▁with ▁Bank ▁of ▁America . ▁ ▁As ▁they ▁are ▁no ▁longer ▁committed ▁to ▁Le h man , ▁Bank ▁of ▁America ▁is ▁free ▁to ▁consider ▁acqu iring ▁M err ill ▁Lyn ch , ▁which ▁des per ately ▁needs ▁the ▁deal . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁ac quisition ▁makes ▁it ▁less ▁likely ▁that ▁M err ill ▁will ▁need ▁help ▁from ▁the ▁Fed , ▁Th ain ▁has ▁little ▁in cent ive ▁to ▁continue ▁particip ating ▁in ▁Paul son ' s ▁discuss ions . ▁ ▁Paul son ▁doesn ' t ▁disc ou rage ▁Th ain ▁from ▁leaving , ▁seeing ▁that ▁an ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁M err ill ▁Lyn ch ▁could ▁prevent ▁another ▁crisis ▁that ▁would ▁also ▁require ▁some ▁inter vention ▁by ▁the ▁Fed . ▁ ▁As ▁Th ain ▁leaves , ▁he ▁lear ns ▁from ▁Paul son ▁of ▁the ▁Fed ' s ▁plans ▁to ▁b ail ▁out ▁A IG , ▁whose ▁credit ▁default ▁sw aps ▁ins ure ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁western ▁world ' s ▁bank ing ▁system . ▁ ▁By ▁Sunday ▁morning , ▁F uld ▁receives ▁word ▁that ▁Bar cl ays ▁has ▁agreed ▁to ▁ac quire ▁Le h man ▁Brothers , ▁saving ▁it . ▁ ▁J ub ilation ▁is ▁short - l ived . ▁ ▁Under ▁British ▁law , ▁Bar cl ays ▁cannot ▁guarantee ▁Le h man ' s ▁deb ts ▁until ▁its ▁own ▁share hold ers ▁vote ▁on ▁the ▁matter , ▁and ▁that ▁will ▁not ▁happen ▁until ▁T ues day ▁– ▁beyond ▁the ▁Monday ▁morning ▁dead line . ▁ ▁Paul son ▁re iter ates ▁that ▁the