River of Death

'If your intention was to impress us,' Maria said, 'you've succeeded. What on earth was that? And where is it?'. _:

'The Lost City.' Smith spoke absently. 'Brazil. In the Mato Grosso.'

'The Brazilians built pyramids?'

'Not that I know of. May have been some other race. Anyway, they're not pyramids, they're — Tracy, this is more in your field.'

'Well. Not really my field either. One of our magazines had an article on those so-called ' pyramids and I spent a couple of days with the writer and photographer on the job. Curiosity, only, and wasted curiosity — I didn't learn much. Pyramid-shaped, sure, but those stepped-sided and flat-topped structures are called ziggurats. No-one knows where they originated although it is known that the Assyrians and Babylonians had them. Oddly enough, this style bypassed the virtually neighbouring country of Egypt, which went in for the smooth-sided and conically-topped version, but turned up again in ancient Mexico where some are still to be seen. Archaeologists and such-like use this as a powerful argument of prehistoric contact between east and west but the only sure fact is that their origins are lost in the mists of those same prehistoric times. My word, Mr Smith, this is going to drive those poor archaeologists up the wall. A ziggurat in the Mato Grosso.'

'Ricardo?' Hamilton said. 'I shall be leaving our friend's place in about two hours' time. I'll be driving — moment.' He broke off and turned to Ramon lounging in the couch in the Imperial suite. 'Ramon, what shall I be driving?'

'Black Cadillac.'

'A black Cadillac,' Hamilton said into the phone. 'I do not wish to be followed. Thank you.'

CHAPTER THREE

There were six people in Smith's drawing-room that sunny afternoon — Smith himself, Tracy, Maria, Hiller, Serrano and Hamilton. All had glasses in their hands.

'Another?' said Smith. His hand reached out to touch the button that would summon the butler.

Hamilton said: 'I'd rather talk.'

Smith raised an eyebrow in slight if genuine astonishment. Not only had he heard from Hiller of Hamilton's reputation as a hard drinker, but his slightest suggestion was usually treated as a royal command. He withdrew his hand from the buzzer.

'As you wish. So we are agreed on the purpose of our visit. I tell you, Hamilton, I have done many things in the past that have given me a great deal of pleasure, but I've never been so excited —'

Hamilton interrupted him, something no-one ever did to Smith. 'Let's get down to details.'

'By God, you are in a hurry. I'd have thought that after four years — '

'It's a lot longer than that. But even after only four years a man starts to become a little impatient.' He pointed towards Maria and Tracy. People never pointed in Smith's drawing-room. 'Who are they?'

'We all know your rough diamond reputation, Hamilton.' When Smith chose to use a cold tone he could do so most effectively. 'But there's no need to be rude.'

Hamilton shook his head. 'Not rude. Just a man, as you observed, in a hurry. I just like to check on the company I'm keeping. As you do.'

'As I do?' Again the eyebrow. 'My dear fellow, if you would kindly explain —'

'And that's another thing,' Hamilton said. That made it twice in thirty seconds that Smith had been interrupted, which must have constituted some sort of a record. 'I don't like being condescended to. I am not your dear fellow. I am not, as you may come to learn, anybody's dear fellow. As you do, I said. Check up. Or perhaps you don't know the identity of the person who rang the Grand Hotel to see if I was actually staying there?'

It was a guess, but in the circumstances a safe one, and the flickered glance between Smith and Tracy was all the confirmation Hamilton required. He nodded towards Tracy.

'See what I mean,' Hamilton said. 'That's the nosey bastard. Who is he?'

'You would insult my guests, Hamilton?' Smith's tone was now positively arctic.

'I don't much care who I insult — or should I say 'whom'? He's still a nosey bastard. Another thing, when I ask questions about people I do it honestly and in the open, not behind their backs. Who is he?'

'Tracy,' Smith said stiffly, 'is the managing director of McCormick-Mackenzie International Publications Division.' Hamilton looked unimpressed. 'Maria is my confidential secretary and, I might add, a close personal friend.'

Hamilton looked away from Tracy and Maria almost as if he had already dismissed them from his mind as being of no importance. Tm not interested in your relationships. My fee.'

Smith was obviously taken aback. Gentlemen did not discuss business negotiations in this crude and abrupt fashion. Momentarily, his expression hovered between astonishment and anger. Many years had passed since any man had dared talk to him in such a way. He required considerable willpower to repress his anger.

'Hiller mentioned it, I think,' Smith said. 'A six-figure sum. One hundred thousand dollars — U.S. dollars — friend.'

Tm not your friend. A quarter million.'

'Ludicrous.'

'I could say 'Thanks for the drink' and walk out. I'm not childish. I hope you're not either.'

Smith had not become the man he was without the ability to make his mind up very rapidly indeed. Without in any way appearing to capitulate he capitulated immediately.

'A man would want an awful lot of service for money like that.'

'Let's get our terms clear. You get co-operation, not service. I'll return to this point later. I regard my fee as being far from excessive in view of the fact that I'm damned certain you're in this not just to get a few nice photographs and a human interest story. Who ever heard of Joshua Smith engaging upon any enterprise where money was not the prime and motivating factor?'

'As far as the past is concerned I would agree with you.' Smith's voice was quiet. 'In this particular instance money is not the principal factor.'

Hamilton nodded in acknowledgment. 'That could well be. In this particular instance, I could well believe you.' Smith looked taken aback at Hamilton's concession, then his expression changed to one of speculation. Hamilton smiled. 'You're doubtless trying to figure out what I've figured out as the other motivation. You need not concern yourself for that in no way concerns me. Now, transportation?'

'What? What was that?' Smith had been caught off-balance by the sudden switch in topic which he should not have been as it was a favourite tactic of his own. 'Ah! Transportation.'

'Yes. What kind of transportation — air and water, we can forget land — do your companies have available?'

'A great deal, as you can imagine. What we don't have we can hire although I should think the need would be unlikely. Tracy has all the details. Tracy, by the way, is both a qualified pilot and helicopter pilot.'

'Helps. Where are the details?'

'Tracy has the details.' Smith said this in such a way as to convey the impression that he was not the man to be concerned with details, which was probably quite an accurate impression for he was famous for his gift in picking top-flight lieutenants and delegating the bulk of the executive work to them. Tracy, who had been following the conversation closely, rose, crossed to where they were standing and handed Hamilton a folder. The expression on Tracy's face bespoke a marked lack of affection: managing directors do not take kindly to being called nosey bastards. Hamilton appeared to notice nothing amiss.

He took the folder, read rapidly through the loose-leaf contents, pausing briefly now and again as something in particular caught his attention, then closed the folder. One could have been forgiven for assuming that Hamilton had already absorbed the contents: he probably had. For once, Hamilton seemed fairly impressed.

'Quite an air/sea fleet, haven't you? Everything from a Boeing 727 to a Piper Comanche. Double rotor freight helicopter — this is a Sikorsky Skycrane?'

'Yes.'

'And a hovercraft. Can the helicopter lift the hovercraft?'