Grave concern

On the list of surreal things I've seen in my life, this one is right up there.

One of the company classes I teach is at a fairly swish, new office block in town. It's a somewhat incongruous glass and steel building in amongst the charming brick buildings in this part of town, but unfortunately very much par for the course in this part of the world. Anyway, when I was there on Monday I noticed large, dark shiney blue and purple curtains being hung up. A bit dark and foreboding but not much in itself. However, when I arrived for my class yesterday morning I had to double take as I walked-"isn't that . . . a coffin". The first split-second was spent ascertaining that there was no one in it, and it turned out that the entire lobby has been handed over to become an undertaker's showroom selling what looks to be fairly expensive hardware, complete with a tall and scary looking dark-suited gentleman. The staff of TNK-BP now have to walk through this every day on their way in. Perhaps it doesn't hurt to have a daily reminder of the inevitable. The thing is, my students are at least as shocked as I am about it all. Apparently the building has been bought by a tycoon who wants TNK-BP to relocate. Is this his strategy one wonders?