The Last Days of Night

by Graham Moore

“Edison and Westinghouse are dueling to the death over their respective slices of a pie that is only this big.” Paul formed a small circle with his fingers. “But working together, we could take equal shares of a pie that is this big.” Paul expanded his circle threefold. “A partnership between the two companies—a licensing arrangement—would eliminate the burden for consumers of having to choose which of our incompatible products they wanted. A/C, D/C…it wouldn’t matter. You could sell our current. We could sell your bulbs. Everyone wins. Let’s stop putting the future of these companies in the hands of the courts. Let’s stop leaving it to the vagaries of newspaper opinion and the shifting winds of the free market. Let’s put the important decisions back in the boardroom where they belong.”