Королі та капуста
“Fox-in-the-Morning”
Thetelegram,whichhadremainedunintelligibletotheAnchurianlinguistswhohadappliedtoitinvaintheirknowledgeofSpanishandelementalEnglish,conveyedastimulatingpieceofnewstoGoodwin’sunderstanding.Itinformedhimthatthepresidentoftherepublichaddecampedfromthecapitalcitywiththecontentsofthetreasury.Furthermore,thathewasaccompaniedinhisflightbythatwinningadventuressIsabelGuilbert,theoperasinger,whosetroupeofperformershadbeenentertainedbythepresidentatSanMateoduringthepastmonthonascalelessmodestthanthatwithwhichroyalvisitorsareoftencontent.Thereferencetothe"jack-rabbitline"couldmeannothingelsethanthemule-backsystemoftransportthatprevailedbetweenCoralioandthecapital.Thehintthatthe"boodle"was"sixfiguresshort"madetheconditionofthenationaltreasurylamentablyclear.Alsoitwasconvincinglytruethattheingoingparty—itswaynowmadeapacificone—wouldneedthe"spondulicks."Unlessitspledgesshouldbefulfilled,andthespoilsheldforthedelectationofthevictors,precariousindeed,wouldbethepositionofthenewgovernment.Thereforeitwasexceedingnecessaryto"collarthemainguy,"andrecapturethesinewsofwarandgovernment.
GoodwinhandedthemessagetoKeogh.
"Readthat,Billy,"hesaid."It’sfromBobEnglehart.Canyoumanagethecipher?"
Keoghsatintheotherhalfofthedoorway,andcarefullyperusedthetelegram.
"’Tisnotacipher,"hesaid,finally.
