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"The Emperor must have very little to do," said Gorman, "if he has time to waste in fussing about a wretched little island like Salissa. How did he hear about the sale?" "I think," said the King, "that Steinwitz must have permitted the cat to jump out of the bag. Steinwitz smelt rats, of that I am sure." "I daresay you're right," said Gorman. "I rather thought Steinwitz was nosing around.
Phillips were waited on by a steward, a man called Smith who had been brought from London and added to the ship's company at the last moment by Steinwitz. He proved to be an excellent servant and a man of varied talents. He took a hand in the cooking, mixed cocktails, and acted as valet to Mr. Donovan, waited at table, made beds and kept the cabins beautifully clean.
It is dull work pricking a rhinoceros, even with a rapier. "About going to Salissa," he said meekly. "Can you manage to send me there?" "Certainly," said Steinwitz. "How soon can you start?" "At once," said Gorman. "I'll buy a tooth-brush on my way to the steamer. I realize that I must waste no time when conducting business for the Emperor."
The day we docked at Tilbury, after our return voyage, Captain Wilson sent me up to the office with some letters of Mr. Donovan's. Just as I was starting he called me back and said I might as well take Smith's letters too. There were three of them, all addressed to Mr. Steinwitz." "I think," said Gorman, "that when I get to the island I'll have a look at those cisterns of yours."
"Goldsturmer," said Gorman, "is a Jew, and the Jews are a cautious race. However, if you go to him and say 'The Emperor' in an Open Sesame tone of voice he'll no doubt give in at once." "Exactly," said Steinwitz gravely. Gorman collapsed then. Steinwitz' portentous solemnity was too much for him. Sticking pins into a man or an ape is a pleasant sport. They have skins of reasonable density.
"There is a certain rope of pearls " "That accounts for the whole thing," said Gorman. Steinwitz seemed quite satisfied that it did. But he was not inclined to drop the subject altogether. "A sale of that sort," he said, "would be impossible. The Emperor wouldn't permit it." Then Gorman made a mistake. For the first time he showed a real interest in what Steinwitz said.
The inhabitants are energetic and enterprising, a vigorous and courageous race. Sluggards and decadents, so Gorman felt, do not become brigands. That was all the material Gorman had to work with. Except the one fact, which could not be published, that Steinwitz, the director of a German Shipping Company with its headquarters in London, did not want public attention turned to Megalia.
Evidently Steinwitz had a correspondent there, some one who made use of the Ida, of any coasting steamer which turned up, of the fishing boats which put in. Steinwitz would not be entirely dependent on Gorman's account of his mission. He would hear about it from some one else, would know whether the sale had been pressed on Donovan. Gorman left the office a little puzzled.
Oh, he's not, but Mr. Phillips is. Very well. Ask Mr. Phillips to come up and speak to me here. Mr. Phillips," he explained to Gorman, "is first officer on the Ida. I shall give him orders to be ready for you to-morrow." There was a brisk tap at the door. Phillips walked in. "Mr. Phillips," said Steinwitz, "Mr. Gorman will sail with you to-morrow on the Ida.
"I do not discuss the policy of the Emperor," he said. "You must be the only man in Europe who doesn't," said Gorman. "However, I don't mind. I suppose the Emperor must have some pretty strong reasons for wanting to get Donovan out of Salissa, or he wouldn't offer to pay a fancy price it was a fancy price, you know." "King Konrad Karl will pay," said Steinwitz. "No, he won't. He can't.
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