"Are you working around to guess at a price I'll take?" asked Calhoun with the same air of curiosity.
He seemed much more curious than indignant, and much more amused than curious. Allison sweated suddenly. Calhoun didn't appear to be bribable. But Allison knew desperation.
"If you want to put it that way—yes," he said harshly. "You can name your own figure. I mean it!"
"I won't say a word about you," said Calhoun. "I won't need to. The characters who're operating your cattle fence will do all the talking that's necessary. Things all fit together,—except for one item. They've been dropping into place all the while we've been driving down this road."
"I said you can name your own figure!" Allison's voice was shrill. "I mean it! Any figure! Any!"
Calhoun shrugged.
"What would a Med Ship man do with money? Forget it!"
He drove on. The highway turnoff to Tenochitlan appeared. Calhoun went steadily past it. The other connection with the road through the town appeared. He left it behind.
Allison's teeth chattered again.
The buildings of Maya City began to appear, some twenty minutes later. Calhoun slowed and the other cars closed up. He opened a window and called: