Belle and Miles's Alliance

The Door into Summer

Belle and Miles's pursuit of a larger company binds them together in a conspiracy, but their alliance carries its own fractures and leaves a confused legacy after Miles's death.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Common Ambition Common Ambition from "The Door into Summer". Common Ambition Different roles, shared direction Miles wants a large business, and Belle supports the expansion plan that would bring Mannix Enterprises into…

Common Ambition from "The Door into Summer". Common Ambition Different roles, shared direction Miles wants a large business, and Belle supports the expansion plan that would bring Mannix Enterprises into…

Common Ambition Different roles, shared direction Miles wants a large business, and Belle supports the expansion plan that would bring Mannix Enterprises into the company. Their agreement opposes Dan's preference for a small, independent research operation. The alliance takes shape Belle's position between the two men gives her both information and influence. The professional disagreement becomes an opportunity to secure control rather than a matter of ordinary corporate negotiation.

Marriage and Shares Marriage and Shares from "The Door into Summer". Marriage and Shares A suspicious transfer Dan challenges Miles and Belle over the stock, suspecting that their own marriage and transfers may not have occurred…

Marriage and Shares from "The Door into Summer". Marriage and Shares A suspicious transfer Dan challenges Miles and Belle over the stock, suspecting that their own marriage and transfers may not have occurred…

Marriage and Shares A suspicious transfer Dan challenges Miles and Belle over the stock, suspecting that their own marriage and transfers may not have occurred as they claim. Miles presents an explanation that he hopes will defeat the legal argument over Dan's engagement gift. Shared advantage Their marriage and stock holdings reinforce the appearance of a united front. Dan cannot establish whether the transactions were honest, but he recognizes that their interests now align against his.

The Drugged Agreement The Drugged Agreement from "The Door into Summer". The Drugged Agreement Belle takes control Belle drugs Dan and gives him instructions intended to stop lawsuits and send him into sleep.

The Drugged Agreement from "The Door into Summer". The Drugged Agreement Belle takes control Belle drugs Dan and gives him instructions intended to stop lawsuits and send him into sleep.

The Drugged Agreement Belle takes control Belle drugs Dan and gives him instructions intended to stop lawsuits and send him into sleep. Miles objects to the risk but does not prevent her from proceeding. Alliance tested Miles's hesitation is not a break with Belle; he helps cover the consequences and bring Dan to the sanctuary. The pair's cooperation remains strong enough to carry out the plan, even as their private tension becomes visible.

The Failed Deal The Failed Deal from "The Door into Summer". The Failed Deal The Mannix sale collapses Belle later claims that Mannix Enterprises wanted Flexible Frank and that the deal failed when the machine…

The Failed Deal from "The Door into Summer". The Failed Deal The Mannix sale collapses Belle later claims that Mannix Enterprises wanted Flexible Frank and that the deal failed when the machine…

The Failed Deal The Mannix sale collapses Belle later claims that Mannix Enterprises wanted Flexible Frank and that the deal failed when the machine disappeared. Her version links the company's future to the missing prototype, though the precise facts remain uncertain. A different corporate path Miles and Belle continue the business for a time, then license manufacturing to Geary. The change leaves them without the large-scale expansion they had pursued and helps explain why their alliance never secures lasting command of the company.

An Uneven Aftermath An Uneven Aftermath from "The Door into Summer". An Uneven Aftermath Miles dies Miles dies less than two years after Dan enters cold sleep.

An Uneven Aftermath from "The Door into Summer". An Uneven Aftermath Miles dies Miles dies less than two years after Dan enters cold sleep.

An Uneven Aftermath Miles dies Miles dies less than two years after Dan enters cold sleep. According to Belle, he leaves his estate to Ricky, not to his wife, creating a final breach in the alliance. Belle's decline Belle's later stories describe Miles as having cheated her and leave her isolated and impoverished. The alliance that helped destroy Dan's life does not deliver Belle the security she expected.

During Flexible Frank's development

Around November 1970

Night of 3 December 1970

After Dan's disappearance

1972 and the decades that follow