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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.’
    ‘I’m 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 rapidlyindeed. 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?’
    ‘Naturally. That’s why it was bought.’
    ‘Where’s the hovercraft? Corrientes?’
    Smith said: ‘How the devil do you know?’
    ‘Logic. Wouldn’t be much good to you here or in Rio, would it? I’ll take this folder. See you this evening.’
    ‘This evening?’ Smith looked unhappy. ‘Damn it, man, we have to draw up our plans and—’
    ‘I’ll draw up the plans. I’ll explain them when I return with my assistants this evening.’
    ‘Damn it all, Hamilton,
I
am putting up all the money. The man who pays the piper calls the tune.’
    ‘This time out,