Page 67 - Three Adventures

The Nazarene Foreskin

yesterday morning, and your story in the Gazette made it imperative
that we act quickly. I was tied up in Guangzhou and Mr. Ofidian was
in Marseille. Ms. Schantz arrived a day ahead of us with instructions
to secure the jar. We opened the apartment yesterday and I sent Mr.
Ofidian out to keep tabs on her progress.”
Scoop did the single-digit computation. “So you wanted someone
with a press pass who knew where to go and could lead a bogus
academic right to that spot.”
“You were our first choice, Mr. Reedle, but apparently Ms.
Schantz’s occidental charms were more intoxicating to your
photographer.”
“I find your bourbon does the job quite admirably, Sir Aldershot,”
said the reporter, handing his glass to Mauve for a refill.
“To each man his weakness, from each his strength. May I
presume that you are not interested in the money we offer, though it
may keep you in expensive liquor for a very long time?”
“That’s right. All I want is Monsieur Chovel safe and sound. Let
me have him, let us walk out of here unmolested and you can have
whatever you want. Every foreskin in the Middle East, for all I care.
You are crazy. Your agents here, on the other hand, are probably
enjoying the benefits of being in your service.”
Salim turned toward Silk, about to speak, but the entrepreneur
silenced him. “Patience, Mr. Ofidian. Don’t let Mr. Reedle needle
you. I’m afraid we cannot do business on those terms. Your man is
not in our custody, nor do we know where he is. Having found the
amphora in question, Ms. Schantz was obliged to allow Monsieur
Chovel to carry it past the guards, his obvious connections with them
making our job all that much easier. Once out of sight of the church,
Ms. Schantz directed him to a taxi whose driver you have already met
today. Instead of bringing them back to the Belvedere, he turned
down a side street while she needed some assistance with her
garments to a rented villa where Mr. Ofidian and I were waiting. It
was at that point that your photographer became suspicious, and
seeing us emerge from the door with regrettably too little
nonchalance, ran off with the sacred jar. Salim and the driver
followed him on foot. He must have known his way around that
quarter, for he eluded them repeatedly. The last time they saw him he
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