Chapter 18: Cassini

Chapter Introduction

Joe receives an invitation for Interview — and is asked to do something that girls like.

An Invitation

In Italy, the cult of the individual has not taken root as it has in many western countries. In Italy, the family remains an important institution, and especially so when the question of employment in a family firm is posed, even in a large firm operating internationally. There are others, too, who understand the importance of a suitable introduction.

Pietro Cassini is enjoying breakfast in his villa near Bologna. He is the Chairman of Cassini SpA, a large Italian civil engineering company specializing in transport infrastructure and tunneling. The firm has been successful throughout the post-war years and has undertaken contracts through Europe and beyond.

This morning one of his Contacts has telephoned on behalf of a young engineer. The Contact has asked if there might be any suitable openings in Cassini for such a man? He can vouch for his steadfastness and his faithfulness and his work has a good reputation. Faithfulness. It is an interesting word, not often heard in a modern business environment, but interesting to the Head of a family firm that is also an extended family.

Pietro agrees to ask his nephew to see the man and to look at his suitability for Cassini more thoroughly.

The time is 07:20 when Joe gets back to the Palmers’ house. Although he is unemployed and recovering from assault and surgery, old habits die hard and farmers and the sons of farmers are used to getting up early to use the best of the day.

Joe is returning from a six mile run, through the quaint streets of Ely, out into the countryside, along the river bank and back into the city.

Ely is a small town and ranks as a “city” because it has a cathedral, a huge medieval structure that dominates the town and is visible for miles around across the flat black fields of the fens.

Before the fens were drained by mercenary Dutch engineers in the eighteenth century, Ely was in every sense of the word an island, rising up from the wet marshy land surrounding it and, in fact, the full name for the city is The Isle of Ely. (1)

For Joe, it is a reassuring place in a reassuring landscape. He feels that if his enemies come, he will be able to see from afar and have time to set plans to deal with them. Of course, he knows they will not arrive in an angry posse but, much more likely, as a stream of electrons across the internet. Yet, Joe is still encouraged and reassured by geography. When he enters the house, the postman has been there with a letter for him. The letter was originally sent to his old home in Warwick and redirected by the Post Office to the Palmers’ home in Ely, his new temporary address. The envelope has a UK stamp and is endorsed by the words Cassini SpA.

The Institute of Directors

In recent years, Italian civil engineering undertakings have developed a great expertise in boring tunnels, for roads, for railways, even for water and one of the big players is Cassini SpA. (2)

Joe is a little surprised to receive the invitation to interview; after all, how did they know about him? However, tunnels need concrete and concrete was Joe’s specialty when he was with NHCE, so perhaps Cassini is looking at the market for concrete engineers with more than a casual interest?

Joe’s interview is at the Institute of Directors in Pall Mall. (3) He is faintly surprised that Cassini does not have its own London Office but perhaps that is a work in progress. If they are beginning to take an interest in the UK Civil Engineering market, it might explain why they are looking to recruit in the UK. Finding an office is relatively easy but recruiting the right staff can be much more exacting, so it would seem that Cassini have got their priorities right.

Joe has come to London with Jenny. They caught a train from Ely to Kings Cross and then the Victoria Line Underground to Green Park. They walk hand in hand along Piccadilly between the shops and flats, offices and hotels of the very wealthy until they reach The Royal Academy. (4)

Jenny takes both of both Joe’s hands and looks at him. She says: “Best of luck, darling. How long do you think you will be?”

“I have no idea,” replies Joe. “This is a first interview so I don’t expect it is going to be a half-day marathon or anything like that. Maybe a couple of hours? So you are going to the Exhibition here?”

“Mmmm,” Jenny says by way of agreement.

“Jenny, I can’t help thinking about another day recently when we went out together and you got lost...”

“And Neena phoned you to tell you where to find me?”

“Because you had ‘phoned her first. Are you going to be all right today?”

“I think so. The RA should be a calmer and more gentle experience than Birmingham City Centre?” (5)

“I hope so — but can you give me your phone for a second?”

“My phone?”

“Yes, just for a minute.”

Jenny frowns as she gives the handset over to Joe but all he does is to take a white index card from his pocket and use two rubber bands to wrap it securely over the ‘phone. On the card it says, in thick felt tip writing: Lost? Call Joe! and then the number of Joe’s own ‘phone carefully written beneath.

