Ivory and prospect for a new reef. We'll take a couple of wagons and

find another fortune. I bet you've forgotten how it feels to sit on a

horse and handle a rifle, to have the wind in your face and not a whore

or a stockbroker within five hundred miles. But it means leaving

everything we've worked for Duff groaned. Sweet merciful heavens, man,

are you blind or just plain stupid? Sean stormed at him. You don't own

anything, so how the hell can you leave something you haven't got? I'm

going down to see Hradsky and try to make a deal with him. Are you

coming?

Duff looked at him without seeing him, his lips were trembling and he

was shaking his head. At last he was realizing the position they were

In and the impact of it had dazed him. The higher you ride the further

there is to fall. All right, said Sean. Wait for me here Hradsky's

suite was full of talking, laughing men. Sean recognized most of them

as the courtiers who used to cluster round the throne on which he and

Duff had sat.

The King is dead, long live the King! They saw him standing in the

doorway and the laughter and loud voices fizzled out. He saw Max take

two quicksteps to the stinkwood desk in the corner, pull open the top

drawer and drop his hand into it. He stood like that watching Sean.

One by one the courtiers picked up their hats and canes and hurried out

of the room. Some of them mumbled embarrassed greetings as they brushed

passed Sean. Then there were only the three of them left: Sean standing

quietly in the doorway, Max behind the desk with his hand on the pistol

and Hradsky in the chair by the fireplace watching through yellow,

half-hooded eyes. Aren't you going to invite me in, Max? Sean asked

and Max glanced quickly at Hradsky, saw his barely perceptible nod and

looked back at Sean. Come in, please, Mr Courtney.

Sean pushed the door shut behind him. You won't need the gun, Max, the

game is over. And the score is in our favour, is it not, Mr Courtney?

Sean nodded. Yes, you've won. We are prepared to make over to you all

the C. R. C. shares we hold. Max shook his head unhappily. I'm

afraid it's not quite as easy as that. You have undertaken to sell us a

certain number of shares and we must insist upon delivery M full Just

where do you suggest we get them? Sean asked. You could buy them on

the Stock Exchange.

NWFrom you? E

Max shrugged but made no reply. So you are going to twist the knife,

are you? "

You put it very poetically, Mr Courtney, agreed Max. Have you

considered the consequences of forcing us into bankruptcy I will admidt

freely that the consequences to you do not concern us. Sean smiled.

That was not very nice, Max, but I was talking about it from your point

of view. Sequestration orders, creditors meetings, you can rest assured

that the liquidator appointed will be a member of the Volksmad or a

relative of one. There will be court actions and counter actions,

enforced -sale of the shares in the estate and costs to pay. A

liquidator with any sense at all could string it out for three or four

years, all the time drawing a hand some commission. Have you thought

about that, Max?

The narrowing of Max's eyes showed that he hadn't.

He looked at Hradsky with a trace of helplessness in his face, and Sean

took a little comfort from that look. Now what I suggest is this, you

let us draw ten thousand, take our horses and personal belongings. We