unsaid because he had seen the sick expression on Arthurâs face.
âKarakov can market them,â Julius Heyderman said. âAnd my information is that heâs about to sign an agreement with Moscow which makes him their sole outlet onto the world markets. By-passing us and breaking the cartel thatâs held the industry together since my grandfather bought out Barnato. We have a monopoly on distribution, gentlemen, and that monopoly is vital if diamonds are to keep their value. The trade doesnât like us, but without us they wouldnât have survived. The bottom would have fallen out of the market for industrials and gems when the world went into recession in the Thirties. We are diamonds. If our grip on prices is broken by Karakov or any other bastard, we go down and the whole industry falls with us.â
There was a silence then.
Finally David Wasserman said, âHe could try it and heâd enjoy the risk. Heâs an egomaniac.â He said it again, âHe just could try itââ
âAnd succeed,â Heyderman said harshly. âHe is to the jewellery trade what we are to the rough trade. He cuts, sets and sells everything he buys. Heâs the only real heavyweight since Harry Winston, and Christ knows, he gave trouble enough ⦠Reece, you have the figures for Karakovâs turnover for the year?â
Reece got up, taking a sheaf of papers from his briefcase. âI have them here, Mr Julius.â He always addressed his employer in the terminology of a past generation, before the false chumminess of Christian names became common usage. He cleared his throat slightly. âThe house in Paris and the secondary establishments in London, New York and Hong Kong sold nearly a billion dollarsâ worth of goods last year. The big Middle East clients, like Prince Abdullah now like to buy direct from Paris. I havenât got the exact figures but I expect to get them in the next few weeks, and Iâll let you have them immediately.â
God knows, Hastings thought, how he managed to get copies of Karakovâs company accounts.
Industrial espionage was widely practised in all the major industries throughout the world. Morally indefensible, but one of the hard facts of business life. That was Reeceâs sphere of operations. He produced the results, and nobody asked him how he got his information. Someone in Karakovâs organization, in a senior position in the accounts department, had passed on those figures, and only Reece would ever know who it was.
âWeâll stop Karakov, of course,â Arthur Harris said. âThe thing I propose is to fly to Paris this evening and see Ivan myself. Talk to him face to face. Iâm sure I can make him see reason. He canât be unaware of the long-term consequences of this deal with Russia.â
âHeâs Russian born,â Kruger remarked. âHeâd like to be back in the fold now capitalism is the new creed. I think Davidâs right; heâs all ego.â
He was trying to warn Arthur Harris not to take on something that would fatally damage him if it failed. Harris understood the warning, but he had to do something to regain the initiative. So far Julius Heyderman had completely dominated the meeting. He said, âI think heâll talk to me. Weâve always had a friendly relationship.â
For a moment, Hastings saw Heyderman glance at his brother-in-law, and then, with a slight shrug, turn to Reece.
âHave you got a copy of that confidential letter Karakov sent to Mirkovitch in July?â
Again the briefcase opened and the photocopy was in his hand; it was like watching a magician doing card tricks.
âRead it,â Heyderman said flatly. âJust the relevant paragraphs.â
Reece slipped on his glasses; they gave him a sinister aspect, thick rimmed with wide black side pieces.
He scanned down the page. âItâs here,â he said, not looking up at
Carol Durand, Summer Prescott