Ruined City (18 page)

'Hadn't you better tell me what you're driving at?'

'It's about those parties of yours at this night club the Gonea, Mr Warren. The Ambassador was not at all pleased when he heard about them.'

Warren nodded slowly. 'I'm exceedingly sorry if they don't fit in with his ideas,' he said. 'But I really don't see what it's got to do with him.'

The Consul.raised his eyebrows. 'Is it correct that on successive evenings you have won, and lost, sums up to two thousand pounds a night?'

That is so.'

'Well, Mr Warren — as of course you know — the Ambassador is the head of the British community in this country. When a man as well recommended as you are arrives in Visgrad and begins to gamble on that scale, and — if I may say so — in the most dubious company, it naturally engages the attention of the Embassy. And I may tell you frankly, Mr Warren, that the Embassy don't like it.'

There was a silence in the room. 'You mean,' said Warren, 'that unless I mend my ways I shall no longer be
persona grata
at the Embassy.'

'You put it very bluntly. But — well, that is the gist of it.'

'That means, the British Government would withdraw their support. They'd tell the Laevatian Government that they'd be wiser not to deal with me?'

'I cannot recall such a case. But in the extreme, the Ambassador might decide to take that action.'

Warren smiled. 'Well,' he said, 'you can tell the Ambassador that I'm going to mend my ways. I don't think it will be necessary for me to gamble on that scale again — that's served its turn. But I tell you, I'm not going home without my order. And you know how business is done out here as well as I do.'

The Consul sighed. 'I know — and that's what makes it difficult. However, I'll tell the Ambassador what you have said, and I am sure he will be satisfied.'

For three days Warren worked for eighteen hours a day. He engaged a sitting-room as an office and obtained the services of a stenographer; he spent the business hours in conferences, principally at the Treasury. The afternoons and evenings were spent in getting out new drafts for the next day. Before going to bed he dropped in for an hour at the Gonea with Pepita; that was his sole diversion.

At the end of that time he had reached the point where he could go no further without consultation with the market in London.

He explained this to M. Potiscu at the Treasury. 'It is necessary that I return to London for a short time to explore the underwriting,' he said in French. 'Also, I will arrange for the preparation of the plans of the tank ships, for the Ministry of Marine. In fifteen days I will return again; in the meantime, the Cabinet will no doubt consider these, the Heads of our Agreement.' He indicated the papers in his hand.

M. Potiscu, small and rotund, and very Eastern, said, 'May you go in peace, with the protection of Allah.'

Warren bowed. 'I thank you infinitely. Without the work which you have done, M'sieur, and the assistance which you have given, our business could not have progressed so far.'

'You are most kind.'

Warren continued, 'I wish you to know how deeply the group that I represent appreciate your assistance, M'sieur. It has occurred to me that perhaps there is some little thing that is not easily obtained in Visgrad, some present that I could bring back with me from London that would serve to indicate our gratitude?'

M. Potiscu thought for a few moments. 'Always,' he said, 'I have desired an umbrella, with the handle all in jewels. Jewels of all colours, blue and red and white and green, and blue again. Of a green silk, and with the stick all silver. Such umbrellas cannot be obtained in Visgrad, and I have desired one very greatly.'

Warren swallowed hard. 'I am disappointed, M'sieur, that you have chosen so small a gift,' he said. 'But you may rest assured — the umbrella shall be of the best that London can produce.'

'If it is possible, then, to add one more thing,' said M. Potiscu, rather rapidly, 'you would bring from London a dozen bottles of your Worcestershire sauce. In the summer, you understand, the meat is sometimes not good.'

Warren left for London the next day. Travelling via Berlin he landed at Croydon at about nine o'clock at night, and drove up to his flat.

He went down to his office early in the morning, and spent the forenoon clearing the arrears of his routine work. For the afternoon he made an appointment with a firm of naval architects, who came to see him.

He outlined to them the business of the oil tankers. They discussed the proposition for an hour. 'Within limits,' he said, 'we can sell them what we like. But we've got to have a preliminary specification and a lot of drawings out within a fortnight, and then one of you will have to come out with me to Visgrad.'

'There's no difficulty in that.'

He eyed them for a moment. 'In the event of this business going through, I take it that your firm would be prepared to make the whole of the detail drawings and take entire responsibility for the design? I have in mind to build these vessels in a yard that has been closed down for a time. I don't want to have to set up a design department of my own.'

'You need have no fears on that score, Mr Warren. We are very well accustomed to that class of work.'

He nodded. 'I know you are. That's why I asked you to come along.' He got up from his desk. 'All right, I'll write to you tonight confirming all this. And you will get right on with the job.'

They left him, and he turned back to the consideration of a letter on his desk. It read:

St Mary's Hospital,

Sharples,

Northumberland.

De ar Mr Warren,

You asked me if I could let you know if I thought of anybody who could manage the Yard. I've been reluctant to make a suggestion, because of course it's not easy for a a/oman to really appreciate how good a man is at his work.

But I thinly you might investigate Mr Grierson, who is now an assistant manager with the Clydeside Ship and Foundry Company. I have not seen him for about jour years. He was an apprentice in our yard, and after that he became an assistant manager. I remember Daddy telling me how well they all thought of him, and that he'd end up as a director. He must be about thirty-eight years old now
v
He got married seven or eight years ago, not very long before we closed down, I remember him chiefty because he was so tremendously energetic. Nobody could keep up with him. He was very popular when he was here.

I am coming down to London for a few days on the ijth, and shall be staying with my aunt at 17, Chichester Avenue, Ealing, I could see you then and tell you more about him, if you are interested.

