Rough Diamond, page 37
“Or both at the same time,” she added, smiling.
“Or both at the same time,” Barney agreed cheerfully. “We have money, we have our health. That’s luck.” He pointed out across the water of the bay, toward the land. “We have Table Mountain, we have Cape Town, we have Kimberley, we have Johannesburg. We have friends. That’s luck.” We also have enemies, he thought bitterly, considering Solly Loeb in his cabin below, and then forced the disagreeable thought away. Time enough for that unpleasantness when they reached London. The trip was to enjoy.
Fay removed her hand from his waist and leaned on the railing, looking at the tiny white buildings that edged the city, considering them pensively. “It’s a pity we can’t have all those things forever.”
Barney shrugged. “Forever is only so long as you have something. Forever is simply all the time there is, if it’s a day or a thousand years. If a man dies at—say—forty-two, he’s lived forever; the same as if he died at ninety-nine. Or if he died at ten.”
Fay looked at him and smiled, but it was a doubtful smile. “My husband the philosopher.”
“Your husband the luckiest man alive, just because he is your husband,” Barney said, and reached for her hand, squeezing it.
The first glass of whiskey had eased some of the tension from Solly Loeb; the second had furthered that relaxation. He well knew that Barney Barnato could be vindictive; look what Barney had done to J. R. Robinson’s Central Mine properties in Kimberley when his cousin Jack Joel had had to leave town to avoid prosecution as an illegal diamond dealer. Others might doubt that Barney had a hand in that explosion at the Big Hole, and Barney might deny it even within the family until he was blue in the face, but Solly was sure. No, Barney Barnato could be very vindictive when he wanted to be, there was no doubt of that.
But on the other hand, look what else Barney had done in that very same instance: he had smuggled Jack out of the country, not only at the cost of the considerable bail he had deposited with the court, but undoubtedly also at a considerable loss of influence in the community, because the stigma of illicit diamond dealing still stuck faintly, even after all these years. So there was no doubt that Barney Barnato had a very soft spot in his heart where family was concerned; it had been demonstrated a hundred times. No; before the journey to England was over, Solly was sure that Barney would have changed his mind about dragging Solly’s name in the dirt. Solly’s mother was, after all, the eldest of the Isaacs children, while Barney was the youngest, and Barney had always shown that Solly’s mother was his favorite of them all. Would Barney hurt his sister by harming her only child, the apple of her eye? It was difficult to imagine. No; all of Solly’s previous worries were needless. His uncle was simply trying to give him a skrik, a fright, to teach him a lesson. Once this was all over, Barney would probably suggest a combine, an amalgamation between Barnato Investment and Reef…
Of course. Of course! That was what Barney had been after all along! How foolish of Solly not to have seen it before! Barney wasn’t interested in punishing him; his prime reason for all this foolishness wasn’t even to give him a fright. It was to get control of Reef Investment as easily and as cheaply as possible! Foxy old Barney Barnato! Well, old foxy would find it wasn’t all that easy, wresting control of his company from him; he hadn’t exactly been born yesterday. They would dicker, of course; it was the East End Jew in Barney that made dickering a vital part of any negotiation, Solly thought with an inner sneer, whether the dickering was essential to the outcome or not. Well, when the dickering was over, old Foxy Barnato would have discovered he had met not only his equal but his superior where dickering was concerned. Properly handled, he, Solly, could even end up ahead, possibly not only in control of Reef, but of Barnato Investment, as well. Oh, there would have to be concessions made, that was obvious, and possibly even a major concession for him having been smart enough to milk Barnato Investment while establishing Reef Investment. But really, the stockholders ought to give him a medal for that, rather than condemning him. Maybe, when the full story came out, and the profits from the combine were made public in the form of dividends, they would at that. He smiled at the thought.
