Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Lost Special
Well,imaginesomeofthegreatestmeninFranceastheseninepinsandthenthisMonsieurCaratalwastheballwhichcouldbeseencomingfromfaraway.Ifhearrived,thenitwaspop,pop,popforallofthem.Itwasdeterminedthatheshouldnotarrive.
"Idonotaccusethemallofbeingconsciousofwhatwastohappen.Therewere,asIhavesaid,greatfinancialaswellaspoliticalinterestsatstake,andasyndicatewasformedtomanagethebusiness.Somesubscribedtothesyndicatewhohardlyunderstoodwhatwereitsobjects.Butothersunderstoodverywell,andtheycanrelyuponitthatIhavenotforgottentheirnames.TheyhadamplewarningthatMonsieurCaratalwascominglongbeforeheleftSouthAmerica,andtheyknewthattheevidencewhichheheldwouldcertainlymeanruintoallofthem.Thesyndicatehadthecommandofanunlimitedamountofmoney—absolutelyunlimited,youunderstand.Theylookedroundforanagentwhowascapableofwieldingthisgiganticpower.Themanchosenmustbeinventive,resolute,adaptive—amaninamillion.TheychoseHerbertdeLernac,andIadmitthattheywereright.
"Mydutiesweretochoosemysubordinates,tousefreelythepowerwhichmoneygives,andtomakecertainthatMonsieurCaratalshouldneverarriveinParis.WithcharacteristicenergyIsetaboutmycommissionwithinanhourofreceivingmyinstructions,andthestepswhichItookweretheverybestforthepurposewhichcouldpossiblybedevised.
"AmanwhomIcouldtrustwasdispatchedinstantlytoSouthAmericatotravelhomewithMonsieurCaratal.
