A Dangerous Fortune - Ken Follett [75]
“There are times when you have no choice.”
“But there are other times when it’s better to tread softly, Papa. Think of Samuel Pilaster, and his milk-and-water objections to dealing in guns. I got him out of the way without bloodshed, didn’t I?” In fact Augusta had done it, but Micky had not told Papa that.
“I don’t know,” Papa said stubbornly. “When do I get the rifles?”
It was a sore point. Old Seth was still alive, still Senior Partner of Pilasters Bank. It was August. In September the winter snow would start to melt on the mountains of Santamaria. Papa wanted to go home—with his weapons. As soon as Joseph became Senior Partner, Edward would put the deal through and the guns would be shipped. But old Seth clung on with infuriating stubbornness to his post and his life.
“You’ll get them soon, Papa,” said Micky. “Seth can’t last much longer.”
“Good,” said Papa, with the smug expression of one who has won an argument.
Micky buttered a roll. It had always been like this. He could never please his father no matter how he tried.
He turned his mind to the day ahead. Tonio now owed money he could never pay. The next step was to turn a problem into a crisis. He wanted Edward and Tonio to quarrel publicly. If he could arrange that, Tonio’s disgrace would become general knowledge and he would be obliged to resign from his job and go home to Cordova. That would put him comfortably out of the reach of David Middleton.
Micky wanted to do all this without making an enemy of Tonio. For he had another purpose: he wanted Tonio’s job. Tonio could make matters difficult, if he felt so inclined, by maligning Micky to the minister. Micky wanted to persuade him to smooth the path.
The whole situation was complicated by the history of his relationship with Tonio. At school Tonio had hated and feared Micky; more recently Tonio had been admiring of him. Now Micky needed to become Tonio’s best friend—at the same time as he ruined his life.
While Micky was brooding over the tricky day ahead of him, there was a knock at the door to the room and the landlady announced a visitor. A moment later Tonio came in.
Micky had been planning to call on him after breakfast. This would save him the trouble.
“Sit down, have some coffee,” he said cheerfully. “Bad luck last night! Still, winning and losing, that’s what cards are all about.”
Tonio bowed to Papa and sat down. He looked as if he had not slept. “I lost more than I can afford,” he said.
Papa grunted impatiently. He had no patience with people feeling sorry for themselves, and anyway he despised the Silva family as lily-livered city dwellers who lived by patronage and corruption.
Micky pretended sympathy and said solemnly: “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“You know what it means. In this country, a man who doesn’t pay his gambling debts isn’t a gentleman. And a man who isn’t a gentleman can’t be a diplomat. I might have to resign and go home.”
Exactly, thought Micky; but he said in a sorrowful voice: “I do see the problem.”
Tonio went on: “You know what fellows are like about these things—if you don’t pay up the next day you’re already under suspicion. But it would take me years to pay back a hundred pounds. That’s why I’ve come to you.”
“I don’t understand,” said Micky, though he understood perfectly.
“Will you give me the money?” Tonio pleaded. “You’re Cordovan, not like these English; you don’t condemn a man for one mistake. And I would pay you back, eventually.”
“If I had the money I’d give it to you,” said Micky. “I wish I were that well off.”
Tonio looked at Papa, who stared at him coldly and said simply: “No.”
Tonio hung his head. “I’m such a fool about gambling,” he said in a hollow voice. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. If I go home in disgrace I won’t be able to face my family.”
Micky said thoughtfully: “Perhaps there is something else I can do to help.”
Tonio brightened. “Oh, please, anything!”
“Edward and I are good friends, as you know. I could speak to him on your behalf, explain