did was dam the stream, to hide the gold vein under many feet of water.” Again the old man nodded.
Charlie’s voice sobered when he continued. “Years passed and you preserved the valley, until one day Ramón appeared. Was he hired as a servant? A business associate? It doesn’t matter. He read that history and looked at the waterway and drew the same conclusions I did. You felt that the gorgons had saved your life, that there was a mystical connection there. And he found how to capitalize on it.” He was aware that Constance was signaling, but this time he ignored it and said bluntly, “I have as much right to call you Daddy as he does.”
Don Carlos smiled faintly and lifted his glass, finished his bourbon. “You’re a worthy adversary,” he said to Charlie. “Will the others unravel it also? How did you discover this so quickly?”
“Ramón left a good trail, just hidden enough to make it look good, not so much that it can’t be found. He did a fine job of it.” He added dryly, “If you spend enough money, you can make the world flat again, enough to convince most people, anyway. I spent only a little bit and learned everything Tony’s detectives had uncovered, and it hit me that if a man of your wealth really wants to hide anything, it gets hidden. I didn’t believe a word of it.”
Constance looked at Ramón in wonder. “You left false evidence that makes it appear that you are his son? Is that what you did?”
“ Si .”
“When?”
“For the last two years, we have been working on this.”
She felt completely bewildered now. “But why? What on earth for?”
“I knew Tony would investigate Ramón,” Don Carlos said. “As soon as he found out I intended to leave the valley to Ramón, he would hire investigators to find out why. I tried to come up with something else, but I couldn’t think of anything different that he would accept as a good-enough reason. He won’t talk in public about his father’s illicit sex life. I don’t want a fight or publicity about this.”
“And if you told the truth,” Constance said in a low voice, “they could press for a sanity hearing, and probably win.” She felt a wave of disgust pass through her at the thought of the hearing, the taunting questions, the innuendos.
“They might have won such a hearing,” Don Carlos said just as quietly as she had spoken.
“And maybe they should have had that chance.” Charlie sounded harsh and brusque. “This valley is worth ten million at least, and you’re giving it away because he says there’s power in the gorgons. Maybe Tony should have his chance.”
“Señor,” Ramón said, “come to the gorgons at sundown today. And you, señora. This matter is not completed yet, not yet.” He bowed to Don Carlos and Constance and left the room.
They stood up also, Charlie feeling helpless with frustration. “We won’t be able to make that,” he said to Don Carlos. “Give him our regrets. We’re leaving.”
“We’ll be there,” Constance said clearly.
Don Carlos nodded. “Yes, we’ll all be there.” He looked at Charlie. “I ask only that you say nothing to my daughter or son today. Tomorrow it will be your decision. I ask only for today.”
“You’re not even offering to buy us,” Charlie said bitterly.
“Mr. Meiklejohn, I am extremely wealthy, more than you realize. But over the years, I have learned that there are a lot of things I can’t buy. That was a surprise to me, as it must be to you, if you believe it at all.”
Charlie’s frustration deepened; wordlessly, he nodded and stalked from the room, with Constance close behind him.
“That was brilliant,” Constance said, walking by Charlie’s side along the lakefront.
“Yeah, I know.”
“We’re really not finished here.” She was not quite pleading with him.
“Right.”
She caught his arm and they came to a stop. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I have to see it through and I can’t say why.”
He nodded soberly.
Charlie’s voice sobered when he continued. “Years passed and you preserved the valley, until one day Ramón appeared. Was he hired as a servant? A business associate? It doesn’t matter. He read that history and looked at the waterway and drew the same conclusions I did. You felt that the gorgons had saved your life, that there was a mystical connection there. And he found how to capitalize on it.” He was aware that Constance was signaling, but this time he ignored it and said bluntly, “I have as much right to call you Daddy as he does.”
Don Carlos smiled faintly and lifted his glass, finished his bourbon. “You’re a worthy adversary,” he said to Charlie. “Will the others unravel it also? How did you discover this so quickly?”
“Ramón left a good trail, just hidden enough to make it look good, not so much that it can’t be found. He did a fine job of it.” He added dryly, “If you spend enough money, you can make the world flat again, enough to convince most people, anyway. I spent only a little bit and learned everything Tony’s detectives had uncovered, and it hit me that if a man of your wealth really wants to hide anything, it gets hidden. I didn’t believe a word of it.”
Constance looked at Ramón in wonder. “You left false evidence that makes it appear that you are his son? Is that what you did?”
“ Si .”
“When?”
“For the last two years, we have been working on this.”
She felt completely bewildered now. “But why? What on earth for?”
“I knew Tony would investigate Ramón,” Don Carlos said. “As soon as he found out I intended to leave the valley to Ramón, he would hire investigators to find out why. I tried to come up with something else, but I couldn’t think of anything different that he would accept as a good-enough reason. He won’t talk in public about his father’s illicit sex life. I don’t want a fight or publicity about this.”
“And if you told the truth,” Constance said in a low voice, “they could press for a sanity hearing, and probably win.” She felt a wave of disgust pass through her at the thought of the hearing, the taunting questions, the innuendos.
“They might have won such a hearing,” Don Carlos said just as quietly as she had spoken.
“And maybe they should have had that chance.” Charlie sounded harsh and brusque. “This valley is worth ten million at least, and you’re giving it away because he says there’s power in the gorgons. Maybe Tony should have his chance.”
“Señor,” Ramón said, “come to the gorgons at sundown today. And you, señora. This matter is not completed yet, not yet.” He bowed to Don Carlos and Constance and left the room.
They stood up also, Charlie feeling helpless with frustration. “We won’t be able to make that,” he said to Don Carlos. “Give him our regrets. We’re leaving.”
“We’ll be there,” Constance said clearly.
Don Carlos nodded. “Yes, we’ll all be there.” He looked at Charlie. “I ask only that you say nothing to my daughter or son today. Tomorrow it will be your decision. I ask only for today.”
“You’re not even offering to buy us,” Charlie said bitterly.
“Mr. Meiklejohn, I am extremely wealthy, more than you realize. But over the years, I have learned that there are a lot of things I can’t buy. That was a surprise to me, as it must be to you, if you believe it at all.”
Charlie’s frustration deepened; wordlessly, he nodded and stalked from the room, with Constance close behind him.
“That was brilliant,” Constance said, walking by Charlie’s side along the lakefront.
“Yeah, I know.”
“We’re really not finished here.” She was not quite pleading with him.
“Right.”
She caught his arm and they came to a stop. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I have to see it through and I can’t say why.”
He nodded soberly.
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