"I shall be glad when this business is over," said Rene, with a sigh of
satisfaction. "I am a banker by profession. For me the ebb and flow of
trade, with its certainties and its discretions. But what would you?
Trade must be prepared for; doors that will not open must be forced;
those who stand in the way must be thrust aside. This Feisul is an
impossible fellow. He is a hypocrite, I tell you--one of those praters
about righteousness who won't understand that the church and the mosque
are the places for that sort of thing. Eh? You follow me? But tell
me, what has been done to Daulch, Hattin and Aubek? Were they backed
against a wall and shot? Who betrayed them? Too bad that such a plan
should fail, for it was perfect."
"Far from perfect," I answered; for that one piece of strategy I have
by heart--the way to make a man tell all he knows is to pretend to
superior knowledge.
"Heh? How could you improve on it? Three members of the staff to order
sauve-qui-peut unexpectedly, seize Feisul, and deliver him dead or
alive? What is better than that? But what has been done to the three?"
"Nothing," I answered.
"Just like him! just like him! I tell you, that man Feisul would
rather be a martyr than succeed at his proper business.
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