shivering like a malaria patient. Thispleased the OP immensely. He was not really a mean person—ask anybody—but he was only human. If he didn’t enjoy the fringe benefits of power, then he’d lack the motivation to keep his job, and then someone who really was mean would take his place. Then what would happen to cockroaches like Dupree?
“Monsieur OP,” the cockroach said, “it was only a theoretical question. I am sorry to have wasted your time.”
“ Au contraire , Monsieur Dupree. You said there really was such a stone. If you won’t tell me who your contact is, at least tell me more about the stone.”
“ Oui, monsieur . It is perhaps eighty carats in size—this is just a guess, monsieur—with a full color spectrum, but leaning towards blue. Ah yes, and it is as clear as water.”
“But that’s impossible! We’ve never had a gem-quality diamond exceed five carats, even in an uncut state. And that happened only once. A diamond like the one you describe might end up being fifty carats or more. It would be practically priceless.”
“Those are my thoughts as well, monsieur.”
Forget a chalet in the Ardennes, and screw the mistress in Brussels. A find such as this could mean a yacht, or a villa in the Italian lake country. And that is only if he went through the Consortium. For someone with his experience, and contacts in the cutting industry back in Antwerp—well, there would be risks. As it stood, the Consortium had to constantly watch its back, due to fierce resistance to its very existence by the South-African-dominated cartel. But the bigger the prize, the greater the risk. That’s how it had always been since the dawn of time. No matter how this played itself out, the OP was certain that it would get him out of the Congo, and away from that mummified woman he’d become embarrassed to call his wife.
“Monsieur Dupree, what were the circumstances under which you saw this stone? In the daylight? By lantern light? What?”
“ Monsieur , I have not seen it.”
“What the hell? But you—”
“Monsieur, I have an appointment to see it.”
“When?”
The postmaster was more devious than the OP had expected. He stood there silently, staring at his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing on the face of the planet. Well, at least he wasn’t entirely stupid.
“Very well, keep that information to yourself. But as soon as you’ve seen the stone, report back to me. If —and I think it’s a huge if—this turns out to be true, you, my friend will be rewarded handsomely.”
“Monsieur OP, my grandfather had no teeth and four chins, yet my grandmother thought he was handsome—if you get my meaning, monsieur.”
The OP laughed. “Don’t worry. The reward will be based on a percentage of the stone’s retail value. Say, one half of one percent?”
“ Oui, monsieur. Merci, monsieur .”
The man darted for the door like a frightened rabbit. “One more thing, Monsieur Dupree. How much do you know about diamonds? Have you ever even seen one close up? An uncut stone, that is.”
“Monsieur OP, before I came to Africa, I worked for six years as a cutter in Antwerp. It’s in my file, sir.”
Now that was interesting. “But you don’t wear glasses, Monsieur Dupree.”
“Correct, Monsieur OP. When my vision began to be compromised, as happens to most cutters, I asked for a transfer to another branch of the business. The only opening was here. I could hardly pass it up, could I, monsieur? It being Africa—every young man’s dream.”
“Right. What you’re saying though, is that you would know a diamond if you saw one. And that you could estimate its cut and weight.”
“ Oui, monsieur . As well as its color and clarity. These are all things one learns in cutting school.”
“ Bien .” The OP stood. He would personally escort the postmaster to the front door. When he swung open the door to his office, he almost gave young Flanders a broken nose.
“What the hell are
“Monsieur OP,” the cockroach said, “it was only a theoretical question. I am sorry to have wasted your time.”
“ Au contraire , Monsieur Dupree. You said there really was such a stone. If you won’t tell me who your contact is, at least tell me more about the stone.”
“ Oui, monsieur . It is perhaps eighty carats in size—this is just a guess, monsieur—with a full color spectrum, but leaning towards blue. Ah yes, and it is as clear as water.”
“But that’s impossible! We’ve never had a gem-quality diamond exceed five carats, even in an uncut state. And that happened only once. A diamond like the one you describe might end up being fifty carats or more. It would be practically priceless.”
“Those are my thoughts as well, monsieur.”
Forget a chalet in the Ardennes, and screw the mistress in Brussels. A find such as this could mean a yacht, or a villa in the Italian lake country. And that is only if he went through the Consortium. For someone with his experience, and contacts in the cutting industry back in Antwerp—well, there would be risks. As it stood, the Consortium had to constantly watch its back, due to fierce resistance to its very existence by the South-African-dominated cartel. But the bigger the prize, the greater the risk. That’s how it had always been since the dawn of time. No matter how this played itself out, the OP was certain that it would get him out of the Congo, and away from that mummified woman he’d become embarrassed to call his wife.
“Monsieur Dupree, what were the circumstances under which you saw this stone? In the daylight? By lantern light? What?”
“ Monsieur , I have not seen it.”
“What the hell? But you—”
“Monsieur, I have an appointment to see it.”
“When?”
The postmaster was more devious than the OP had expected. He stood there silently, staring at his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing on the face of the planet. Well, at least he wasn’t entirely stupid.
“Very well, keep that information to yourself. But as soon as you’ve seen the stone, report back to me. If —and I think it’s a huge if—this turns out to be true, you, my friend will be rewarded handsomely.”
“Monsieur OP, my grandfather had no teeth and four chins, yet my grandmother thought he was handsome—if you get my meaning, monsieur.”
The OP laughed. “Don’t worry. The reward will be based on a percentage of the stone’s retail value. Say, one half of one percent?”
“ Oui, monsieur. Merci, monsieur .”
The man darted for the door like a frightened rabbit. “One more thing, Monsieur Dupree. How much do you know about diamonds? Have you ever even seen one close up? An uncut stone, that is.”
“Monsieur OP, before I came to Africa, I worked for six years as a cutter in Antwerp. It’s in my file, sir.”
Now that was interesting. “But you don’t wear glasses, Monsieur Dupree.”
“Correct, Monsieur OP. When my vision began to be compromised, as happens to most cutters, I asked for a transfer to another branch of the business. The only opening was here. I could hardly pass it up, could I, monsieur? It being Africa—every young man’s dream.”
“Right. What you’re saying though, is that you would know a diamond if you saw one. And that you could estimate its cut and weight.”
“ Oui, monsieur . As well as its color and clarity. These are all things one learns in cutting school.”
“ Bien .” The OP stood. He would personally escort the postmaster to the front door. When he swung open the door to his office, he almost gave young Flanders a broken nose.
“What the hell are
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