As long as I was satisfied that nobody was going to be injured or defrauded, the mere “verbal inexactitude” was to me only a harmless breach of one of those conventions which, as I have already explained, I regard as maintained for the guidance of persons of inferior intellect.
This attitude of mind may seem rather shocking to some quite intelligent people. I suppose it represents the effect on me of my theological training.
“Don’t you think,” I asked after a rather pregnant pause, “that my position would be a somewhat uncomfortable one if it were discovered that my desert collections consisted entirely of rare earth for incandescent mantles?”
“It would,” Edmund admitted, “but there’s not the slightest risk of that happening. Do you think I would ask you to do it if there were?”
“Honestly, Edmund, it is becoming difficult for me to estimate the limits of your possible requests.”
Edmund smiled gaily, with a look of relief, but Captain Welfare still watched me, leaning forward with his hairy hands on his knees and an expression of anxious solicitude in his large pathetic eyes.
“If you like, sir,” he suggested, “we could easily put in a layer of shells, and fossils, and native ornaments; things a clergyman would pick up on the desert.”
“No, thank you,” I said snappishly.
“There’s not the remotest fear of anyone wanting to examine the cases, or asking any questions, as long as they’re under your charge. I merely suggested you should yourself say they were your collections, or whatever you like to call them, when putting them on the railway. I’ve worked it all out. Now, listen, we put you ashore at a quiet spot on Egyptian territory. If the stuff were dutiable, that would of course be smuggling. Certainly if we landed at Alexandria the Customs people would examine it, and we have told you why we don’t want it known that we have brought the stuff into Egypt. The camel-men won’t bother, as long as they’re paid about double the proper price for their camels, and at the station, for a hundred piastres backshish, you will have both station-master and guard ready to shine your boots with their tongues.
“At Alexandria you will go straight to Van Ermengen’s hotel. He knows all about the consignment, and Jakoub will follow you with the cases as soon as he is able to get a vehicle to put them in. Then you will hand them over to our agent in Alexandria, who will call for them with a note signed by us, which you will have posted yourself in Alexandria. Then you will have finished with the business, and Jakoub will get back to us if he can, and go to the devil if he can’t.”