alistairmaclean.seawitch-第3章

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rned　from　Indonesia；　where　he　had　inevitably　maintained　his　100　percent　record。
　〃Mr。　Cronkite；〃　Benson　said。　〃Mr。　Cronkite；　this　is…〃
　Cronkite　was　brusque。　In　a　gravelly　voice　he　said：　〃I　don't　want　to　know　their　names。〃
　In　spite　of　the　abruptness　of　his　tone；　several　of　the　oilmen　round　the　table　almost　beamed。
　Here　was　a　man　of　discretion；　a　man　after　their　own　hearts。
　Cronkite　went　on：　〃All　I　understand　from　Mr。　Benson　is　that　I　am　required　to　attend　to　a　matter　involving　Lord　Worth　and　the　Seawitch；　Mr。　Benson　has　given　me　a　pretty　full　briefing。　I　know　the　background。　I　would　like；　first　of　all；　to　hear　any　suggestions　you　gentlemen　may　have　to　offer。〃　Cronkite　sat　down；　lit　what　proved　to　be　a　very　foul…smelling　cigar；　and　waited　expectantly。
　He　kept　silent　during　the　following　half…hour　discussion。　For　ten　of　the　world's　top　businessmen；　they　proved　to　be　an　extraordinarily　inept；　not　to　say　inane；　lot。　They　talked　in　an　ever…narrowing　series　of　concentric　circles。
　Henderson　said：　〃First　of　all；　there　must　be　no　violence　used。　Is　that　agreed？〃
　Everybody　nodded　agreement。　Each　of　them　was　a　pillar　of　business　respectability　who　could　not　afford　to　have　his　reputation　besmirched　in　any　way。　No　one　appeared　to　notice　that；　except　for　lifting　a　hand　to　his　cigar　and　puffing　out　increasingly　vile　clouds　of　smoke；　Cronkite　did　not　move　throughout　the　discussion。　He　also　remained　totally　silent。
　After　agreeing　that　there　should　be　no　violence；　the　meeting　of　ten　agreed　on　nothing。
　Finally　Patinos　spoke　up。　〃Why　don't　you…　one　of　you　four　Americans；　I　mean…approach　your　Congress　to　pass　an　emergency　law　banning　offshore　drilling　in　extraterritorial　waters？〃
　Benson　looked　at　him　with　something　akin　to　pity。　〃I　am　afraid；　sir；　that　you　do　not　quite　understand　the　relations　between　the　American　majors　and　Congress。　On　the　few　occasions　we　have　met　with　them…something　to　do　with　too　much　profits　and　too　little　tax…I'm　afraid　we　have　treated　them　in　so…ah…cavalier　a　fashion　that　nothing　would　give　them　greater　pleasure　than　to　refuse　any　request　we　might　make。〃
　One　of　the　others；　known　simply　as　〃Mr。　A；〃　said：　〃How　about　an　approach　to　that　international　legal　ombudsman；　The　Hague？　After　all；　this　is　an　international　matter。〃
　Henderson　shook　his　head。　〃Forget　it。　The　dilatoriness　of　that　august　body　is　so　legendary　that　　　all　　　present　　would　　　be　　　long　　　retired…or　worse…before　a　decision　is　made。　The　decision　would　just　as　likely　be　negative　anyway。〃　〃United　Nations？〃　Mr。　A　said。　〃That　talk…shop！〃　　Benson　　obviously　had　a　low　and　not　unmon　view　of　the　UN。　〃They　haven't　even　got　the　power　to　order　New　York　to　install　a　new　parking　meter　outside　their　front　door。〃
　The　next　revolutionary　idea　came　from　one　of　the　Americans。
　〃Why　shouldn't　we　all　agree；　for　an　unspecified　time…let's　see　how　it　goes…to　lower　our　price　below　that　of　North　Hudson？　In　that　case　no　one　would　want　to　buy　their　oil。〃
　This　proposal　was　met　with　stunned　disbelief。
　Corral　spoke　in　a　kind　voice。　〃Not　only　would　that　lead　to　vast　losses　to　the　major　oil　panies；　but　would　almost　certainly　and　immediately　lead　Lord　Worth　to　lower　his　prices　fractionally　below　their　new　ones。　The　man　has　sufficient　working　capital　to　keep　him　going　for　a　hundred　years　at　a　lossin　the　unlikely　event；　that　is；　of　his　running　at　a　loss　at　all。〃
　A　lengthy　silence　followed。　Cronkite　was　not　quite　as　immobile　as　he　had　been；　The　granitic　expression　on　his　face　remained　unchanged；　but　the　fingers　of　his　nonsmoking　hand　had　begun　to　drum　gently　on　the　armrest　of　his　chair。　For　Cronkite；　this　was　equivalent　to　throwing　a　fit　of　hysterics。
　It　was　during　this　period　that　all　thoughts　of　maintaining　high；　gentlemanly　and　ethical　standards　against　drilling　hi　international　waters　were　forgotten　by　the　ten。
　〃Why　not；〃　Mr。　A　said；　〃buy　him　out？〃　In　fairness　it　has　to　be　said　that　Mr。　A　did　not　appreciate　just　how　wealthy　Lord　Worth　was　and　that；　immensely　wealthy　though　he；　Mr。　A；　was；　Lord　Worth　could　have　bought　him　out　lock；　stock　and　barrel。　〃The　Seawitch　rights；　I　mean。　A　hundred　million　dollars。　Let's　be　generous；　two　hundred　million　dollars。　Why　not？〃
