“That’s a real answer,” she said. “I’ve been asking people for nine years and that’s the first real answer I’ve had.”

I set up a fund in March. Ronald structured it; Arthur wanted to announce it and I told him no with more force than I have used on my brother in a decade.

It is not a settlement and it does not release anyone from anything and every recipient was told that in writing in the first paragraph. It covers the unfunded deferred comp — the eleven million — plus interest at a rate Ronald argued with me about for two weeks.

Thirty-eight of the fifty-eight took it. Eleven refused. Nine could not be located.

Odalys took it and sent a two-line note: Received. This does not make us square and I don’t think you thought it did.

She was right. It doesn’t. Eleven million dollars is a number I can write and the nine years are not.