Jenny looks at the message and then looks at Joe. She smiles and says: “You could have put yourself on ‘Speed Dial 1’ or something?”

Joe replies “That foreign woman has probably got herself on Speed Dial 1.”

“Or Pavea?”

“Or her.”

“I will remember,” says Jenny and kisses Joe carefully on his lips and says, “Just do your best and see what comes...”

Joe nods and hugs her, enjoying her scent and her softness before he turns east, along the street, away from Jenny and towards Pall Mall.

Tunnel Vision

It takes just a few minutes for Joe to reach Piccadilly Circus, turn right down Regent Street, on into Waterloo Place, and then to turn left into Pall Mall. At once he is confronted by No. 116, The Institute of Directors, an impressive neo-classical palace dedicated to the furtherance and glory of British Industry. Joe approaches the main door through a double height portico supported by elegant Grecian columns. On the ground floor, the columns are Doric, for strength and sobriety; above, the columns become Corinthian to symbolise the celebration of happy success.

Once inside he is confronted by a large atrium rising to the first floor; a staircase sweeps upwards and, from the walls, stern Victorian entrepreneurs hold him with their serious gaze.

“Can I help you?” says a voice at his elbow.

“Hmm?” Joe turns to see a Concierge behind a desk.

“Joseph McEwan to see Innocenzio Di Cesaris from Cassini SpA at 11 am.”

The Concierge glances at a PC screen which catalogues the visitors expected at the Institute that morning.

“Yes! Mr McEwan. Mr Di Cesaris is waiting for you.” She motions to a man seated in a small group of chairs nearby. The man glances up at the sound of his name, sees Joe, and rises to his feet, smiling. He walks over, hand out-stretched and asks, in good but accented English, “Joseph McEwan? Innocenzio Di Cesaris! Please, I have a room upstairs where we can talk.”

As they travel up in the lift, Joe gets a look at Di Cesaris.

Like Joe, he is tall. He is slim but with a tight gymnast body as far as Joe can see and he smells sweet and spicy. His hair is black and curly, his skin tanned a light healthy brown. His facial features are sharp and handsome and, whilst Joe does not feel physically attracted to him, it is easy to see why some men might be.

Di Cesaris is dressed in ivory slacks, a dark blue jacket, pale blue shirt, and dark blue tie to match his blazer. His shoes are expensive black brogues with thick leather soles and he wears dark socks.

Joe thinks about his own appearance in comparison to his attractive Interviewer.

Like Di Cesaris, he is over six feet tall but Joe is built more like a rugby player, and now much more erect and tight after his attempts to get fit and keep fit when Jenny was away. His own hair is short and straight and on the brown side of auburn, with creamy skin and, whilst Joe is careful to use deodorant, he does not smell as exotic or, one might say, as desirable as his companion.

Joe is dressed in a dark grey Marks and Spencer (6) chain store suit, white shirt, and blue and white striped tie. The Doc Martens boots on his feet suggest he prefers site work to office work, but the yellow stitching at the welt provides a colourful accent to the shiny black of the leather and the grey of his suit. Joe looks like the sort of man who would be very handsome in more fashionable clothes or a better class of suit.

On the fifth floor of the Institute there is a series of small meeting rooms — but small is relative, in a palace — and Cassini has reserved one for the meeting between Di Cesaris and Joe. When they enter, Joe notices that there is a table, two chairs facing each other on the same side and by the wall a second table with a two thermos jugs, sugar and spoons, glasses and water. There is an aroma of coffee in the room which suggests what the contents of the flasks might be.

Di Cesaris says, “Please, sit down. Coffee? In Italy, we do not have coffee with milk after eleven. Why, only Germans would want to drink such a heavy thing! However, I am in England, and the English are a little like the Germans, so I have ordered coffee with milk!” He smiles broadly to indicate he is joking — maybe.

Joe says, “My family name is McEwan and we are originally from Scotland which is on the north side of Hadrian’s Wall, so that definitely makes us Barbarians, from the Roman point of view and, yes, I will have coffee with milk.”

Di Cesaris pauses for just a second to process Joe’s remark, realizes that Joe had replied in the same vein as his original teasing words, and chuckles as he pours Joe’s coffee and also a glass of water for each of them.

