Shout at the Devil - Smith Wilbur - Страница 42

"While you're on the subject of money," Rosa smiled at Flynn, "have you worked out how much Sebastian's share comes to, Daddy?" Rosa only used Flynn's paternal title when she was extremely well-disposed towards him.

"That I have," admitted Flynn, and the sudden shiftiness of his eyes aroused Rosa's suspicions. Her lips pursed a little.

"And how much is it? "she asked in the syrupy tone which Flynn recognized as the equivalent of the blood roar of a wounded lioness.

"Sure now, and who wants to be spoiling a lovely day with the talking of business?" Under pressure, Flynn exaggerated the brogue in his voice in the hope that Rosa would find it beguiling. A forlorn hope.

"How much? "demanded Rosa, and he told her.

There was a sickly silence. Sebastian paled under his sunburn and opened his mouth to protest. On the strength of his half share, he had the previous night made to Rosa O'Flynn a serious proposal, which she had accepted.

"Leave this to me, Sebastian," she whispered and laid a restraining hand on- his knee as she turned back to her father. "You'll let us have a look at the accounts, won't you?"

Still syrupy sweet.

"Sure and I will. They're all straight and square."

The document that Flynn O'Flynn produced under the main heading, "Joint Venture Between F. O'Flynn, Esq and S. Oldsmith, Esq and Others. German East Africa. Period May 15, 1913, to August 21, 1913," showed that he belonged to an unorthodox school of accountancy.

The contents of the tax chest had been converted to English sterling at the rates laid down by Pear's Almanac for lyp, 1893. Flynn set great store by this particular publication.

From the gross proceeds of 4,652 pounds Flynn had deducted his own fifty per cent share and the ten per cent of the other partners the Portuguese Chef D'Post and the Governor of Mozambique. From the balance he had then deducted the losses incurred on the Rufiji expedition (for which separate account addressed to German East African Administration). From there he had gone on to charge the expenses of the second expedition, not forgetting such items as:

To L. Parbhoo (Tailor) 15.10 pounds. To One German Dress HelmetE 5.10 pounds To Five Uniforms (Askari)

2.10 pounds each 12.10 pounds. To Five Mauser Rifles 10 pounds each 50 pounds. -.

To Six Hundred and Twenty-Five Rounds 7men Ammunition E22.10 To Advance re travelling expenses, One Hundred Escudos made to S. Oldsmith, Esq. f, 1. 5.

Finally, Sebastian's half share of the net losses amounted to a little under twenty pounds.

"Don't worry," Flynn assured him magnanimously. "I don't expect you to pay it now we'll just deduct it from your share of the profits of the next expedition."

"But, Flynn, I thought you said well, I mean, you told me I had a half share."

"And so you have, Bassie, and so you have."

"You said we were equal partners."

"You must have misunderstood me, boy. I said a half share and that means after expenses. It's just a great pity there was such a large accumulated loss to bring forward."

While they discussed this, Rosa was busy with a stub of a pencil on the reverse side of the account.

A few minutes later she thrust the result across the breakfast table at Flynn. She said, "And that's the way I work it out."

Rosa O'Flynn was a student of the "One-for-you-one-for, me" school, and her reckonings were much simpler than those of her father.

With a cry of anguish, Flynn O'Flynn lodged objection.

"You don't understand business."

"But I recognize crookery when I see it," Rosa flashed back.

"You'd call your old father a crook?"

"Yes."

"I've a damn good mind to take the kiboko to you. You're not too big and Uppity that I can't warm your tail up good."

"You just try id' said Rosa, and Flynn back pedalled

"Anyway, what would Bassie do with all that money? It's no good for a youngster. It would spoil him."

"He'd marry me with it. That's what he'd do with it."

Flynn made a noise as though there were a fish-bone stuck in his throat, his face mottled over with emotion and he swung ominously in Sebastian's direction. "So!"he rasped.

"I thought so!"

"Now steady on, old chap," Sebastian tried to soothe him.

"You come into my home and act like the king of bloody England. You try to fraudulently embezzle my money but that's not enough! Oh no! That's not a bloody "enough.

You've also got to start tampering with my daughter just to round things off."

"Don't be coarse," said Rosa.

"That's rich don't be coarse, she says, and just what exactly have you two been up to behind my back?"

Sebastian stood up from the breakfast table with dignity.

"I will not have you speak so of a lady in my presence, sir.