Should he go to Barney’s cabin at once, invite him up to the saloon bar for a drink, and put the entire matter to the other man? Bring it out in the open? There was no sense in spending the entire voyage under the strain of pretending that Barney was serious in his threat to expose Solly, to ruin him, to make him pay back huge sums of money. They might as well discuss it early on, make their deal consolidating the two companies, and then both of them would be able to relax and enjoy the voyage. He could picture the embarrassed smile on Barney’s face when he learned that his ploy had been properly analyzed and interpreted; it might teach him a bit more respect for his nephew and his ability in matters relating to business.
But it might be better to wait awhile. Solly recognized that he had had a few drinks, and that his thinking, while still excellent—as witness his analysis of Barney’s motives—might not be as clear as it ought to be for serious bargaining. I’ll hit him up in a week or so, Solly thought, once I get my sea legs. I’ll go to him after lunch one day; Barney is always more mellow with a good meal under his belt. I’ll take him into the bar, sit him down in a corner where we can talk privately, get him a proper brandy, tell him I know exactly what he’s thinking as far as Reef Investment is concerned—leading up to the subject carefully, of course, which should prove to him I’m no child in these matters—and see what he says. There’s very little he can say if he wants Reef as badly as I’m sure he does. And after that, it’ll be my terms or there won’t be any deal. I’ll admit he had me frightened there for a few days, but only for a few days, until I had the time to think it over. Now that I think about it, it should have been obvious from the start what his purpose was. No; Barney Barnato seldom met his match, but on the other hand he seldom had an opponent as intelligent as Solly Loeb. And to think the foxy old bastard really had me wondering there for a bit! I won’t say worrying, because I wasn’t really worried at all; but it’s only fair to admit I did wonder …
Solly Loeb smiled at the thought of his coming victory, and poured himself another drink.
Carl Luckner, stripped to the waist and wearing a seaman’s cap pulled low over his brow, was working forward near the anchor-chain capstan, greasing the heavy chain as it took a bight about the capstan and then dropped into the chain well belowdecks as the steam-driven capstan slowly raised the dripping anchor. The single-screw of the steam launch Scott churned the water sluggishly as the captain on the bridge waited for the anchor to be firmed against the ship’s prow and the chain stored before signaling the engine room for more power to send them on their way.
Above the crew working forward, lining the rail, the passengers watched the ship prepare to leave the roadstead, studying the customs men in their small hand-propelled dinghy pull for shore, seeing the beauty of Cape Town as the ship finally turned and steamed for England, the white buildings slowly receding against the evening dusk, leaving majestic Table Mountain, at last, as the lone shadow on the night sky. Luckner finished the final links of the now stationary chain, rubbing the grease through the links still on the capstan, and then glanced up. From under the peak of his concealing cap he could see Barney Barnato standing at the rail just above him, Fay beside him, neither paying the slightest attention to the men working below; the two were taking in the last of Cape Town as it slowly faded into the night, the last of its lights flickering into oblivion. Let the bastard enjoy himself, Luckner said to himself with a cruel twist to his lips. Let him go on thinking he’s king of the hill for a few more days, anyway. Him up there with everything his fortune can buy—some of which money is rightfully mine—and me down here as broke as a sixty-year-old tart with the pox, mucking about in filthy grease! And her, his wife, big as a house with the coming kid, but not a bad piece for all of that. Beautiful face with golden hair a man’d want to run his fingers through, blue eyes to drive a man crazy, a wide mouth made for kissing, and lovely tits for nursing a baby or exciting a man!
He wiped his hands on a bit of waste, unconsciously flexing his muscles as he did so, and climbed down the companionway to the ’neath-decks and further chores connected with the sailing. The mills grind slow, he reminded himself, but they grind exceeding fine. Well, the day was coming, and not too far away, when Barney Barnato was going to learn the bitter truth of that old saying. And maybe, in England after the kid was born and Barney long forgotten, that lovely Fay will realize the difference between a real man and a short, runty, half-blind Jew, and decide to be sensible for the first time in her life…
It was a week into the voyage when Solly Loeb decided it was time to do something to bring matters to a head, to resolve the problem for all time. He had seen Barney occasionally on his strolls about the deck, but Barney had failed to even nod on these occasions. You’d think I hadn’t been instrumental in a large part of his success! Solly thought resentfully the first time it happened; but then he smiled to himself. It’s all part of his scheme, he thought. Well, Reef Investment isn’t going to be all that easy to steal, not with empty threats nor with a cold shoulder when passing on a deck stroll.
