Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less by Jeffrey Archer Read Free Book Online

the
geologist’s report, and that makes pretty good reading. The problem is that the shares are already
going up fast and although I am convinced they will reach twenty dollars, there
is little time to waste.”
    Stephen glanced at the geologist’s report,
thinking he would study it carefully later.
    “How does one go about an investment of this
sort?” he enquired.
    “Well, you find yourself a respectable
stockbroker, buy as many shares as you can afford and then await the
announcement of the strike. I’ll keep you informed on how things are going and
advise you when I feel it’s the best time to sell.”
    “That would be extremely thoughtful of you,
David.”
    “It’s the least I can do after all the help
you gave me with math at Harvard.”
    “Oh, that was nothing. Let’s go and have
some dinner.”
    Stephen led David to the college dining
hall, an oblong, oak-panelled room covered in pictures of past presidents of
Magdalen, bishops and academics. The long wooden tables on which the
undergraduates were eating filled the body of the hall, but Stephen shuffled up
to the High Table and proffered David a comfortable seat. The undergraduates
were a noisy, enthusiastic bunch–Stephen didn’t notice them though David was
enjoying the new experience.
    The meal was formidable and David wondered
how Stephen kept so thin with such daily temptations (seven courses are not
unusual at Magdalen High Table). When they reached the port Stephen suggested
they return to his rooms rather than join the crusty old dons in the Senior
Common Room.
    Late into the night, over the rubicund
Magdalen port, they talked about North Sea oil and Boolean algebra, each
admiring the other for the mastery of his subject. Stephen, like most
academics, was fairly credulous outside the bounds of his own discipline. He
began to think that an investment in Discovery Oil would be a very astute move
on his part.
    In the morning, they strolled in the famous
Addison’s walk near Magdalen, where the grass grows green and lush by the
Cherwell. Reluctantly, David caught the 11 A.M. train back to London. He had
enjoyed his stay at Oxford and hoped he had been able to help his old Harvard
friend, who in the past had done so much for him.
     
    “Good morning, David.”
    “Good morning, Bernie.”
    “I thought I ought to let you know I spent
the evening with a friend at Oxford, and he may invest some money in the
company. The sum could be as high as $250,000.”
    “Well done, keep up the good work. You’re
doing a great job, David.” Silverstein showed no surprise at David’s news, but
once back in his office he picked up the red telephone.
    “Harvey?”
    “Yes.”
    “Kesler seems to have been the right choice.
He may have talked a friend of his to invest $250,000 in the company.”
    “Good, now listen, brief my broker to put
forty thousand shares on the market at just over six dollars a share. If Kesler’s
friend does decide to invest in the company, mine will be the only shares
available.”
    After a further day’s thought, Stephen
noticed that the shares of Discovery Oil had moved from $5.75 to $6.05 and
decided the time had come to invest in what he was now convinced was a winner.
He trusted David, and had been impressed by the geologist’s report. He rang
Kitcat & Aitken, a distinguished firm of stockbrokers in the City of
London, and instructed them to buy $250,000 worth of shares in Discovery Oil.
Harvey Metcalfe’s broker released 40,000 shares when Stephen’s request came
onto the floor of the market and the transaction was quickly completed. Stephen’s
purchase price of $6.10 included the dollar premium.
    Stephen had invested everything he had and
over the next few days he happily watched the shares climb to seven dollars,
even before the expected announcement. Though Stephen didn’t realise it, it was
his own investment that had caused the shares to rise. He began to wonder what he
would spend his profit on even before he had made