Роберт Фиш - The Wager

“The sooner the better,” Girard said in his harsh voice, and looked at the briefcase again with avid eyes.

“But before we do,” Kek went on evenly, “I should like to hear you repeat to me the exact terms of our wager, so there will be no possibility of any misunderstanding.”

The tiny eyes hardened, narrowing. “There’ll be no misunderstanding, M’sieu. I made a wager with you which I am prepared to keep, and which you had better be prepared to keep.”

“And the terms?” Kek asked quietly.

“The terms, as you know very well, were as follows: I bet you fifty thousand dollars of mine to five dollars of yours, that you would not — repeat, not — bring a Chang Tzu T’sien carving from the Ile Rocheux museum through American Customs and deliver it to me. Today! Now!” Suspicion twisted the pockmarked face. “Now, M’sieu, is your understanding any different?”

“No,” Kek answered with relief. “I’m pleased to say my recollection of our bet is the same as yours.” He sighed and reached into his pocket. “You know, M’sieu Girard, you are a very lucky man. You won.”

And he handed over five dollars.

“I think Girard was too stunned to say anything, or at least he didn’t say anything as I bid him fond farewell and got out of there.” Kek smiled at the memory. “I imagine he’s been saying all sorts of things ever since.”

Anita and André were staring at him in astonishment. Anita shook her head, bewildered. “But where—”

“The beautiful carving?” Kek sighed and shrugged. “On its way to the Ile Rocheux Gallery, sent by an unknown admirer — and repentant ex-professional thief — with the Metropolitan Museum as a return address if the post office cannot find Ile Rocheux, which wouldn’t surprise me. At times they have trouble finding Bridgeport, Connecticut. And I’m afraid the package was insured for far less than its full value. We’ll have to economize on little things like that, but little economies add up to big savings, I’m told...”

“I’m glad,” Anita said simply. “I never did like the idea of your stealing the carving. You’re not a thief.”

“Not a good one, that’s sure. Besides, there are dangers involved, like getting shot. And the hours are awful. But the big reason for sending the carving back was that I couldn’t bear the thought of Girard leering at that lovely piece of ivory every day.”

“And, of course, if M’sieu Girard had possession of it,” Anita added shrewdly, “you’d never get a chance to see it again, whereas in Ile Rocheux, as a visiting tourist—”

“As visiting tourists we could see it. Yes, that thought also occurred to me,” Kek said, and smiled. He looked up at the waiter who had appeared at his side. “No, thank you, Michael. No drink for me this afternoon.”

André frowned in disbelief. “No drink before lunch?”

“Not today,” Kek said, and came to his feet as another man approached. “Ah, Max! Glad you could join us. Rose couldn’t come? Too bad. Well, Anita is showing my friend André the town this afternoon, so I thought that possibly after lunch we might have a little game of something...”