Solly occasionally stopped for a brief word with Fay when she was alone or with Leah Primrose on deck, and Barney was elsewhere. It was apparent on those occasions that Fay knew nothing of the reason for the obvious differences between the two men and was completely puzzled by it, but Solly knew Fay to be sufficiently loyal a wife never to question one of Barney’s decisions. Besides, it had to be obvious to Fay that the coolness between the two men was due in some way to business, and Solly knew that Fay left business exclusively to Barney. When they met on deck and Solly ruffled Leah’s hair or picked her up and nuzzled her cheek, Fay made sure the conversation dealt with innocuous subjects, leaving anything connected to business aside. To Solly, this was more than satisfactory; the more Barney thought he had been taken in by Barney’s ploy, the greater the surprise when he advised the foxy little man that he had known his intentions from the start. And the better deal he undoubtedly could make for himself in those circumstances.
It was as the Scott was leaving Walvis Bay after a half day’s pause there for fuel and to replenish a few food supplies, that Solly decided the time was ripe. He had seen that Barney was in a good mood after taking Leah Primrose and Fay for a visit to the town and a shore lunch there; the sea was smooth, the sky was clear, and apparently Leah Primrose had behaved in exemplary fashion ashore. As the anchor was being raised and the ship trembled slightly from the pulsing of the new steam engine, Solly watched Barney kiss the child before her nurse collected her for her nap; then watched Barney step into the saloon bar and seat himself at a corner table. The privacy was perfect; it almost seemed to Solly to be an omen of his success. He sat down beside Barney.
“Barney,” he said.
Barney turned. “Ah. Solly.”
The very friendliness—or at least lack of open enmity—in his tone encouraged Solly to continue, convinced that he had indeed picked the proper time for the meeting.
“Barney,” Solly said in man-to-man fashion, “may I buy you a drink?”
“I’ve already ordered,” Barney said pleasantly, and proceeded to deny his words by turning to the steward waiting patiently beside their table. “A brandy, please.”
Solly held back his temper. He was fully aware in his mind of what Barney was attempting to do. Making a man lose his temper was a sure way of putting him at a disadvantage. It was a smart move when it worked, but Solly determined that it would not work with him. Instead, Solly also ordered a brandy and turned back to Barney once the steward had left, his voice suave.
“Barney,” he said, “I think it’s time we had a talk.”
“Oh?” said Barney, as if rather surprised by the suggestion. “About what?”
“About Reef Investment Company.”
“What about Reef Investment Company?”
To his own complete surprise, Solly heard himself blurt out words he had figured would not be spoken until much further along in the discussion. “You want to buy it, don’t you?”
To Solly’s amazement, Barney laughed in what appeared to be honest and pure enjoyment. “And why would I want to do that?”
Despite his best effort and despite his sworn resolution, Solly could feel himself losing his temper.
“Because it’s a damned good buy!” he said angrily, “and you damned well know it! Have you seen its books?”
“Nobody offered to show them to me,” Barney said a bit sardonically, “but I did take a look at Barnato Investment books—a trifle late, but better late than never—and I must say you did a fair job on the company.” He cocked an eyebrow. “I assume that Barnato’s losses are Reef’s gains, if that’s what you’re trying to say.”
“That’s exactly what I’m trying to say,” Solly said, trying not to sound vicious. “So therefore you know that Reef is a damned strong company! And you can no more avoid trying to get hold of any strong company where you think you have an edge, especially when that company is a competitor, than you can avoid breathing! I know you, Barney!”
Barney waited until the two brandies had been served and the steward had withdrawn. Then he sipped a portion of his brandy and set his glass down. When he looked at Solly there was pity in the glance, but his voice was conversational when he spoke.
