Чужак в чужой стране

           "Damnit,whycan’ttheboycomehomeandquitthisobscenepulpitpounding?"

           "Mmm?Jubal,that’snotquitewhathe’sdoing."Benadded,"I’vejustcomefromthere."

           "Huh?Whydidn’tyousayso?"

           Bensighed."Firstyouwantedtotalkart,thenyouwantedtosingtheblues,thenyouwantedtogossip.WhatchancehaveIhad?"

           "Uh?conceded.Youhavethefloor."

           "IwascomingbackfromcoveringtheCapeTownconference;Isqueezedoutadayandvisitedthem.WhatIsawworriedthehelloutofme–somuchsothatIstoppedjustlongenoughinWashingtontogetafewcolumnsahead,thencamestraighthere.Jubal,couldn’tyourigitwithDouglastoshutoffthefaucetandclosedownthisoperation?"

           Jubalshookhishead."Inthefirstplace,Iwouldn’t.WhatMikedoeswithhislifeishisbusiness."

           "YouwouldifyouhadseenwhatIsaw."

           "NotI!ButinthesecondplaceIcan’t.NorcanDouglas."

           "Jubal,youknowquitewellthatMikewouldacceptanydecisionyoumadeabouthismoney.Heprobablywouldn’tevenunderstandit–andhecertainlywouldn’tquestionit."

           "Ah,buthewouldunderstandit!Ben,recentlyMikemadehiswill,drewituphimself–noattorney–andsentittometocriticize.Ben,itwasoneoftheshrewdestlegaldocumentsI’veeverseen.Herecognizedthathehadmorewealththanhisheirscouldpossiblyneed–soheusedhalfhismoneytoguardtheotherhalf?riggeditsothatanyonewhoconteststhewilldoessotohisowngreatdisadvantage.