“You have a sense of humour. I like that,” he says, offering Joe the cup and the glass.

Joe accepts the coffee and the glass of water and has the strong feeling that he should make the first move in the Interview.

He starts: “Let me tell you about myself. I have a university degree in Civil Engineering and I am a Chartered Civil Engineer. This is the main post-graduate professional qualification that civil engineers aspire to in the UK and it is awarded after examination by the Institute of Civil Engineers. (7) For several years I have worked for a firm called New Horizons in Civil Engineering. Recently they merged with Skandia Konkret AB of Sweden and Skandia took over the ‘concrete’ side of the business, which was my area in NHCE, so I am looking for ‘new opportunities.’ Now having set the scene, perhaps I can say that I was very pleased but also a little surprised to receive your invitation, because in the UK it is usually only very experienced senior engineers (to my knowledge) who are sent invitations out of the blue to meet representatives from other companies so I am interested to know, why me?”

“Let me first ask what you know about Cassini? I expect you will have been looking at us just a little?”

“You are an Italian civil engineering company, based in Bologna. Cassini has been active since the late ‘forties and worked on many of the Italian reconstruction projects and others in Eastern Europe after the Second World War. Your particular expertise is in tunneling but the company has built roads, bridges, dams and aqueducts. So, a modern example of Ancient Roman civil engineering enterprise.

“Cassini operates in Italy, of course, but tenders for contracts throughout Europe and further afield. Cassini remains a family business and a business which is a family, from what I have read. So far, you have not worked on any major projects in the UK.”

“Bravo! We did not give you much time and I am impressed by what you have found out about us. An Engineer and a Detective! Tell me: how do you think you could help a company like Cassini?”

“So I have to be frank and say that I am a relatively junior engineer. I have mentioned my university degree and charter examinations. The Charter ratifies a civil engineer’s professionalism, knowledge, skill and experience. It is an internationally recognised standard, confirming to employers and clients that an engineer is technically and professionally competent and can make the right decisions and it is the most common post-graduate qualification for engineers in this country.

“I have had several years of experience working for NHCE, where I specialized in concrete structural work, such as bridge piers. I have had experience with pre-cast components and with slip-casting in situ, but mainly with pre-casts. Have I a lot of experience as a team leader? No. Have I had experience working in a team of colleagues on significant projects? Yes. Was I effective in my job? Yes, I think so. Cassini has undertaken a lot of work with tunnels over the years. If Cassini wanted me to design a concrete sleeve lining for a tunnel which would be assembled on site, I could do that. Have I ever had sole responsibility for that sort of work? No, I have not, but I know how to pull my weight as a team member.”

“So Mr McEwan, you are telling me you are a round peg so I do not try to drive you into a square hole, yes?”

“Yes, that’s it. I said at the start of this meeting that I was interested to know how I came to spark your interest?”

“Yes, yes ... well of course...” Di Cesaris purses his lips and says, “It is true that we have not been active in the UK market to the same extent as we have in Europe but it is time to change that. London is the location of a very exciting engineering project — I am talking about the East-West Crossrail tunnel — and we are very keen to position ourselves so we can tender for the North-South Tunnel. This means we need to recruit in the UK and open an office here. (8) I can also say that you are not the only Engineer I have spoken with and, in any case, there is always a range of skills that we need.

“We also know of NHCE and the sort of people they employ and their reputation so, of course, we were interested. Why did you leave NHCE? Or did they leave you?”

Joe wonders how much to say and how much to keep to himself? Cassini may have a “source” inside NHCE, so frankness is best, but with a good spin.

He says: “My area was concrete. NHCE merged with a firm who specialized in concrete and they wanted to take the lead in that area. When companies merge, it is sensible to build the new company from the strongest parts of each one and, although my area was concrete, the Skandia people wanted to take over my area.”

“Hmmm... ?” says Di Cesaris, encouraging Joe to say more.

Joe decides this means Di Cesaris actually does know more. Perhaps the Wild Wood Affaire is now a cautionary tale told to young engineers about how to keep on the right side of your employers?

Joe says: “I met a local businessman socially who was developing some woodland. I pointed him towards the right contractors and gave him a ‘heads-up’ about the sort of questions to ask and the quantities of hard core and gravel he would need to build access paths and roads. NHCE became aware of my friend’s intentions and decided this was a breach of contract because I had not reported the project to the company, even though I had not asked for or accepted any fee and it was just friendly advice given out over a good meal in a restaurant, so to speak.”

