Page:The council of seven.djvu/190

 "authority to its acts. Without the help of John Endor and all that he stands for, the Society might not have been able to deal with the most inimical power of the modern world."

"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."