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mind-set. "I keep asking myself the question over and over and over again . . . why is this stuff happening at Napster? Why does the place smell like a rotten egg? If it's going to stink like this my vote is to flip it and move on. You absolutely cannot build a business around an environment so loathsome."

Shawn, who normally kept away from personnel explosions, was stunned at the public airing of Bales's grievances. Copying the entire board was inappropriate, especially since Bales lashed out both at the long-suffering Aydar and at the general atmosphere. And it was never a good idea to give his uncle more temptation to swoop into action. "DUDE," Shawn fired back immediately to Bales alone. "Why did you forward a message of this nature to everybody? Was this a mistake? If you intended upon finding out Ali's story you probably should have cleared it up with him alone before broadcasting this message. This is just wrong!"

Richardson finally sided with Aydar and the others and told Bales he was fired, that he wouldn't be working through the end of his six-month term. Bales didn't take the news well. Others in the office were concerned enough that they called Kessler to warn him that Bales might be headed his way. Kessler, in turn, took the threat seriously enough that he called the police. Bales never showed up at Kessler's house. But soon after, Richardson was shopping near home in a Fry's Electronics store and turned around to find Bales up close and staring at her. "He'd been following me. It was freaky," she said.

JUST FIRING BALES WASN'T ENOUGH to stop him. Since he believed Fanning still held the real power at the company, he launched an audacious bid to take over the most important aspect of Napster's efforts, from his own view and Fanning's: getting money fast. In an e-mail sent in January, Bales wrote again to Fanning and Amram. "This should not be forwarded to anyone," he began, "but please note that it is for the record. Bottom line: is it fair to ask Eileen to bring a VC?

"I don't Eileen [sic] has the courage or experience to get us a VC, or even understands the process of raising money from VCs. . . . I will be disgusted if we don't get a VC and we let the momentum dissipate with