　Corral　looked　depressed。　'The　answer　to　〃Why　not？'　is　easy。　By　the　latest　reckoning；　Lord　Worth　is　one　of　the　world's　five　richest　men；　and　even　two　hundred　million　dollars　would　be　pennies　as　far　as　he　was　concerned。〃
　Now　Mr。　A　looked　depressed。
　Benson　said：　〃Sure　he'd　sell。〃
　Mr。　A　visibly　brightened。
　〃For　two　reasons　only。　In　the　first　place　he'd　make　a　quick　and　splendid　profit。　In　the　second　place；　for　less　than　half　the　selling　price；　he　could　build　another　Seawitch；　anchor　it　a　couple　of　miles　away　from　the　present　Seawitch…there　are　no　leasehold　rights　in　extraterritorial　waters…　and　start　sending　oil　ashore　at　his　same　old　price。〃
　A　temporarily　deflated　Mr。　A　slumped　back　in　his　armchair。
　〃A　partnership；　then；〃　Mr。　B　said。　His　tone　was　that　of　a　man　in　a　state　of　quiet　despair。
　〃Out　of　the　question。〃　Henderson　was　very　positive。　〃Like　all　very　rich　men；　Lord　Worth　is　a　born　loner。　He　wouldn't　have　a　bined　partnership　with　the　King　of　Saudi　Arabia　and　the　Shah　of　Iran；　even　if　it　were　offered　him　free。〃
　In　the　gloom　of　baffled　and　exhausted　silence　thoroughly　bored　and　hitherto　near…wordless；　John　Cronkite　rose。
　He　said　without　preamble：　〃My　personal　fee　will　be　one　million　dollars。　I　will　require　ten　million　dollars　for　operating　expenses。　Every　cent　of　this　will　be　accounted　for　and　any　unspent　balance　returned。　I　demand　a　pletely　free　hand　and　no　interference　from　any　of　you。　If　I　do　encounter　interference　I'll　retain　the　balance　of　the　expenses　and　abandon　the　mission。　I　refuse　to　disclose　what　my　plans　are…or　will　be　when　I　have　made　them。　Finally；　I　would　prefer　to　have　no　further　contact　with　any　of　you；　now　or　at　any　time。〃
　The　assurance　and　confidence　of　the　man　were　astonishing。　Agreement　among　the　mightily　relieved　ten　was　immediate　and　total。　The　ten　million　dollars…a　trifling　sum　to　those　accustomed　to　spending　as　much　in　bribes　every　month　or　so…would　be　delivered　within　twenty…four…　at　the　most；　forty…eight…hours　to　a　Cuban　numbered　account　in　Miami；　the　only　place　in　the　United　States　where　Swiss…type　numbered　accounts　were　permitted。　For　tax…evasion　purposes；　the　money　of　course　would　not　e　from　any　of　their　respective　countries：　instead；　ironically　enough；　from　their　bulging　offshore　funds。
　
　Chapter　2
　Lord　Worth　was　tall；　lean　and　erect。　His　plexion　was　the　mahogany　hue　of　the　playboy　millionaire　who　spends　his　life　in　the　sun：　Lord　Worth　seldom　worked　less　than　sixteen　hours　a　day。　His　abundant　hair　and　mustache　were　snow…white。　According　to　his　mood　and　expression　and　to　the　eye　of　the　beholder；　he　could　have　been　a　biblical　patriarch；　a　better…class　Roman　senator；　or　a　gentlemanly　seventeenth…century　pirate…except　for　the　fact；　of　course；　that　none　of　those　ever；　far　less　habitually；　wore　lightweight　Alpaca　suits　of　the　same　color　as　Lord　Worth's　hair。
　He　looked　and　was　every　inch　an　aristocrat。　Unlike　the　many　Americans　who　bore　the　Christian　names　of　Duke　or　Earl；　Lord　Worth　really　was　a　lord；　the　fifteenth　in　succession　of　a　highly　distinguished　family　of　Scottish　peers　of　the　realm。　The　fact　that　their　distinction　had　lain　mainly　in　the　fields　of　assassination；　endless　clan　warfare；　the　stealing　of　women　and　cattle；　and　the　selling　of　their　fellow　peers　down　the　river　was　beside　the　point：　the　earlier　Scottish　peers　didn't　go　in　too　much　for　the　more　cultural　activities。　The　blue　blood　that　had　run　in　their　veins　ran　in　Lord　Worth's。　As　ruthless；　predatory；　acquisitive　and　courageous　as　any　of　his　ancestors；　Lord　Worth　simply　went　about　his　business　with　a　degree　of　refinement　and　sophistication　that　would　have　lain　several　light…years　beyond　their　understanding。
　He　had　reversed　the　trend　of　Canadians　ing　to　Britain；　making　their　fortunes　and　eventually　being　elevated　to　the　peerage：　he　had　already　been　a　peer；　and　an　extremely　wealthy　one；　before　emigrating　to　Canada。　His　emigration；　which　had　been　discreet　and　precipitous；　had　not　been　entirely　voluntary。　He　had　made　a　fortune　hi　real　estate　in　London　before　th