OR

=OR= is the logo of Rising Transport Services, but it only incidentally contains the initials of its late boss, Ossie Rising. Ossie was a respected businessman and the celebrity philanthropist, who was known to millions of viewers for the =OR= gold-painted truck that brought much-needed aid to many of the world’s most recent troublespots. Ossie disappeared a few years ago after attending a poetry reading in Brighton, whilst on stopover en route to Sarajevo.
His wife, Cissy, now has control of the business, and has almost reached the point where she can cope with the responsibility of management and the burden of command. It is a lonely task for her, eased to some extent by a loyal staff and the unfailing support of Totty, the long-serving accountant and now her chief advisor.
There is a problem. Ossie had a brother, Zed, who surrendered his share of =OR= to go out into the broad brave world to, well, discover that he could not cut it with the serious sharks, could not make the billion, bag the big bird, hold the mile high. He’s returned to the company, Transport Manager, older but more hungry now that he knows what he’s missing. No coincidence that =OR= trucks are increasingly subject to drug squad investigations in many countries. No secret that Zed regrets having surrendered his right to his share of the ownership of a still lucrative business.
This is the position at present. Now it seems that Ossie might not be dead after all, that he might well be on his way back. Ossie resurgens might resolve some problems, but he might also create some new ones. Following the lead here is a delicate matter, a matter both of uncovering the truth and keeping it at bay. This will be the task of the Rising offspring, Nubs, fatboy geek with unsavoury habits and unsavoury friends. Nubs will be the one to worm out secrets and lose them all again if that is required.
Ossie comes back, alright, looking like something that survived an autopsy, sounding like something that the sixties left behind, coming on like something a new millennium could do without. Ossie will provide the solution to his dear wife’s problem.
Ossie will provide the solution to everyone’s problem, that is if anyone can work out what the problem is.