Yours sincerely,

Alice MacMahon.

He reached out for the telephone, and put in a call to the hospital in Sharples. It came in a few minutes; he asked for the Almoner.

He heard her voice. 'Miss MacMahon speaking.'

'This is Henry Warren, Miss MacMahon.'

'Oh — where are you speaking from? Are you in Sharples?'

'No — I'm speaking from London. I got your letter; I'm sorry I haven't answered it before. I've been abroad.'

'On business?'

'Yes. I've been in Laevatia. Miss MacMahon, about your man Grierson. I'd like to meet him, to have a talk with him. He lives up on the Clyde somewhere, I suppose?'

'I think so.'

'Do you know his address — where I could get hold of him?'

'I can't tell you off-hand. I could find out and let you have it in tonight's post.'

That would do fine. Send it to the office — you know my office address? Lisle Court.'

That's the one I've got, isn't it? Where you used to work, and they forward letters for you still?'

That's right.'

They didn't forward mine. All right, Mr Warren — I'll let you have that in tonight's post. Does this mean that things are getting warm?'

He laughed. They're getting so damned hot I'm pretty sure to burn my fingers. You said in your letter you'll be down in London next week. Will you come and lunch with me?'

Td,love to, Mr Warren.'

'What about Tuesday?'

That would do all right.'

'Good. Tuesday, at one o'clock — at the Savoy. I'll meet you at the entrance to the grill room.'

'I'll be there.'

She laid down the receiver; Mr Williams looked at her enquiringly. 'Was yon Mr Henry Warren?'

She nodded. 'Our own out-of-work clerk. I'm going to have lunch with him at the Savoy.'

He said, 'Mm. And when you've filled him with intoxicating liquor, ye can wheedle out of him the way we can save another half of one per cent upon the overdraft.' He mused a little
.
'I should have kenned he was a banker, all the time
.
Nobody else would know them tricks.'

In the morning Warren went down to talk to Mr Heinroth. He proposed to him the flotation of an issue of preference shares in the Laevatian Oil Development, a company in which the whole of the ordinary shares would be held by the Laevatian Government
.

Mr Heinroth gave him a cigar, and heard him attentively to the end
.
'You'd never put it over with a name like that,' he said
.
'Wants to be something short and snappy — something that the country clergymen can remember
.
I should call it Laevol Limited, or something like that
.
'

Warren eyed him for a moment. 'I don't look at it like that,' he said. 'I don't put it forward in the trustee class, but it's better than that. I've been out there for the last fortnight, and in my opinion it's sound. In any case, I'm making myself responsible for twenty-five per cent of the underwriting.'

There was a silence, Mr Heinroth looked at him attentively. 'You are?'

Warren nodded.

There was another silence. 'It might be possible to get the market round to it,' said Mr Heinroth at last. The first reaction is bound to be unfavourable, of course. When we had that loan fiasco the year before last I thought that everything Laevatian was dead for the next ten years. They're bound to bring that up, you know.'

Warren nodded. 'At the same time, it's potentially a rich country.' Mr Heinroth nodded slowly. 'Provided that the proposition's good business. I don't see why that loan should interfere with it.'

There would have to be collateral security for the dividend, of course — and absolutely unimpeachable.'

'Naturally. I've got the profits on the State Railway for that. For the last ten years it's been well in excess of the sum required to guarantee this dividend.'

That sounds all right. But — I don't know . . .'

They discussed it together for another hour. At last Warren got up to take his leave. Think it over,' he said, 'and give me a ring in a couple of days. I'd like to have your support in this, because I think it may be the means of opening up development in general down there.'

Mr Heinroth nodded wisely. 'That's probably due. Well, I'll go round my corner of the market and see what the reaction is, and you go round yours. And then we'll have another talk.'

Mr Heinroth slept on it, and then put it to Mr Todd and Mr Castroni over the luncheon table. 'If it was anybody else but Warren,' he said frankly, 'I'd have nothing to do with it. After that loan was reputhated, I swore I would never touch Laevatia again. But with Warren behind it — well, it makes a difference.'

Mr Castroni sipped his coffee. 'In the last ten years I've been in most of Warren's things,' he said. 'When I've used my judgement and stayed out, I've been sorry.'

'I know,' said Mr Heinroth. 'I feel rather like that too.'

'The country's just about due to be opened up,' said Mr Todd. 'You've got to remember he did a good job with the waterworks out mere. He knows what he's up to, all right. Speaking for myself, I'd go with him.'

'Maslin said much the same,' said Mr Heinroth. 'But I thought I'd like to know what you two thought about it.'

That evening Warren dined alone at his club. In the smoking-room after dinner he saw Lord Cheriton sitting by himself; he strolled over and dropped into a chair beside him.

'Evening,' said the young man. 'I haven't seen you here for some time. Been away?'

Warren nodded. He selected a cigar carefully and poured out his coffee. 'I got laid up soon after you had dinner at my place that night,' he said. 'Had to have an operation. Since then I've been abroad.'

'Are things getting any better, do you think?'

Warren shrugged his shoulders. 'The reactions from this gold business have done a bit of good,' he said. 'You can't say how long it's going to last. I don't see any sign of a general improvement yet.'

'Pity.'

Warren glanced at him.'Why?'

'I want a job.'

'You're not the only one.' They smoked in silence for a little. Then Warren said:

'Chucking up the Army?'

The young man nodded.

'What are you doing that for?'

'I want to do a spot of work before I get too old. I don't mean selling motorcars, or flying aeroplanes. A real job, that one could get one's teeth into. There's nothing like that for me in the Army.'