A Quiver Full of Arrows by Jeffrey Archer Page A

engineers overnight. It’s all to do with their national
pride. Someone must tell them they can’t afford that sort of pride if they want
to complete the job at a sensible price. That path is the surest route to
bankruptcy. On top of that, the Germans have already rounded up all the best
skilled labour for their road projects.”
    “But surely,” said Eduardo, “you charge
according to the rules, however stupid, thus covering all eventualities, and as
long as you’re certain that payment is guaranteed . .
    .”
    Manuel raised his hand to stop Eduardo’s
flow: “That’s another problem. You can’t be certain. The government reneged on
a major steel contract only last month. In so doing,” he explained, “they had
bankrupted a distinguished international company. So they are perfectly capable
of trying the same trick with me. And if they don’t pay up, who do you sue? The
Supreme Military Council?”
    “And the ports problem?”
    “The port is totally congested. There are
one hundred and seventy ships desperate to unload their cargo with a waiting
time of anything up to six months. On top of that, there is a demurrage charge
of five thousand dollars a day and only perishable foods are given any
priority.”
    “But there’s always a way round that sort of
problem,” said Eduardo, rubbing a thumb twice across the top of his fingers.
    ‘`Bribery? It doesn’t work, Eduardo.
    How can you possibly jump the queue when all
one hundred and seventy ships have already bribed the harbour master? And don’t
imagine that fixing the rent on a flat for one of his mistresses would help
either,” said Rodrigues grinning. “With that man you will have to supply the
mistress as well.”
    Eduardo held his breath but said nothing.
      “Come
to think of it,” continued Rodrigues, “if the situation becomes any worse, the
harbour master will be the one man in the country who is richer than you.”
    Eduardo laughed for the first time in three
days.
    “I tell you, Eduardo, we could make a bigger
profit building a salt mine in Siberia.”
    Eduardo laughed again and some of the
Prentino and Rodrigues staff dining at other tables stared in disbelief at
their masters.
    “You were in for the big one, the new city
of Abuja?” said Manuel.
    “That’s right,” admitted Eduardo.
    “I have done everything in my power to make
sure you were awarded that contract,” said the other quietly.
    “What?” said Eduardo in disbelief.
    “Why?”
    “I thought Abuja would give the Prentino
empire more headaches than even you could cope with, Eduardo, and that might
possibly leave the field wide open for me at home. Think about it. Every time
there’s a cutback in Nigeria, what will be the first head to roll off the
chopping block? ‘The unnecessary city’ as the locals all call it.”
    “The unnecessary city?” repeated Eduardo.
    “Yes, and it doesn’t help when you say you
won’t move without advance payment.
    You know as well as I do, you will need one
hundred of your best men here full time to organise such a massive enterprise.
They’ll need feeding, salaries, housing, perhaps even a school and a hospital.
Once they were settled down here, you can’t just pull them off the job every
two weeks because the government is running late clearing the cheques. It’s not
practical and you know it “ Rodrigues poured Eduardo de Silveira another glass
of wine.
    “I had already taken that into
consideration,” Eduardo said as he sipped the wine, “but I thought that with
the support of the Head of State.”
    “The late Head of State – “
    “I take your point, Manuel.”
    “Maybe the next Head of State will also back
you, but what about the one after that? Nigeria has had three coups in the past
three years.”
    Eduardo remained silent for a moment.
    “Do you play backgammon?”
    “Yes. Why do you ask?”
    “I must make some money while I’m here.”
Manual laughed.
    “Why don’t you come to my room,”
    continued de