Спрут: Каліфорнійська історія

           “Ididnotdeny,Governor,fromtheverystartthatthiswouldmeanbribery.Butyoudon’tsupposethatIliketheideaeither.Iftherewasonelegitimatehopethatwasyetleftuntried,nomatterhowforlornitwas,Iwouldtryit.Butthere’snot.Itisliterallyandsoberlytruethateverymeansofhelp—everyhonestmeans—hasbeenattempted.Shelgrimisgoingtocinchus.Grainratesareincreasing,while,ontheotherhand,thepriceofwheatissagginglowerandlowerallthetime.Ifwedon’tdosomethingweareruined.”

           Ostermanpausedforamoment,allowingpreciselytherightnumberofsecondstoelapse,thenalteringandloweringhisvoice,added:

           “IrespecttheGovernor’sprinciples.Iadmirethem.Theydohimeverydegreeofcredit.”Then,turningdirectlytoMagnus,heconcludedwith,“ButIonlywantyoutoaskyourself,sir,if,atsuchacrisis,oneoughttothinkofoneself,toconsiderpurelypersonalmotivesinsuchadesperatesituationasthis?Now,wewantyouwithus,Governor;perhapsnotopenly,ifyoudon’twishit,buttacitly,atleast.Iwon’taskyouforananswerto-night,butwhatIdoaskofyouistoconsiderthismatterseriouslyandthinkoverthewholebusiness.Willyoudoit?”

           Ostermanceaseddefinitelytospeak,leaningforwardacrossthetable,hiseyesfixedonMagnus’sface.Therewasasilence.Outside,therainfellcontinuallywithaneven,monotonousmurmur.Inthegroupofmenaroundthetablenoonestirrednorspoke.TheylookedsteadilyatMagnus,who,forthemoment,kepthisglancefixedthoughtfullyuponthetablebeforehim.