‘As a parting shot Cy says, ‘How’s them alligators doing down in the ole bayou?’

Julian knows Cy won’t let them down. They’re going to be his alligators soon.

Julian is mortally tired but elated. They order some champagne and watch the barges down below on the lake.

‘You were totally great, Julian.’

‘I was. I thought, how would the old bastard approach this? I just went on to autopilot, family pride, arrogance, history and God knows what. I thought if I don’t convince him we mean business he’s going to ride right over us.’

‘The way you balanced family, the Charity Commission, history, and skated lightly over the trusts was brilliant. By the end he was actually scared you were going to walk.’

‘I turned into my dad. He was so sure of himself that people deferred to him. I have the feeling we could have got more.’

‘Maybe. One and a half, even, but he had someone on the inside. He was frightening us, and he got a discount. That’s all he was after. He’s a total shit, but you haven’t done so badly. The alternative is too horrendous to think about. These kinds of guys have to win. The oiks with the dodgy hair from Coney Island who make it big on Wall Street, they have to win. It’s all about the deal. And Cy’s won. He’s secured himself a discount of twenty per cent or more, and bought a piece of banking history.’

‘Complete with a couple of genuine toffs.’

‘Yup, that’s us. But it means he can’t blame us for anything he finds.’

‘True.’

‘The old order changes.’

‘It does. You know, Nige, I could have been a real banker.’

They go out to Joe’s Seafood Prime Steak and Crab. They are almost hysterical, the tension of the last few days dissipated. They may have been conned, but it could have been a lot worse. Julian has sold the bank and the scandal of malfeasance has been avoided and the trusts will be paid back in good time. Their flight isn’t until morning and they are stranded here and it feels like an adventure.

‘Do you really think we’re out of the woods, Nige?’

‘Looks like it.’

‘Who was giving him the information?’

‘I think it was the hedgies, probably Kevin and Paddy.’

‘After they came that close to bankrupting us, that’s marvellous. Why would they do it to us?’

‘Cy probably paid them, or one of them.’

‘Somebody had access, that’s sure.’