USA, Thirty years and six months earlier

Andrew Ryan enjoyed a delicious Havana cigar while watching the streets of Manhattan from his office. Thousands and thousands of cars bottling in the hope of reaching the New York Stock Exchange and sell their property before it is too late. Ryan was not part of this mass. He was not going to lose everything, because Ryan was providing. He felt the wind before it on October 29.

Ryan is not really considered richer than three years, when he reached his first million dollars. His story was a lot of envy in rural New York, a man of less than thirty years, came to America from just ten years happened by sheer force of his talent and his willingness to make a fortune from nothing . He was the epitome of the American Dream. Jealous argued that it was impossible that a man who had no support in finance can raise money so quickly without any fraud. However, the fortunes of Ryan was there was more legal. He had honestly earned by playing the stock market.

The small windfall available to him in 1921 by his savings and the sale of groceries had been used to purchase a few securities that had fruited. This value increased, he was able to offer other tires and so on. It was not a risk each and every penny earned was quickly removed from the system and placed in safe securities other than stock market fluctuations. Finally, after five years of hard work, he achieved his first million.

This was when he had the desire to shine in society: newspapers worldwide spoke no longer as Andrew Ryan and his business genius. His money opened the doors of posh clubs of New York and the friendship of the elite of the city. Andrew then took an immoderate taste for the big alcohol, cigars from Cuba and especially for young women. Young, he had never really been popular with the fairer sex. Himself regarded not as ugly but he knew far from being a fashion plate. But now, all young women succumbed to its charms. No one knew if they were interested or if Andrew knew truly seduce her but all fell into his arms. He had become a ladies' man.

And now, seeing these billionaires who ran in all directions, squealing like animals in a hailstorm , Ryan gave a broad smile. These men who believed themselves invincible and endless fortune, that they were facing their worst nightmare: the global ruin. They would lose everything because they were not careful. Idiots, that's what they all were. To live in this land of plenty believing that everything lasted forever. But Ryan knew the truth, he knew it was wrong. He suspected that rate securities were abnormally high. A few months ago, when they burst the ceiling, Ryan had sold everything: mining stocks, agricultural, industrial ... he voluntarily reduced his empire stock to zero. His advisers were opposed, of course, claiming that he was withdrawing as securities would rise further.

And securities had collapsed. There are less than an hour, the Dow Jones lost twenty percent of its value. The wildest rumors were circulating: it is rumored that many billionaires would commit suicide or exchanges of Chicago and Buffalo had closed their doors. looking into the street, Ryan had the impression of seeing the Apocalypse. The world collapsed but it did not was like watching one of the new Technicolor films with cootons characters who ran without knowing where to go.

Ryan pouted disappointment in realizing that his Havana came to an end. With a sigh of disappointment, he put the cigar in the ashtray, letting him off gently. Then he went to the door, ajar and asked his secretary to pick Pedersen and appear immediately. Magnus Pedersen was the courier staff for Andrew Ryan, his representative when he was an imponderable and perhaps he could approach a friend. He was there in less than twenty minutes.

Pedersen's face was incredibly pale, due to a slight albinism. It was small, wore a short beard and always dressed with taste. Magnus curled up in one of the leather armchairs of Ryan, which remains standing to contemplate the city, a new cigar in his mouth.

"Magnus, Tell me", Ryan said, dreamily. "How long do you work for me?"

"Six years, Mr. Ryan" he replied.

Ryan nodded

"Yes, Six years Or 1923. You were my first employee and you have always served and advised.

Magnus did not reply. Ryan does not flatter, he used to be frank. Ryan asked him a question

"What do you think of the current situation, my friend?

"Very serious. You had a very good idea by removing your tracks a few days before the fall classes. You still made a handsome profit but I doubt that's enough. I fear a depression."

"as in 1873?"

_Saut Respect, this term is a misnomer. It was a slow, sluggish, not a depression like we have now.

"Sure that the crisis will be long?

"If I think? I'm sure!" exclaimed Petersen. "We arrive in a vicious circle will close factories, workers lose their jobs, lose their purchasing power will drop requests, production and factories will close. And so on."

"I See" simply let go of Ryan. "What can we do for you?"

Magnus winced

"No ,Much unfortunately. You currently have five million dollars to your personal wealth. The sell-off has brought us a little more million. Say six million. And despite six million, we can not stop the crisis."

Ryan turned to his adviser, angrily:

"Are you trying to tell me that six million dollar mean nothing?"

Magnus raised his arms in a gesture of appeasement. He knew Andrew for a long time and knew he was a natural blood.

"I didn't say that. But it is not for us to stem a crisis that will be long and costly."

"Who then?" exclaimed Ryan. "Who can save this country if it is not those who have the money?"

Magnus hesitated before making his response. He knew that what he would say it,it will increase the anger of his employer by a notch.

"The State". whispered Petersen.

"The State!" Ryan repeated. "Are you telling me that you support the ideas of Keynes? On his stupid economic model?"

Petersen knew he would not mention Keynes. Ryan had always been a hard-lining anti-state. Interventionism lavished by the English economist went against the ideals of Ryan. He continued its momentum.

"The State has nothing to do in the market economy, except monitor the legality of transactions! These are the people who must act, not a conglomerate of vultures!

Angry, Ryan threw his Havana cigar to the ground and trampled it with his foot to try to calm down.

"Keynes even goes against liberalism. Liberalism that has made this country what it is: the first world power.

Magnus said nothing. Anger Andrew were spectacular but did not last long. Already left the red face of the millionaire.

_I Will be clear Petersen. If this country trusts Keynes to get out of business, it is I who would have more confidence in the United States. I left a supranational regime, it is not to fall down between Scylla and Charybdis.

Ryan dropped into his own chair, swimming. He wiped his face with a white handkerchief.

"Here what you do. A million dollars will be reinvested in the stock exchange.

"Pardon? exclaimed Magnus. "Want to invest? But let's see ... the stock market is at a standstill. Courses have never been so low."

"Exactly , Ryan argued. "Securities will decline further a little more. They will be with me for a pittance. And when the securities because they will eventually ascend necessarily back, I'll sell. And then I would have won.

Petersen blinked, shocked. Ryan's proposal stood in the end but it was insane.

"And your millions?"

_J'en Guard when one blow. Another million will be used to create service-fee, it goes without saying, to help people in trouble. The crisis will affect millions of Americans, there is a market for little angel that we act wisely."

Magnus nodded. The draft Ryan made might seem crazy, but the years of his service, he had learned something about the millionaire, he never made an error.