“You pay poor me far too high a compliment,” said the Colossus with a down-looking smile. But all present knew, when they saw it, the pride which apes humility. “However, what does it matter?” With an air of resignation Saul Hartz folded his arms. “And you are getting tedious, aren’t you? Why not cut the cackle and get to the hosses? Before you proceed to nick my throat, or knock me on the head, or dope my mineral water is there any little thing in which I can oblige you?” “We are coming, sir, to that.” The civilized politeness of Lien Weng was an odd contrast to Saul Hartz’s ill-breeding. “On behalf of the Society I am about to place before you a formal proposition. It is this: The Society is prepared to buy your entire holding, including the Founder’s shares, in the Universal Press.” “I shall be glad to learn your price.” “Within three months the Society is prepared to pay you the sum of two hundred millions sterling. But to this offer it attaches one condition. You will be required to give an undertaking never again to engage in any form whatever of journalistic enterprise. In other words, sir, you must give up the formidable, nay, terrible, machine you control, and you are expressly debarred from ever constructing another one like it.” “And in the event of this offer being refused?” Saul Hartz asked. For a moment there was silence. Lien Weng looked at the circle of tense faces. But it was the American who answered the question. As a preliminary he slowly removed a large cigar from the corner of his mouth. “Pretty bad for the coo, sir,” he said in a voice like a child’s. “Take it from me.” “I expect so,” was Saul Hartz’s only comment. Silence came again. The eight men smoked steadily. Lien Weng it was who spoke at last. “We don’t ask you to make up your mind here and now. You shall have eight weeks from to-morrow, Monday, in which to reach a decision.” “Eight weeks. Thank you,” said the Colossus dryly. And he began to chew the end of his cigar. “Think it over, my friend,” said Hierons, in a cheerful and business-like tone. “One thousand million dollars--paid down within three months. Think it over.” “I will.” The Colossus knocked the ash from the end of his cigar. “I promise you that. And now perhaps you’ll let me out of this mousetrap.” “For the time being, sir, the business is concluded.” And Lien Weng returned the keys of the room to the Frenchman and the American who promptly unlocked the doors of the library. XXVIII Within the space of the eight weeks granted by the Society of the Friends of Peace for Saul Hartz’s decision, much was to happen to John Endor and to the inner world of politics in which he moved. Endor’s own life was linked so closely with the energies of the time that the recoil of events affected it deeply. Many strange, many pregnant, things were about to happen.