‘Had to,’ Haut said and then delivered a biblical quotation: ‘“ ‘Not by Might; nor by power; but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord.” Those blokes sniff fear much like Mac does.’ Haut then gave his trademark stuttering chortle. ‘Besides, I was relying on you.’

‘What?’

‘I knew you had your gun inside that suitcase. I could see you edging it closer to your hand.’

‘Don’t know if I would have used it.’

Haut laughed again.

‘C’mon, Vic! Your reputation precedes you.’

‘I hope not. Won’t last long if it ever does. I suppose Wombat said something?’

‘Only obliquely. He just thought we should meet for security purposes.’

‘Meaning?’

‘With these mining discoveries, one day I’m going to need security services.’

‘I’m not in that business.’ Cavalier paused and, thinking of Haut’s alleged part in his daughter’s survival, added: ‘Although I could make an exception, under certain circumstances.’

*

Cavalier had enough material on Haut for a freelance Saturday magazine article entitled ‘Survival in the Wild West of Tasmania’. He quoted Haut’s claims with some caution, and tried to obtain comment from Conquer. They denied they had pressured Haut in any way and threatened to sue the magazine if a derogatory piece was published. Cavalier, as usual, had to fight the publication’s lawyers over the story. They didn’t like the references to Conquer’s ruthless tactics to acquire oil leases over the decades. The piece was watered down to Haut’s struggles as an independent geologist–miner trying to build a mining business. There was a brief comment about his odd association with a bikie gang, and the burial of its commander, but no mention of the office confrontation.

Cavalier’s questions to Conquer, and the subsequent article, were sent to the company’s HQ in Paris. The head of corporate relations marked the article as ‘benign’ but categorised the questions as ‘potentially hostile to corporate activity’.

A file on Cavalier was begun.

10 THE OFFER

10

THE OFFER

‘The article on Haut was published last weekend,’ Cavalier told Wombat when they met at the cricket bar of Melbourne’s Windsor Hotel on Spring Street.

‘I read it.’

‘It was too soft for my liking. The lawyers held sway.’

‘Might have been a good thing. You don’t want Conquer treating you the way they have Al.’

They sat quietly for a minute and looked out at the grand state parliamentary building, designed in the mid-nineteenth century.

‘I cut out some of the more spiritual stuff,’ Cavalier said. ‘The rational, pragmatic material was fine, but even some of that was too fantastic for public consumption.’

‘Big Brother is very happy with your deeper report,’ Wombat replied. ‘It wants to pay you for it.’

‘Not necessary. The magazine has paid for the feature.’

‘They’re insistent.’

‘How much?’

‘Fifteen thousand.’

‘Tell them to send a cheque to the Bradman Foundation. Earmark the money for development of young Indigenous cricketers in remote areas.’

‘You serious?’