...and inside, he asks Duck how badly he got taken. Duck prefaces by saying his circumstances weren't the same (read: he was a drunk, not a cheat), so with an effort, Roger drops it, asking what it is Duck wants. Duck at least acknowledges that his timing sucks, but forges on, saying they're coming up on two years together. Roger: "Did you get me something?" Heh. Duck, however, says he'd like to know where he stands for the future, and thinks he deserves to be made partner. Roger offers to bring it up at the next meeting, but tells Duck he might have to advocate for himself. Duck starts to get up while saying he'd be proud to present his accomplishments, which garners this response: "Good. Because I'm at a loss." Duck looks like he just got slapped, which is appropriate given that Roger gave him the conversational equivalent there. He asks what Roger means, so Roger points out that he hasn't exactly delivered on the promises of increased business he made when they hired him. He goes on to run down the board members he'd have to have on his side -- Bertram, who hates everyone; his sister, who does what he says, and Don, who's "only twelve and a half percent, but I can't say he's your biggest cheerleader." Interesting that he's saying this after Don and Duck mended their fences at Roger's insistence, but I think Roger is trying to deflect attention from the fact that he doesn't think Duck is partnership material -- his rather disdainful comment at Don's dinner party (implying that Duck doesn't take any initiative) said it all. Roger counsels Duck to "go out there and make rain," which doesn't seem like bad advice, and Duck tries to save face by thanking Roger for being so candid. Given their military backgrounds, it would have been appropriate for him to add, "May I have another?"

At the conference, some geek is droning on and giving a slide presentation about a new missile that will be able to target fourteen individual cities with one launch. Don looks like this is not his cup of tea...