, because
you really can't afford any blackmail just now.

Sarah Lamont is an old Prep-school and College
friend of Margot Matthews, Linda Kane, Emily
Breezewood and others.  Sarah went to work for
Gary Morant as a paralegal, and is now his chief
secretary.  

Margot Matthews:  Margot is a good social
connection, and someone worth sucking up to,
though you can't say you think much of her.

Margot was a friend of Grant Cochran, and
several other attendees in college, but went on to
become a prominent Washington socialite who
rose out of the ranks of minor political followers
due to her connections with the late U.S.
ambassador to Sweden Mr. Darrington Ripley. 
Margot is giving this party in honor of Grant
Cochran's birthday.

Margot is currently employed by the Department
of State, where she is rumored to the mistress of
a powerful political appointee.  She was
mentioned in People magazine shortly after the
inaugural ball, and her fortunes have definitely
been on the rise with the Reagan government. 

Mort Nicholson: an exceptionally good private
eye.  You hired him to take the critical pictures
in Carter's divorce case.

A well known private detective.  Nicholson has
worked for Gary Morant, and was a research
reference for the character of Detective George
Panopalous in Grant Cochran's Trinity.

Roger Pierce: a crackpot professor at your dear
old alma mater, you represented Pierce when
his Psychiatric license was revoked.

A Professor/practitioner of Psychology at
George Washington University.  Young but
promising, for several years his 400 level course
on Personality Disorders has been considered the
"most fun" class in the entire psych department. 
Many of Dr. Pierce's associates consider him to
be "that strung out quack", Dr. Pierce considers
himself a "perceptually enhanced alternative
practitioner."  It is obvious that Dr. Pierce either
has something on the University, or has tenure.

"Psychological disorders can be not only
instructive, but entertaining as well..."
(American Psychiatric Yearbook, 1980).  

OTHER PEOPLE:

Anthony Blaine:  A New York writer
considered a protege of Grant Cochran, Blaine
is handled by Jonathan Drake, the same
publisher as Cochran.  It was rumored that
Blaine and Cochran had a very serious argument
while appearing together at a promotional
convention after the publication of Sightless
King.  Blaine is best known for his Fantasy-
Horror novel Wunderking, and his most recent
work The Dinner Guest.  It was Blaine that
gave you the idea of how to dispose of Harlan
Steele

Avery Carson: Everyone's favorite dealer back
in school.  You wonder what he is doing these
days.

Attended George Washington University and has
many acquaintances from that period, and
immediately afterward.  Avery met most of
Grant's circle of friends in the seventies while
they were working in Washington after
graduation.  Mr. Carson occupied a position in
the staff of the late Darrington Ripley, U.S.
Ambassador to Sweden.  Currently employed by
the State Department, Avery Carson is rumored
to actually work for the Company, or No-such-
agency.

Thomas Cochran: the sole beneficiary of
Grant's will.

Grant's failure of a brother.  Thomas dropped
out of school, and was deeply involved in drugs. 
He narrowly avoided jail on larceny charges. 
He lost his share of the family wealth, and is
currently employed by his brother as a
handyman. 

Leda Deerden: A New York author, or visual
artist, guest of Grant's Publisher.  Ms. Deerden
is known for her terra cotta figures, which are
widely sold in gift shops in the Village, and her
work at the 42nd Street Gallery, but is a
newcomer to the writing field.  Her first project
is projected to be a collaboration with Grant
Cochran.

Jonathan Drake: Publisher of Grant Cochran,
Drake is Editor of Horror at Electra publishing,
a division of Robert W. Thormond and Sons,
Inc., one of the nations largest publishing
houses.  Despite the failure of Cochran's latest
novel, Drake is reported to be successful and on
the rise.  He handles many other writers
including Anthony Blaine, and is also in charge
of titles under the smaller, but profitable Medea
imprintaur, for occult paperbacks, which
includes the works of Jeffrey Saxon.

Linda Kane:  Parapsychological researcher for
the Institute for Parapsychological Studies, 1567
23rd St. NW.  Graduate of Columbia Prep, and
Mary Washington College.  M.A. Barnard. 
Kane is a literary agent for Matthew Allen
Carter and is rumored to be his lover.  

Tony Randall-Smith:  Olympic Equestrian
Medalist, winning two Silver and one Bronze
medal at Los Angeles in 1984.  Native of
McLean Virginia, the child of a former
ambassador to England.  Personally acquainted
with Princess Margaret, has appeared in Sports
Illustrated, and network television.  Currently
holds American and European Championships in
several categories of jumps.  Professional status
has been called into question, but intends to
compete in 1988.  

Jeffrey Saxon: A noted Parapsychology/Occult
writer and Astrologer, author of Health Signs,
Astrology for You, and Psychic Defense, and
several other successful books published in
paperback.  Jeffrey is rumored to be practically
the only person in New York who does not
suffer from an incapacitating drug addiction.

Karyn Seidmann:  A New-York literary agent,
Seidmann is not well known in literary circles,
though there are some dark rumors about her
past, including a lawsuit.  Seidmann handles
small time occult authors, and until recently her
biggest literary success was Jeffrey Saxon, the
popular occultist and astrologer.

Oliver Stewart:  A comic-book author and
illustrator for Universal Comics, a major
competitor of Marvel and D.C. 
Oliver responsible for the satirical Captain
Flapjack miniseries, but is best known for his
work with Blood Hound, a revitalized 1960's
Superhero, and with Revenant, a dark-horror
miniseries.  Stewart handled a graphic-novel
adaptation of Grant Cochran's Sightless King,
which was somewhat more successful than the
actual novel.  Oliver is a New Yorker, but has
maintained a friendship with horror writer Grant
Cochran, and has come down with some of his
other New York acquaintances to make his
birthday an interesting affair.

Craig Webber: An acquaintance of Margot
Matthews, Mr. Webber is a well-to-do local
business consultant, rumored to have
connections to smuggling and the underworld. 
Webber is said to be a business partner of Avery
Carson.
