Ностромо
Chapter 6
Ontheotherhand,Europemustbekeptoutofthiscontinent,andforproperinterferenceonourpartthetimeisnotyetripe,Idaresay.Butwehere—wearenotthiscountry’sGovernment,neitherarewesimplesouls.Youraffairisallright.Themainquestionforusiswhetherthesecondpartner,andthat’syou,istherightsorttoholdhisownagainstthethirdandunwelcomepartner,whichisoneoranotherofthehighandmightyrobbergangsthatruntheCostaguanaGovernment.Whatdoyouthink,Mr.Gould,eh?”
HebentforwardtolooksteadilyintotheunflinchingeyesofCharlesGould,who,rememberingthelargeboxfullofhisfather’sletters,puttheaccumulatedscornandbitternessofmanyyearsintothetoneofhisanswer—
“Asfarastheknowledgeofthesemenandtheirmethodsandtheirpoliticsisconcerned,Icananswerformyself.IhavebeenfedonthatsortofknowledgesinceIwasaboy.Iamnotlikelytofallintomistakesfromexcessofoptimism.”
“Notlikely,eh?That’sallright.Tactandastiffupperlipiswhatyou’llwant;andyoucouldbluffalittleonthestrengthofyourbacking.Nottoomuch,though.Wewillgowithyouaslongasthethingrunsstraight.Butwewon’tbedrawnintoanylargetrouble.ThisistheexperimentwhichIamwillingtomake.Thereissomerisk,andwewilltakeit;butifyoucan’tkeepupyourend,wewillstandourloss,ofcourse,andthen—we’llletthethinggo.
