Part 22 (2/2)
”Exactly,” he admitted with the gayest aplomb.
”You are willing that they should pay to the limit?” I asked, curious to see how far his cynical audacity would carry him.
He shrugged, with a lift of his strong hands.
”That is as luck, or fate, or Providence--whichever you believe in, Mr.
Sedgwick--deals out the cards. I'm not a G.o.d, you know.”
”You know that you cannot follow the course outlined without lives being lost,” I persisted.
”I'll take your word for it,” he flung back lightly.
”That won't deter you in the least?”
”Wasn't it Napoleon who said one couldn't make an omelet without breaking eggs?”
”And yet his omelet was not a success,” I reflected aloud.
”Whose is, Mr. Sedgwick? We all have our Waterloos. Love, ambition, the search for wealth--none of them satisfy. But though none of us find happiness we yet seek. That is human nature.”
I shot a question at him abruptly.
”Suppose you got all this treasure--would you keep faith with those poor, deluded ruffians and share with them?”
His hardy smile approved me.
”You're deep, my friend. Now I wonder what I would do? My tools _are_ deluded. Wealth could not bring them the happiness they think it would.
Most of them it would ruin. I fear it would be my duty to----”
”---- let them hold the sack,” I finished for him.
”Precisely.”
”There is, then, no honor among thieves.”
”Not a bit. No more than there is among gentlemen. But since you object to having eggs broken, I offer you an alternative.”
I waited.
”In order to save eggs I'll ask you to turn over to me the map.”
”Where do you think I keep it? You've already searched my rooms and my person. I'm no wizard.”
His black eyes bored into mine.
”We've been over this ground once before, Mr. Sedgwick. You know me. I'm here for business.”
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