Mr. Client’s eyes go all dark and thoughtful like Mr. Client is seeing the universe. Figure he’s a religious leader some kind of deep Catholic thing and people shake when he touches them and try to walk on broken legs, I’m sure that goes well for everyone.

“Mr. Price these cases contain conflict emeralds totaling one and a half million karats. They are of various sizes but generally with few inclusions, so the legitimate market value would be nearly a billion dollars if they were not also from war zones. As things are, they cannot be sold without a laundering process and in fact it is that process to which I object.”

“You do?”

“I object very much indeed. The reintroduction of these stones is being done through a false mining project in Egypt to fund an enterprise of which I greatly disapprove. At one time Egypt was a great producer of emeralds, and so the notion is not preposterous—but the fact is that the entire facility now exists solely to facilitate the appearance of wealth in a particular gentleman with whom I am in competition. Let us say that we have differing dreams for the same future.”

“Politics.”

“Yes, Mr. Price. Inevitably, politics.”

“I do not like politics Mr. Client but at the level of this operation one must simply hold one’s nose.”

“As in all things Mr. Price so too in our professional lives we must eventually contend with how the world is made, the place it is.”

“You would not like us to go and ask this gentleman to dream in some other direction?”

“I am afraid he would be replaced, Mr. Price. But in the event that the funding should dry up, the whole situation will become fluid, and in that moment, I may effect the results I desire. And on that note, Mr. Price, Mr. Sharkey tells me you are eager to demonstrate a deep subtlety in your modus.”

“O subtle actually comes out of my modus.”

“…Perhaps a problem in translation.”

“But your English is excellent.”

“Yes.”

“…”

“…”

“ANYWAY you were saying—”

“I must ask that you be discreet.”

“In practical terms we should talk thresholds and such, so: how discreet?”

“Deaths may be inevitable Mr. Price I accept this. It might be better if the bank were not in a position to admit to the theft, at least initially. Or perhaps if they were not aware, or simply were in such great turmoil for—let us say forty-eight hours—that they could not know for certain what had been taken.”

“That is achievable I am sure.”

“But noise…I do not wish noise. Nothing garish or obvious or loud that would spoil the timing of my own maneuvers.”

“I am positively mouselike Mr. Client.”

“Then let us drink a toast Mr. Price—to a truly phenomenal amount of cheese.”

—