And I won't look back
I can go the distance
And I'll stay on track
No I won't accept defeat
It's an uphill slope
But I won't lose hope
Till I go the distance
And my journey is complete
He had to do this; had to finish strong and win big. He was about to close the biggest deal he'd been apart of in years. Once this was done, his and another company would be merged into one of the largest oil companies in the world... And the financial security was nothing Scrooge McDuck was willing to sniff at.
"Hey, Uncle Scrooge!" Glancing back at his office door, Scrooge saw one of his nephews, Louie, standing there, a small smile on his face.
"What can I do for you, Louie?" Scrooge asked, not entirely interested. His merging took a little more priority than whatever his nephew needed at that moment...
How could he think that? Scrooge mentally shook himself and invested all his attention in the small duck. Everything he did was all for his nephews in the end. If he wasn't interested in the boys, he might as well not live anymore.
"I was wondering if you wanted to come outside with me, Huey, and Dewey and play football."
"Aw, I wish I could, lad, but..."
"We'll play touch not tackle! I promise! I-" Louie stopped mid-sentence at his uncle's look.
"I have business to attend to. Now, if you are still playing after I'm done, then I will come out and be with you. Otherwise..." Scrooge motioned for the door. Louie's expression fell slightly as he nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Scrooge fought the urge to call after his nephew as he picked up the paperwork to review it once more. His boys were his everything to him; every move he made he did with them in mind. Even now, merging two multimillion corporations was in their best interest: their inheritance would increase and, with the extra money, Scrooge could afford better things for them.
Scrooge picked up his phone and dialed the number of the conference room full of businesspeople waiting for his call. He glanced outside as they picked up the other line.
"Mr. McDuck. Have you gotten the chance to review our agreement?"
"Aye," Scrooge said, his eyes landing on his nephews sitting in the grass below, half-heartedly tossing a football between the three of them. Why wasn't he out there with them?
Because he was on the phone. Conducting business.
As usual.
Why did his conscience have to bother him now of all times? He had to win: Scrooge McDuck wasn't a quitter. He had to show others that he was willing to do anything for a good deal...
But his gaze landed on his nephews once more. Who was he trying to impress? Did it matter?
"Mr. McDuck?" the phone buzzed in his ear. Scrooge turned back to the matter at hand. He would win.
"I have to say, I am extremely pleased with what you all have put together here," Scrooge said, eager to hang up now. He would say anything just to hear the magic words of "good bye."
"Wh-what? You're surely not serious, Mr. McDuck... You said..."
"Aye, I know what I said, but I had a chance to further review the contract and I agree with the terms, conditions, and the salary cuts. Now, if there aren't any further questions..."
"Well..."
"Fantastic. I'll have my secretary send over a copy of the agreement first thing in the morning." Without his magic words, Scrooge dropped the phone on the receiver and rushed out of his office.
With any luck...
The boys were still sitting on the grass. Still tossing the football. Still looking bored.
"Sorry, lads," Scrooge said as he emerged from his mansion. He flashed a toothy grin at his nephews. "That was something that needed to be taken care of. Now, whose team am I on this time?"
They boys jumped to attention, faces glowing, and before Scrooge really knew what was going on, all four of them were covered in mud, tossing the football around, laughing so hard their sides ached.
Only later, sitting in his office, sipping tea did he really absorb what he had done over the telephone.
He had agreed to a 50-50 split of profits. Scrooge McDuck had never agreed to anything like that in his life; he had always made sure his company obtained more of the profits in a deal... That was why he had called the other company in the first place; he wanted to split it 60-40... Or perhaps even higher on his side...
He wondered for a moment why he had let this victory go. He spun around in his office chair, lost in thought when he saw all three of the boys had fallen asleep.
They lay hap hazardously on the couch, piled on top of each other, empty mugs of cocoa on the table in front of them.
With expressions of euphoria on their faces.
Scrooge hadn't lost that day.
He'd won.