I'm happy to say I agree with you, Sean whispered back.

The next morning Sean woke with the knowledge that something exciting

was going to happen that day. He lay and savoured the feeling before he

sent his mind out to hunt for the reason. Then he sat up suddenly and

reached for the newspaper that lay folded on the coffee tray beside his

bed. He shook it open and, found what he was looking for on the front

page, big headlines: Is all well with the Central Rand Consolidated?

Norman Hradsky's mystery The story itself was a masterpiece of

journalistic evasion. Seldom had Sean seen anyone write so fluently or

convincingly on a subject about which he knew nothing. It is suggested,

Usually reliable sources reported and there is reason to believe', all

the old phrases of no significance. Sean groped for his slippers and

padded down the corridor to Duffs room.

Duff had all the blankets and most of the bed; the girl was curled up

like a pink anchovy on the outskirts. Duff was snoring and the girl

whimpered a little in her sleep.

Sean tickled Duffs lips with the tassel of his dressinggown cord, Duff's

nose twitched and his snores gargled into silence. The girl sat up and

looked at Sean with eyes wide but vacant from sleep. Quickly, run, Sean

shouted at her, the rebels are coming. She leapt straight into the air

and landed three feet from the bed quivering with panic. Sean ran a

critical eye over her. A pretty filly, he decided, and made a mental

note to take her for a trot just as soon as Duff put her out to grass.

All right, he reassured her, they've gone away now. She became aware of

her nakedness and Sean's frank appraisal of it. She tried to cover it

with hands too small for the task. Sean picked up Duff's gown from the

foot of the bed and handed it to her. Go and have a bath or somethingg

sweetheart, I want to talk to Mr Charleywood With the gown on she

recovered her composure and told him severely, I didn't have any clothes

on, Mr Courtney. I would never have guessed, said Sean politely. It's

not nice. You are too modest, I thought it was better than average. Off

you go now, there's a good girl. With a saucy flick of her head she

disappeared into the bathroom and Sean transferred his attention to

Duff. Duff had held 4 grimly onto the threads of sleep throughout the

exchange but he let go when Sean whacked him across the backside with

the folded newspaper. Like a tortoise coming out of its shell his head

emerged from the blankets. Sean handed him the paper and sat down on

the edge of the bed. He watched Duff's face crease into laughter lines

before he said..

You better get down to the Editor's office and shout at him a little,

just to confirm his suspicions. I'll go up to the Candy Deep and close

all the bottom levels. I'll meet you back at the Exchange at opening

time and don't forget to clean that grin off your face before you show

It round town. Try and look haggard, it shouldn't be difficult for you.

When Sean arrived at the Stock Exchange building the crowd had filled

the street outside. Mbejane eased the landau into it and it opened to

give them a passage. Sean scowled straight ahead and ignored the

questions which were shouted at him from all around. Mbejane stopped

the carriage outside the main entrance and four police constables held

back the mob while Sean hurried across the pavement and through the

double doors. Duff was there ahead of him, the centre of a turbulent

circle of members and brokers. He saw Sean and waved frantically over

the heads of his inquisitors. That was sufficient to switch their

attention from Duff to Sean and they flocked to him, ringing him in with

anxious angry faces. Sean's hat was knocked forward over his eyes and a

button popped off his coat as one of them caught hold of his lapels. Is

it true? the man shouted, spittle flying from his lips into Sean's

face. We've got a right to know if it's true. Sean swung his cane in a

full overarm stroke onto the man's head and sent him tottering backwards

into the arms of those behind him. Back, you bastards, he roared at

them using both the point and the edge of his cane to beat them away,

scattering them across the floor until he stood alone, glowering at them

with the cane still twitching restlessly in his hand. I'll make a

statement later on. Until then, behave yourselves. He adjusted his hat,

picked the loose thread where the button had been from his coat and

stalked across to join Duff. He could see Duff's grin starting to lift

the corner of his mouth and he cautioned him silently with his eyes.

Grim-faced they walked through into the members, lounge.

How's it going your end? Duff kept his voice low. Couldn't be better.

Sean contrived a worried expression. I've got an armed guard on the

fourteenth level. When this bunch hear about that, they'll really start

frothing at the mouth. When you make your statement, let it ring with

obvious false confidence, Duff instructed. If it goes on like this well

have the shares down to thirty-five s. . . . . . . .

within an hour of opening. Five minutes before opening time Sean stood