“Does it matter?”

Butler stood up, picked up his chair, and carried it forward five feet. It took him out of the direct beam of lamplight. When he sat down he said, “I spent my life as a military man. It’s a straightforward kind of profession, and you learn to tackle things directly, without beating around the bush-at least you do if you’re a good soldier. I’ll be direct with you, Villiers. If you were a blue-chip executive coming to me with this offer, I might not give a tinker’s damn what your reasons were. But one of the first things I learned at West Point was not to go into unknown country without prior reconnaissance. I’ve had you checked out pretty thoroughly.”

“And?”

“I’m not sure you’re the kind of man I’d want to do business with.”

“Then why are you here?” Villiers said, unaroused.

“I didn’t say I’d absolutely refuse to do business with you regardless of circumstances. I’m saying you’re going to have to convince me. Now, why do you want Heggins? To strip it of assets and close it down? Because if that’s your game, I won’t play it. I’ve got too many friends in the company. I won’t be a party to it if you intend to close the company down and lock them out.”

“Fine sentiments,” Villiers murmured. “But Heggins is going under, whether or not you sell out. What happens to all your good friends in the management when Heggins runs out of defense contracts?”

“We’ll limp along. Civil aircraft, an executive jet we’re designing, component parts. We’ve still got markets. I admit we may have to lay off labor, but they’re only hired on a contract-term basis anyway. It’s the cadre I’m concerned with. Forty or fifty top men.”

“If they’re good, they won’t have any trouble finding positions in other companies.”

“You’re admitting you’d close the company out if I sold it to you?”

“Nothing of the kind. I’m only trying to make you see that your sentimentality’s misplaced. Look here, Colonel, you helped the company once because you had the contacts to get government contracts. That’s over. You got passed over for promotion to brigadier general for the same reason you’ll let Heggins go under. You haven’t got what it takes to ramrod the company into shape. I have. I see a chance to build the company up and make a fortune out of it. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t offer to buy it. I’ve insulted you? Good. Let me tell you something, Colonel-you’re in a tight place now, your ability to deliver is on the line, and I’m the one who can bail you out. I’m offering you a stock swap with a sound chemical corporation which will give you fifty thousand shares of a rock-hard six-dollar stock in outright exchange for your Heggins shares, on which I’ll pay what you owe in your margin account. And I’m offering you options on twenty-five thousand shares of the same chemical stock at fifty cents over the going market, exercisable anytime in the next two years.”

“What chemical company?”

“I’m not at liberty to say. If you come into the deal, you’ll be informed.”

“I’m not a country boy either, you know. I don’t sign blank checks. For all I know, you’re offering me fifty thousand shares of an on-paper corporation which won’t cost you anything to issue but six dollars and ninety-five cents in printing bills.” Butler stared at him with fierce challenge.

Villiers’ eyelids dropped, covering his thoughts. He said, “I think you’re in the wrong game, Colonel. Don’t you realize how easily I can cripple you? All I have to do is start selling Heggins stock short to drive the price down. If I start a rumor that your sales are slipping, your sales will slip. Once the price of your Heggins stock drops enough you’ll have to come up with more margin, and when you don’t they’ll sell you out. I’ll step in and buy, and you’ll be toppled from control without a thing to show for it. I’m offering you a chance to avoid that. I’m offering you cash. I guarantee the stock you’ll get in exchange for your Heggins will be worth a minimum of six dollars a share on the open market at the time of the trade. If it’s not, I’ll make up the difference out of my pocket. Three hundred thousand dollars guaranteed, for your interest in Heggins and your signature on a contract authorizing the merger. Options on more. Now, let’s have your decision.”

The colonel sat silent and surly, not meeting Villiers’ eyes. After a long time he said in a smaller voice than he had used heretofore, “My position in Heggins is worth more than three hundred thousand at the market.”

“Nuts. By the time you pay your creditors, you’ve got less than two hundred thousand equity. Quit sparring, I won’t bargain with you. My offer’s firm.”

“You’ll pay the creditors, is that what you’re saying?”

“Of course.” Yawning, Villiers patted his lips; he knew he had won-he was already beginning to lose interest. Butler searched his face intensely, quarreling with himself in silence, but Villiers’ opaque eyes blocked all inquiry, turned the appraisal back, as effectively as if they had been the eyes of a dead man. He had long ago learned not to give anything away with his face.

Butler said finally, aimless and without strength, “How do I know you’ll treat my people fairly?”

“You don’t. They’ll take their chances-we all do.”

“You drive a sonofabitching hard bargain.”

“I’m not running a charity institution. Your conscience is your own affair-I’m only offering money. If you’re worried about your friends, maybe you ought to try to use your influence to get them commissions in the Air Force.”

Butler stood up. “I could fight you, you know.”

“You could,” Villiers agreed.

“I could make it tough for you to get your hands on Heggins.”

“No. I’m not that desperate to own it. You put up a fight, and I’ll drop out. Then where are you? The company still dies.”

“It would give me one hell of a pleasure to spit in your face. I wish I could afford to.” Butler turned toward the door. “Let me know when the papers are ready for my signature.”

Villiers didn’t stir when the colonel walked out. He sat still for several minutes before he got up to replace the chairs on their original sites. He was reaching up under the shade to switch off the lamp when the door opened.

Ginger Hackman said, “Being exclusive, Mace?” She came inside and shut the door behind her. Villiers straightened, unsmiling. She stood just inside the door, slightly slumped, eyelids drooping; her eyes, beautiful and slanted with wary, rancorousirony, were bright and clever, and often wounded-the wisdom of frank cynicism that had come from rebuffed idealism. She said in a voice that seemed more resigned than eager, “I was wondering if you were feeling athletic. You used to, in the middle of a business deal.”

“Trouble in paradise so soon, Ginger?”

She smoothed down her skirt with lingering, suggestive hands. “All he wants at home is a mother and housekeeper. He saves all his fun and games for his other girls-his toys.”

“There are seventy-five people out there.”

Ginger turned the lock. “I’m not worried if you’re not.”

Villiers smiled a little. Ginger gave him a watchful look that turned playful. “Maybe you’d rather take it up with our Hollywood friend, out there shaking her big bloated boobs all over everybody. Maybe you’d rather climb into her big juicy saddle and score with her?”

“What’s the matter?” he said, his voice low and husky.

“I don’t know. I guess I’m sore at myself. Wouldn’t you be? No, hell no; you wouldn’t.” She moved forward until he felt the warmth of her legs moving close against him. She uttered a short nervous little gasp when he touched her. Her eyes were open wide; she kissed him with moist warmth and suction, whiskey on her breath. He felt coiling spasms in his groin, his genitals engorging, trying to swell free; her hand slid down his fly to the distended cloth, unzipped him, and reached inside to clutch him. As strength flowed into his hard penis, it came out, rising with eager stiffness into her hand. She stepped away from him abruptly, presenting her back, and he opened the dress and watched her step out of it. The strapless bra bit into the velvet of her back; he unsnapped it and watched it fall free of her round, brown-tipped breasts as she turned, smiled, slid tawny panties down her long legs, and lay back on the bed. She watched him with heavy-lidded eyes; she was caressing her soft pubic bush. She leaned back, thrusting it toward him. Her knees separated and arched, her thighs twisted, and she presented to him her emerging vaginal slit, the pink lips swelling. “Well?” she said. “Come on!”