The Extremes

'Depends if you want more money or not,' said Wellesley.

'Well . .

'You've got something GunHo are obviously prepared to pay for, and in corporate terms they're leaking cash from every pore. Have you any idea of the expected global take from extreme experience this year?'

'No. Until recently I was only barely aware it existed.'

'People used to say that about the internet. A pal of mine in the City puts it this way: if ExEx was a country, it would currently be the second largest economy in the world. lt already has more paying customers every day than all the major soft drinks companies combined. And they charge substantially more than the price of a Coke.'

'Are you saying you can get me more money for this? lt already seems like a ludicrous amount.'

'I can't offer you that as an inducement to retain me. I'm a lawyer, Nick. We operate under rules.'

'What would you say if you weren't a solicitor?'

'Well . . . since it's you. Doubling the principal sum would be the easy bit. With that out of the way 1 could fight them for residuals like TV and movie rights, as well as royalties and translations. 1 can probably get most of them. The important ones, anyway. What about dependants? Have you married that girl you were living with?'

'Amy? No.'

'So there aren't any children?'

'No.'

'That's a pity. There are tax breaks if you have a family.' 4 At this exact moment, tax is the last thing I'm worrying about.'

'You won't be saying that a year from now.'

They talked for a few more minutes. Nick needed time to think and talk, a necessary part of the process of adjustment going on in his head. By the time they hung up, john Wellesley was formally acting for him. Wellesley said he expected that negotiations with GunHo would take about a week to complete, but that he should be able to obtain an upfront payment more or less straight away.

'By the way, 1 shall have to charge you for this phone call,' Wellesley said.

'How much?'

Wellesley told him, laughing.

'That's an outrage!' Nick said.

'Yes, isn't it? But in the time we've been talking you've made approximately fifty times as much as that in interest. You've become my cash cow, Nick. You can't blame me for taking advantage of you.'

Reeling slightly from the shock of it all, Nick went downstairs, knowing that he must talk to Amy as soon as possible. She was still nowhere to be found, so he assumed she must have gone into the town on an errand.

He sat in the bar, the empty whisky glass on the counter in front of him. The temptation to have another drink swept over him, but he resisted it. To put space between him and the temptation, he left the bar again and went to see if he could find Amy. She had become the priority. Nothing more could be thought about, dreamed about, planned for, without her. Suddenly, everything had changed.

He met her coming into the hotel through the door at the rear. She was flushed and hectic, and she was holding a draft contract that looked identical to his.

Amy left the hotel for the rest of the day. After she had gone, Nick found her contract lying on the chair in the bedroom where she usually placed her clothes overnight. He phoned jack Masters and asked him if he would come in and serve behind the bar that evening, and then he went through to the dining room to prepare for the guests' dinners. They were all there, sitting, as usual, at two tables at opposite ends of the room. Teresa Simons sat with her back to the other four. Nick wondered if Acie Jensen would mention the contract to him, but she said nothing.

Nick cooked the meals as quickly as he could, thinking, The second thing I'm going to do is sell the hotel, but before that the first thing I'm going to do is employ a chef There was still no sign of Amy, and by the time he and Jack closed the bar at the end of the evening Nick had convinced himself that she had gone for good. He stayed up until after one o'clock, still restless, wide awake and possessed by the circling thoughts about the prospect of imminent wealth. lt was the most distracting thing that had happened to him in his life, even including those terrible hours after the Grove massacre.

Amy finally returned. She came quietly up the stairs, saw him lying awake in bed, and went through to the bathroom. He waited while she showered, wondering if this would be the last night they would have together, ever.

She said nothing, but climbed in beside him, snuggled up as affectionately as always, and soon they were making love. lt was not the wildest, most exhilarating session they had ever had, and afterwards Nick was preoccupied and sad.

Amy said, 'You've always wanted to get out of this place. Is that what you're going to do now?'

'Why should l?' he said, prevaricating.

'You've got the money, or you will have. There's nothing to stop you any more. Here's your chance.'

'I haven't decided yet.'

'That means you're probably going to, but don't want to say.' She moved around restlessly in the bed, throwing back the covers, sitting up. He could see her body in the darkness, outlined against night light from the uncurtained window. He sat up too, and then could see the high curve of the top of the satellite dish on the van. 'Well, I've been making plans o f my own for weeks. 1 want out, Nick. 1 never want to see Bulverton again, as long