In exchange will give you the rest. Shares, bank accounts, property,

everything. You cannot possibly get more out of it if you force us into

bankruptcy. Hradsky gave Max a message in their private facial code and

Max interpreted it to Sean. Would you mind waiting outside, please,

while we discuss this offer of yours. I'll go down and have a drink in

the bar, said Sean. He pulled his watch from his waistcoat pocket and

checked the time. Will twenty minutes be enough? Ample, thank you, Mr

Courtney. Sean had his drink by himself although the bar was nowhere

near empty. This was not an arrangement of his own choosing, but he was

flying the fever flag of failure and so he had to take an isolation

berth at one end of the bar while all the other ships steered wide of

him. No one looked in his direction and the conversation that went on

round him was carefully arranged so as to exclude him.

While he waited out the twenty minutes he amused himself by imagining

the reactions of these his friends if he were to ask them for a loan.

This helped to take the sting out of their snubs but still he felt it

rankling. He looked at his watch again. The twenty minutes were up.

Sean walked back along the counter towards the door. Jock and Trevor

Heyns saw him coming, they turned away abruptly and immediately became

absorbed in staring at the bottle-lined shelves behind the bar counter.

Sean stopped level with Jock and cleared his throat deferentially. Jock,

could you spare a minute? Jock turned slowly. Ah, Sean. Yes, what is

it? Duff and I are leaving the Rand. I have something for you, just

something to remember us by. I know Duff would want you to have it too.

Jock reddened with embarrassment. That's not necessary, he said and

started to turn back to his drink. Please, Jock. Oh all right, Jock's

voice was irritable. What is it? This, Sean said and stepped forward,

moving his weight behind the fist. Jock's Large and whisky-flushed nose

was a target to dream about. It was not one of Sean's best punches, he

was out of training, but it was good enough to send jock in a

spectacular back-somersault over the counter. Dreamily Sean picked up

jock's glass and emptied it over Trevor's head. Next time you meet me

smile and say "Hello", he told Trevor. Until then, stay out of

mischief. He went up the stairs to Hradsky's suite in much better

spirits. They were waiting for him.

Give me the word, Max, Sean could even grin at him. Mr Hradsky has very

generously How much? Sean cut him short. Mr Hradsky will allow you to

take fifteen hundred and your personal effects. As part of the

agreement you will give an undertaking not to embark on any business

venture on the Witwatersrand for a period of three years. That will be

too soon, said Sean. Make it two thousand and you've got a deal. The

offer is not open to discussion.

Sean could see they meant it. They didn't have to bargain; it was a

statement. All right, I accept. Mr Hradsky has sent for his lawyer to

draw up the agreement. Would you mind waiting, Mr Courtney? Not at

all, Max, you forget I am a gentleman of leisure now. Sean found Duff

still sitting in the chair where he had left him in the drawing-room of

Xanadu. The bottle clutched in his hand was empty and he was

unconscious.

He had spilt brandy down the front of his waistcoat and three of the

buttons were undone. Huddled in the big chair, his body seemed to have

shrunk and the curly hair hanging onto his forehead softened the gaunt

lines of his face. Sean loosened his fingers from the neck of the

bottle and Duff moved restlessly, muttering and twisting his head.

Bedtime for small boys, said Sean. He lifted him out of the chair and

hung him over one shoulder.

Duff sicked up copiously. That's the way, show Hradsky what you think

of his bloody carpet, Sean encouraged him. Give him another one for

luck, but not on my boots Duff did as he was bid and, chuckling, Sean

carried him up the stairs. At the top he stopped and with Duff still

bundled over one shoulder tried to analyse his own feelings. Darrin it,

he felt happy. It was ridiculous to feel so happy in the midst of

disaster. He went on down the passage still wondering at himself and