Stone's Fall

'Yankee lawyers, mainly. He is the living proof of Laird's culpability. Great Britain maintains that the conversion of the Alabama was entirely out of its control. Everyone knows this is a fiction, but it will hold as long as there is no proof. Macintyre is that proof, and there are many people who would dearly like a conversation with him. And, I suspect, would pay high for the opportunity. He was paid off and told to lie low until the matter was settled. And I was hired to make sure that he does. Which is why I am here.'

'Who hired you?'

'Well, that I cannot say. Your Government, Laird's, Lloyd's of London. Should this lawsuit go badly it would cost a great deal in money and reputation. So as I was out of a job at the time . . .'

'What do you mean?'

He shrugged. 'I have no country, and do not wish to live amongst my conquerors. And I am – or was – a soldier. What should I do? Herd cows in Texas for the rest of my life? No; when all was lost, I came to England to seek work. This is what I found. It is not the best of jobs, but it will do for the moment.'

'I see. You are a most interesting man, Mr Drennan.'

'No. But I have had an interesting life. If you can call it that.'

'And Macintyre cannot go back to England?'

'Not until this is settled. I wanted him to go to Greece, change his name, but this is as far as he would travel.'

'You can be assured that I – and my friend in London – will be absolutely discreet on the subject.'

'Thank you.'

'And he doesn't want to leave Venice?'

'Not yet.'

'And if he decides to go back to England?'

'Then it will be my job to stop him.'

'How?'

Drennan shrugged. 'I will worry about that when it happens. At the moment, he seems perfectly happy here. Which is a pleasant change from the Corts.'

'A disturbed man,' I observed.

'Yes. But if I was married to a woman like that, so would I be.'

'I beg your pardon?' It was offensive, gratuitously so. But I looked at him and he stared evenly back. He knew exactly what he was saying; was saying it deliberately.

'I went on a boat ride with her; she invited me. We went to the Lido, although I wanted to tour the inner lagoon. I found her behaviour unfortunate.'

'Did you?'

'I did. And now it is time for me to leave. As you know, I have a half-hour walk back to my lodging. Good evening to you.'

When I left him I walked over to Macintyre's workshop; I could have got there much faster had I hurried, but I had much to think about. Drennan had very carefully given me a warning. From someone like Longman or Marangoni, I would have dismissed it out of hand as the remarks of a vulgarian, but Drennan I took seriously. He was not a man to gossip or to invent stories. What he said could not possibly be true, I was sure of that, but I wondered what his reasoning was. There was no obvious answer. But there were other questions now welling up in my mind as well.

I found Bartoli alone in the workshed, and greeted him. We talked for a while, and I expressed an entirely false disappointment that Macintyre wasn't there.

'He's gone to feed his daughter,' Bartoli said, speaking English in a thick accent.

'You speak well,' I replied. 'When did you learn?'

'Here and there,' he said. 'I lived in England for a while, and then met Mr Macintyre in Toulon. I learned much from him.'

'It is unusual, isn't it? To travel like that? Why did you do it?'

He shrugged. 'I wanted to learn,' he said. 'And there is not much chance of that here.'

'You are Venetian?'

'No,' he said scornfully. 'I come from Padua. I hate it here.'

'Why is that?'

'They are lazy. All they want to do is live, and die.'

He spoke in short, sharp sentences; he said what he wanted to, then stopped. There was no ornament about his words, which was refreshing although slightly disconcerting.

'Is this second test going to work as well as the first?' I asked abruptly.

'Of course. Why do you ask?'

'Because Mr Macintyre has asked me to look at his books. The money. And they are in a bad state. I am worried for him.'

He nodded. 'I, also,' he said. 'Very worried. He is a good man. A fine engineer. But he is not very sensible. You know what I mean?'

'I do. And he is in a very dangerous position. You too, I suppose, as your job depends on this.'

He shrugged. 'There are other jobs. But I want Mr Macintyre to be successful. He would die of disappointment. It will be a success. It will work as well at the next test as it did at the first. I am sure of it.'

'That's unfortunate,' I said quietly.

Bartoli looked at me. 'Why do you say that?'

I took a deep breath. 'I will tell you,' I said. 'But you must give me your word you will say nothing to anyone else.'

'I do.'

'Good. Then listen carefully. Mr Macintyre has borrowed money foolishly. If this machine of his fails next week, then he will get no more. He will be bankrupt. He will not be able to continue his work here. You understand?'

'I know this.'