Von Osler wants Hart very badly to be his deliveryman, as we saw last week:
“I have a person who will make the delivery. But…” Von Osler shrugged. “He is not as skilled, creative, or lucky as you are. With you…? Let us say it is like having four jacks instead of four eights.”
Are 53,000 deutsche marks going to change his mind from spending some time at home? Hart turns the offer over in his mind:
Hart turned his gaze towards the window and the ocean beyond. He’d been hoping to spend some time at home. Enjoying his money. Now, however, fifty-three thousand deutsche marks were staring him in the face. And just to deliver a little box. By noon on the eleventh. He wouldn’t have much time. Probably have to catch a red eye out of La Guardia or Floyd Bennett tonight for Miami and then a three day flight on a Pan Am clipper.
To be continued!
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CW, I like the snippet, but – I don’t know whether this is my impression because I’ve read the opening of the story over many weeks – it looks to me as if Rand is taking his time to decide about the matter. Von Osler is offering a ridiculously high amount of money, no man would hesitate that long… if he doens’t think something is extremely fishiy about it.
Hart is a gambler. I would expect him to make up his mind a lot faster.
Just my impression 😉
LOL! It does seem that way doesn’t it? I think it is the 8-sentence snail’s pace. The section reads quickly, IMO. Hart has 2 struggles: one, he wants to spend time at home, not traveling; two, the mission is looking like it may not be as easy as was first presented. He is a gambler, but a deliberate one. Which is why he wins more often than he loses. 😉