"Anthony Wall - The Eden Mission (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wall Anthony)

Kruger cut in: "Are they all here?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well, Fraulein. Send in some coffee."

Maximilian Kruger entered the boardroom.

"Be seated, gentlemen." He leaned forward in his chair at the head of the
polished mahogany table and peered disdainfully at the anxious faces around
him. Unzipping his document case, he pulled out a sheaf of papers and slapped
them down on the table.

"Bad news. Reports that our business is being jeopardised--not by competitors
but by interfering outsiders. No doubt you've heard of The Eden Mission ..."

A knock at the door. The secretary brought in coffee. "Leave it," said Kruger.
"We'll serve ourselves." The secretary crept out.

"As you know," he continued, "most of the company's trade in furs and wildlife
products is not permitted by the law. And if we let those lunatic ecologists
have their way, it could ruin everything."

Kruger poured himself a cup of black coffee. Then he looked up. "They've got
to be stopped."
Houston, Texas. In a penthouse apartment with a spectacular view of the city,
a telephone rang ... and rang. Uttering a swear-word, a woman in high heels
teetered across the thick carpet towards the relentless ringing. She wore a
fur coat, jewellery, and could have passed as a starlet.

"Yeah?" she drawled into the receiver. A pause. "Hold on."

Covering the mouthpiece, she yelled: "Honey, call for you. German guy. Says
it's urgent."

A tanned, middle-aged man in a dinner-jacket appeared. The woman handed him
the phone. "Please be quick--we're late for the party already."

Her husband raised the receiver. "Art Benton speaking. That you, Max ...? Hi.
What's the problem?"

Benton sat down, motioning his wife to get him a drink. Several minutes ticked
by. Benton had drained the glass. He stretched and said: "Take it easy, Max.
The organization isn't gonna let a bunch of nature freaks louse things up.
There's more at stake here than a few goddam animal skins. There's the entire
global enterprise. Oil, timber, mining, property--and other interests we'd
better not talk about over the phone ..."

Benton listened to Kruger's comment, then added: "This Eden Mission doesn't