Plunder of the Sun Page #2

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the proprietor of the bar you frequent.

He told me that you were reliable.

I must confess, he also told me

that you were short of money.

Will you just drop the pedigree stuff

and get down to business?

- Mr...

- Berrien. Thomas Berrien.

Antiquarian.

I find your directness refreshing,

so I will be equally direct.

A freighter, the Cinco de Mayo,

leaves Havana for Mexico tomorrow.

I want you to take a small package

onboard for me.

On landing,

you will proceed immediately to...

the Hotel del San Felipe...

in the city of Oaxaca.

And there we will meet,

and you will hand me back the package.

Here are the tickets, $100,

and the package.

In Oaxaca,

I will give you the other $900.

- What's in the package?

- I am unable to tell you.

- Well, don't you know?

- Yes, I know.

- Narcotics, huh?

- Nothing of that kind.

I will tell you this much.

In the package is an antique.

It was exported illegally from Mexico

and purchased by me.

I see. You want me to smuggle it back

and then you can say you found it there.

Exactly.

Why don't you do it yourself?

I am too well known in Mexico.

My baggage and my person

will be thoroughly searched.

But for you, an American tourist,

there will be no trouble.

It must be pretty valuable

for you to offer me $1,000.

Who can say?

- And what happens if I'm caught?

- It would be confiscated.

But you must not be caught, Mr. Colby.

You must not be caught.

It would mean the end of everything I...

Will you do it, sir?

Well, it's one way to get home.

Splendid. I cannot tell you

how much I...

How much I...

Let me do it.

Can I do something?

I'm sorry.

I'll get the brandy.

- These things happen very often?

- Too often.

One of them will kill me someday.

That is why I keep my mind occupied...

with matters

such as we were just discussing.

- I have your promise to help me?

- I said I would.

There's one thing though. I'm gonna

need an advance of another $100.

There's a few debts I have to clear up

here in Havana.

- My proposition was $100, Mr. Colby.

- And mine's $200.

And in 10 seconds it's going to be $300.

Very well.

Another $100.

See you onboard ship.

How about that evening

we were discussing?

That was not part of the bargain,

Mr. Colby.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, too.

The next morning I traded the $200

for some traveler's checks...

paid my bills...

and found out that Berrien

was almost what he said he was.

I packed my suitcase,

and figured that the best way...

to carry the package was to fasten it

to my ribs with some adhesive tape.

After that, I boarded the freighter which

was to take me to Mexico, as planned.

I was still short of breath...

when she limped out of Havana

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