Di Cesaris says, “This is an astonishment. I mean, I think this is the right English, that I am astonished. You were not a Partner, I think, so why did they take a few gravel paths so seriously?”

Joe replies, “Well, I think I should say that the businessman concerned was building an ‘adult adventure playground.’ The new company, but perhaps mainly the British end of the new company, was nervous about one of its employees being involved, even socially, in anything to do with more adventurous sexual experience. How this might be reported by newspapers and so on ... so I think you need to know this.”

Di Cesaris laughs out loud and slaps his knee.

“You tell someone where to find out about drains and gravel, paths and roads but he wants to build a sex playground and NHCE ask you to leave the Company. It is ridiculous! But of course,” Di Cesaris shrugs, “but, of course, how very British! Well, we are grown up in Italy. I am glad to know that at least some Englishmen have hot red blood in their veins! I hope you have continued to help build this ... how do you say ... this playground?”

“As a matter of fact, I have...”

“This is excellent! Well, now I must disappoint you and say that Cassini are not much in the sex playground business. I mention the North-South Cross-rail tunnel, but there is more. We have in mind a truly heroic project. A project the Romans themselves would have admired. It is like your Hadrian’s Wall, only better!”

The Bering Interconnector

“First, we are recruiting a team of engineers to increase the capacity of the railroad system in the northwest United States and Canada: Alaska, The Yukon, British Columbia, and Alberta.

“Would you be interested and would you be prepared to move to Canada and be based in Calgary, at some stage?”

“Yes,” Joe replies carefully, “I would be interested but I have not worked with railway infrastructure before...”

“OK, but this is only a start. This is like the first stage of a rocket to take you to the moon. In Canada and Alaska we work with Pearson Construction Corporation, McMurdo-Mackenzie Corporation, and Alaska Roadway and Bridge. The main plan is to take the railroad and drive it west, out beneath the Bering Strait in a 65 km tunnel, first towards the Diomede Islands and then all the way to Siberia! For the first time, we connect America to Asia. One day, you go by train from London to Paris to Moscow to Vladivostok, then under the Bering Interconnector, and finally to New York and Washington!” (9)

For a moment, Joe is truly lost for words. He is not sure if Di Cesaris is serious, or joking, or is serious but crazy?

“Excuse me,” Joe says, “as a project ... it is ... it is breath-taking but surely, if you want to go from London to New York, you would fly? An ocean liner in the nineteen fifties would make the journey faster than you could possibly go by train?”

“Ah true,” replies Di Cesaris, “but the tourists are just ... how do you say? ... they are just small fry. The main market is bulk freight transport. The trains will be automatic. They would not be affected by storms at sea. There are no Somali Pirates to interfere. It gives the Americans a land route into China.”

“ ... and the Russians a land route into the United States?”

“ ... is also true, but tunnels are easy to close in times of political tension.”

“Such as now?”

“Yes. Well, it is true that the political climate is not good now but I am looking to the future and I would like to know if you can share the vision?”

“The vision is magnificent but what about the Russians? They might raise an eyebrow when the tunnel comes out of the ground in Siberia?”

Di Cesaris laughs and says, “But this is a project with great Russian support at the high political level. They are already laying track towards the Russian end of the tunnel and, of course, there is a Russian company in our consortium: it is Siberia-Alaska OAO.”

“So where is the job you want me to do, Mr Di Cesaris? London or Alaska? I have to say that working in the arctic in long winter nights is ... is ... it is not quite what I was expecting?”

“Ha! No, I think it was not. First, if we offer you a position it will be to work in our London Office, when that is set up. Second, the project we have in our mind for London is the North-South Crossrail Tunnel and, to be perfectly frank, the political climate is not quite right to begin to America-Siberia tunnel. But we will wish to begin immediately when the opportunity is there and we will want to send our most experienced Engineers. We feel that the project will always have ... I am not sure of the right words here ... it will always be a ‘delicate flower’ always at risk from political cold winds so, when the summer sun shines on the project, we must work very quickly and that means we must plan, plan, plan so we are ready as soon as the opportunity appears.