Not a Penny More Not a Penny Less Read online

  Stephen could never treat any occasion as a celebration, and as soon as the servants had brought in the first course and left, he banged the table with a spoon and declared that the meeting was in progress.

  “Make me a promise,” said Jean-Pierre.

  “What’s that?” asked Stephen.

  “When we have every last penny back, I can sit at the top of the table and you won’t speak until you’re spoken to.”

  “Agreed,” said Stephen, “but not until we do have every last penny. The position at the moment is that we’ve received $777,560. Expenses on this operation have totaled $5,178, making a grand total of $27,661.24. Therefore, Metcalfe still owes us $250,101.24.”

  Stephen handed around a copy of the current balance sheet.

  “These sheets are to be added to your own folders as pages 63C. Any questions?”

  “Yes, why were the expenses so high for this operation?” asked Robin.

  “Well, over and above the obvious things,” said Stephen, “the truth is that we’ve been hit by the floating exchange rate of sterling against the dollar. At the beginning of this operation you could get $2.44 to the pound. This morning I could only get $2.32. I’m spending in pounds but charging Metcalfe in dollars at the going rate.”

  “Not going to let him off with one penny, are you?” said James.

  “Not one penny. Now, before we go on I should like to place on record…”

  “This gets more like a meeting of the House of Commons every time,” said Jean-Pierre.

  “Stop croaking, frog,” said Robin.

  “Listen, you Harley Street pimp.”

  Uproar broke out. The college scouts, who had seen some rowdy gatherings in their time, wondered if they would have to be called in to help before the evening was completed.

  “Quiet,” the sharp, senatorial voice of Stephen brought them all back to order. “I know you’re in high spirits, but we still have to get $250,101.24.”

  “We must on no account forget the 24 cents, Stephen.”

  “You weren’t as noisy the first time you had dinner here, Jean-Pierre:

  The man that once did sell the lion’s skin

  While the beast liv’d, was killed with hunting him.” The table went silent.

  “Harvey still owes the Team money and it’ll be just as hard to acquire the last quarter as it was with the first three-quarters. Before I hand over to James, I’d like to place on record that his performance at the Clarendon was nothing less than brilliant.”

  Robin and Jean-Pierre banged the table in appreciation and agreement.

  “Now, James, we’re all ears.”

  Once again the room fell into silence.

  “My plan is nearly complete,” began James.

  The others looked disbelieving.

  “But I have something to tell you, which I hope will allow me a short respite before we carry it out.”

  “You’re going to get married.”

  “Quite right, Jean-Pierre, as usual.”

  “I could tell the moment you walked in. When do we meet her, James?”

  “Not until it’s too late for her to change her mind, Jean-Pierre.”

  Stephen consulted his diary.

  “How much reprieve are you asking for?”

  “Well, Anne and I are getting married on August 3rd, in Boston. Anne’s mother is American,” explained James, “and although Anne lives in England, it would please her mother if she was married at home. Then there’ll be the honeymoon and after that we anticipate returning to England on August 25th. My plan for Mr. Metcalfe ought to be carried out on September 15th, the closing day of the Stock Exchange account.”

  “I’m sure that’s acceptable, James. All agreed?”

  Robin and Jean-Pierre nodded.

  James launched into his plan.

  “I shall require a telex and seven telephones. They’ll need to be installed in my flat. Jean-Pierre will have to be in Paris at the Bourse, Stephen in Chicago on the commodity market and Robin in London at Lloyds. I will present a full blue dossier as soon as I return from my honeymoon.”

  They were all struck dumb with admiration and James paused for dramatic effect.

  “Very good, James,” said Stephen. “We’ll await the details with interest. What further instructions do you have?”

  “First, Stephen, you must know the opening and closing price of gold in Johannesburg, Zürich, New York and London each day for the next month. Jean-Pierre, you must know the price of the Deutsche mark, the French franc and the pound against the dollar every day during the same period, and Robin must master a telex machine and PBX 8-line switchboard by September 2nd. You must be as competent as an international operator.”

  “Always get the easy jobs, Robin, don’t you?” said Jean-Pierre.

  “You can…”

  “Shut up, both of you,” said James.

  Their faces registered surprise and respect.

  “I’ve made notes for all of you to work on.”

  James handed two typewritten sheets to each member of the Team.

  “You add these to your dossiers as pages 74 and 75 and they should keep you occupied for at least a month. Finally, you’re all invited to the wedding of Miss Anne Summerton to James Brigsley. I shan’t bother issuing you with formal invitations at such short notice, but I’ve reserved seats for us on a 747 on the afternoon of August 2nd and we’re all booked in at the Ritz in Boston for the night. I hope you’ll honor me by being ushers.”

  Even James was impressed by his own efficiency. The others received the plane tickets and instructions with astonishment.

  “We’ll meet at the airport at 3 P.M. and during the flight I shall test you on your dossier notes.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Jean-Pierre.

  “Your test, Jean-Pierre, will be in both French and English, as you’ll be required to converse in two languages over a transatlantic telephone, and appear expert on foreign currency exchange.”

  There were no more jokes about James that evening, and as he traveled back up the motorway he felt a new man. Not only had he been the star of the Oxford plan; now he had the other three on the run. He would come out on top and do his old pa yet.

  Chapter Nineteen

  FOR A CHANGE James was the first to arrive at a meeting and the others joined him at Heathrow. He had gained the upper hand and was determined not to lose it. Robin arrived last, clutching an armful of newspapers.

  “We’re only going to be away for two days,” said Stephen.

  “I know, but I always miss the English papers, so I’ve brought enough for tomorrow as well.”

  Jean-Pierre threw his arms up in Gallic despair.

  They checked their luggage through the No. 3 Terminal and boarded the British Airways 747 flight to Logan International Airport.

  “It’s more like a football ground,” said Robin, stepping for the first time inside a jumbo jet.

  “It holds 350 people. About the size of the crowds most of your English clubs deserve,” said Jean-Pierre.

  “Cut it out,” said James sternly, not realizing that they were both nervous passengers and were only trying to relieve the tension. Later, during takeoff, they both pretended to read, but as soon as the plane reached 3,000 feet and the little white light that says “fasten seat belts” switched off, they were back in top form.

  The Team chewed its way stolidly through a plastic dinner of cold chicken and Algerian red wine.

  “I do hope, James,” said Jean-Pierre, “that your father-in-law will feed us a little better.”

  After the meal James allowed them to watch the film, but insisted that as soon as it was over they must prepare to be tested one by one. Robin and Jean-Pierre moved back fifteen rows to watch The Sting. Stephen stayed in his seat to be grilled by James.

  James handed Stephen a typewritten sheet of forty questions on the price of gold all over the world and the market movements during the past four weeks. Stephen completed it in twenty-two minutes, and it came