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Jefferson appeared with a group of eight people, staff of the Yacht Club, and to our astonishment three Americans. He proudly explained to us that he had extended his enterprise to the territory of the US, and introduced his representative Richard O‘Gorman II and two dubious characters, which called themselves yacht brokers. O' Gorman was extremely likable although he seemed to have little idea of yacht insurance. In any case he and I made a habit of taking several drinks at the Polynesian bar before the program of each evening began. In the Polynesian restaurant a wonderful buffet had been set up and we noted with favor that Hughes was increasingly falling into a state of complacency. That was how it should be, that was how one cultivated one’s insurers. Fred was only too well aware of that, as could easily be seen in his facial expression. His capricious wife Helen was also present and sprayed her more or less witty comments that nobody really wanted to take note of. We went to bed early, tired by the trip and considering the fact that next morning at 10 a seminar would take place on a shady terrace amid tropical plants and palm trees. In the morning breakfast was served on the terrace of each suite, on mine too. I had gone to the bathroom for only five minutes, and when I returned I saw that a flock of black-and-white birds with prominent beaks were plundering my breakfast. The birds were big ones, so chasing them away with a mere sweep of the hand was out of the question.
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