knees up under her chin. Her hair was piled on top of her head, but
damp wisps hung down her neck and on to her cheeks. She looked pink and
dewy as a little girl.
Careful where you put your toes, sir/ she cautioned him, and he felt the
tension along his nerves easing. She had that effect on him.
I'll buy you lunch at Les A if you can tear yourself away from your
microscope and fishy-smelling specimens for an hour or two. Les
Ambassadeurs? I've heard about it! For lunch there I'd walk across
London on freshly amputated stumps. That won't be necessary, but you
will have to charm a tribe of wild desert Sheikhs. I understand they
are very sympathetic towards blondes. Are you going to sell me into a
harem - sounds fun, I've always fancied myself in baggy, transparent
bloomers. You, I'm not selling - icebergs, I am. I'll pick you up at
the front gate of the museum at one o'clock sharp. She went with
laughter and a great clatter and banging of doors and Nicholas settled
at the telephone.
I'd like to speak to Sir Richard personally, it's Nicholas Berg. Sir
Richard was at Lloyd's, an old and good friend.
Then he called and spoke to Charles Gras There were no new delays or
threats to Sea Witch's completion date.
I am sorry for any trouble you had with Alexander. Cq the fait rien,
Nicholas. Good luck at the hearing. I will be watching the Lloyd's
List. Nicholas felt a sense of relief. Charles Gras had risked his
career to show him Golden Dawn. it could have been serious.
Then Nick spoke for nearly half an hour to Bernard Wackie of Bach Wackie
in Bermuda. Warlock had reported on the telex two hours previously; she
was making good passage with her oil-rig tow, would drop off at Bravo 11
on schedule and pick up her next tow as soon as she had anchored.
David Allen is a good youngster, Bernard told Nick.
But have you got Levoisin for Sea Witch? Jules is playing the prima
donna, he has not said yes, but he'll come. You'll have a good team,
then. What's the latest date for Sea Witch? End March. The sooner the
better, I've got contacts to keep both tugs running hard until the
iceberg project matures. I'm having lunch with the Sheikhs today. I
know. There's a lot of interest. I've got a good feeling.
There is something big brewing, but they are a cagey bunch. The
inscrutable smile on the face of the sphiinx when do we see you? 'I'll
come across just as soon as I've got Duncan Alexander into the
arbitration court - end of the month, hopefully. We've got a lot to
talk about, Nicholas. Nick hesitated for the time it took to smoke the
first cheroot of the day before he called Monte Carlo - for the call
would cost him at least fifty thousand dollars, probably closer to
seventy-five, The best is always the cheapest, he reminded himself,
picked up the receiver and spoke to a secretary in Monte Carlo, giving
his name, While he waited for the connection he thought how his life was
complicating itself once more. Very soon Bach Wackie would not be
enough, there would have to be a London branch of Ocean Salvage,
offices, secretaries, files, accounts, and then a New York branch, a
branch in Saudi, the whole cycle again. He thought suddenly of