“Solly,” he said gently, “you are a fool. So you think my whole plan in confronting you with the Reef situation was simply to try and put myself in a strong position to get control of the company from you? And as cheaply as possible, of course. No doubt you thought that a brilliant negotiator such as you, with a strong company such as Reef behind you, could easily tie poor old Barney Barnato in knots, and end up possibly even controlling both companies, Reef and Barnato Investment.” He shook his head almost sadly. “My dear nephew, I have been trying to put you in a position where you might pay an honest debt—a dishonest debt, really, but never mind—and still escape with some semblance of respect, as well as possibly a small portion of your fortune. When I get finished with your precious Reef Investment Company, I’ll be able to buy their shares for a shilling on the pound, if that. Out of love for your mother and in consideration of our family name, I was not intending to attack the company until after you had made proper restitution to Barnato Investment, and had severed all connections with Reef. However, you tempt me strongly to ask the captain to put in to the first port with telegraphic facilities and to wire Harry explaining matters and leaving it to him to begin to raid Reef Investment at once. One consideration in not doing so is that it probably would not leave you enough money to pay back Barnato Investment by the time we dock; but if that’s what you really want, I’ll be glad to accommodate you and Barnato will simply take the loss. Is this what you really wish?”
Solly had grown increasingly pale as Barney had gone on. Barney, rightly considering his question rhetorical, went on.
“If that’s what you want, just say so, and by the time we dock in London I promise you that Reef shares will have fallen to a point where I can picture some of your stockholders waiting for you at the Thameside pier with tar and feathers.” Solly was staring at him as if he were hypnotized. Barney shook his head sadly. “Solly, you were stupid. You were also greedy, as well as vicious. You bit the hand that fed you, a hand that was of your own flesh and blood yet, of your own family. You cheated the people who made you what you are. What kind of a person are you? Do you think I would forgive a person like you, or forget what you did, for the control of ten companies like Reef? You are going to pay your debt to Barnato Investment, to Barnato Brothers, to the Isaacs family, to me personally, and to everything you have disgraced, to the last penny; and if you think being my sister’s son is going to make the slightest difference, you are living in loony heaven!” He finished his drink, signed the chit on the table, and came to his feet. “And now, if you’ll pardon me, I have better things to do with my time than explaining the facts of business ethics to someone like you.”
Barney nodded pleasantly in the general direction of the bartender and walked calmly from the saloon. Solly sat and stared at his drink for several seconds and then finished it with shaking hands. He rose and left the saloon rather unsteadily, and climbed down the companionway, making his way to his cabin. He closed the door behind him and automatically reached for the whiskey bottle, pouring himself a large drink.
He sat down on his berth, sipping the whiskey, thinking furiously. One thing was certain: Barney had to be made to change his mind before the ship docked, before, in fact, the ship made port anywhere that had a telegraph, in case the miserable little runt changed his mind and cabled Harry the facts, starting a raid on Reef at once. Damn, damn, damn! Why had that damnable uncle of his ever discovered the truth about Reef? Why couldn’t he at least have waited to discover the truth until Barnato Investment was completely finished? Then he might not have been strong enough to raid Reef successfully and would only have gotten his fingers burned in trying. Or—a sudden hopeful thought came to Solly—or maybe Barney wasn’t strong enough to raid Reef successfully right now! But it was an extremely dangerous hope, and Solly knew it. He was certainly in no position to test that wild possibility, certainly not before Barney could act.
No. There was only one solution to the problem. Barney had to be stopped, somehow, before the ship docked anywhere. That was the tragic fact…
“No!” Fay said. She was sitting at her dressing table in her chemise, putting on her makeup. Barney, standing behind her and trying to tie his white tie, could not keep his eyes from straying to her décolletage and then to the beauty of her face in the mirror, with the result that the ends of the tie kept coming out uneven.
“Yes,” Barney said pleasantly, and finally concentrated on the tie, managing at last to make a reasonable bow out of it.
