That their host was an enormously wealthy man was already obvious to his visitors. Eritas was also inordinately fat, so hugely obese in all directions that he virtually filled the doorway. The belt that could stretch around his middle would have been long enough to tie up the US Naval fleet, and no pair of trousers on earth could be made with a waistline super-sized enough to contain his bulk. Instead he wore a flowery, colourful kind of kaftan that ballooned out over his bulging stomach like a maternity dress and hung almost to the floor. His hair was long and straggly, and his beard could have belonged to a castaway on a desert island. Behind the beard he was smiling. But in one chubby hand he held a very large stainless-steel Magnum revolver.

‘Mr Hope, Mr Wolf, it’s a pleasure to meet you both. Please, come on in.’

Ben pointed at the gun. ‘Another security measure?’

Eritas shrugged. ‘Regrettably, yes. The mere fact that you’re not armed doesn’t necessarily guarantee my safety. The gun is loaded, and while I assure you that I have no intention of using it unless provoked I’m afraid that, if I do feel threatened at any time, I’m going to have to shoot you.’

Chapter 44

‘Then we’ll have to make sure we don’t make you feel that way,’ Ben said.

Eritas shifted his monumental mass back from the doorway to let them through. Ben and Wolf now found themselves entering a vast living area dominated by tall windows that overlooked a dusky valley and the rocky coastline. The stars were beginning to come out, twinkling over the darkening ocean.

Ben realised that Eritas’ incredible home was constructed right through the base of the hill and must be buried almost entirely underground. Like the rest of the place, the decor in the living area was sparse and minimalistic. A flat-screen TV as big as a Delacroix painting hung above a modernistic fireplace. The only other wall adornment was a six-foot chrome-plated crucifix. A big man needed a big cross. The furniture was contemporary avant-garde, like something Andy Warhol might have designed. Eritas invited them to sit on a matching pair of armchairs that were far too narrow for his bulk. Maybe they were for guests only, Ben thought, or maybe the man had just outgrown them.

‘Would you care for a drink? I only have beer. Never touch spirits.’

‘No, thanks.’