Elas shook his head--

"There are two men in it we recognise. A man named Harker and another
called Sternford--Bull Sternford. We know little of either. You see,
it's kind of far away. Anyway, between them they're pretty--bright. I
don't think they built the mill. I'm sure that's so. It was a man called
Standing. But he seems to have gone out of active management. I might
start by writing them and feel the way."

"Ach no!" Hellbeam shook his head in violent protest. "You write--no.
You have your confidential man, yes? You send him. I give you the
outline of terms. I give you alternative terms. Big terms. He will go.
He will talk. He will hear. Then we will later come to terms. All men
will sell--on terms. Your man. Where is he? I must see him. Then the
Board. It meets. I will address it. I show them how this thing will
serve."

"That's all right, sir," Elas was smiling. "You couldn't offer the Board
a more welcome proposition than the purchase of Sachigo just now. We're
changing our forest organisation right now, and that means temporary
delays and drop in output. Sachigo's our worry while we're doing it. But
with your permission I won't send a man up there. I think," he added
deliberately, "I'd like to send a--woman."

Hellbeam's face was a study. His little eyes opened to their widest
extent. His heavy lips parted, and he snatched his cigar into the safety
of his white fingers.

"A--woman--for this thing? You crazy are!"

There was no restraint or pretence of restraint. The other's smile was
more confident than might have been expected before such an intolerant
outburst.

"Guess a woman has her limitations, sir. Maybe this one hasn't a wide
experience. But she's clever. She's loyal to us, and she's got that
which counts a whole heap when it comes to getting a man on her side.
You reckon to buy Sachigo. If you send a man to deal he'll get short
shrift. If there's anyone to put through this deal for Skandinavia it's
the woman I'm thinking of. And she'll put it through because she's the
woman she is, and not because of any talents. Your pardon, sir, if I
speak frankly. But from all I know of Sachigo, if you--perhaps the king
of financiers on this continent--went to these folk and offered them
double what their enterprise is worth, I guess they'd chase you out of
Labrador so quick you wouldn't have time to think the blasphemy suitable
to the occasion."

Peterman's explanation caught the humour of his countrym