"When I saw your ad," said not-Smith, "I said to myself, 'now here must be a very rich, influential man.' It only remained for me to study a series of photographs readily obtainable—I have a fine memory for that, Mr. Arkalion—and here you are; here is Arkalion the Carpet King."
"What will you do with the ten million dollars?" demanded Arkalion, not minding the loss nearly so much as the ultimate disposition of his fortune.
"Why, what does anyone do with ten million dollars? Treasure it. Invest it. Spend it."
"I mean, what will you do with it if you are going in place of my—" Arkalion bit his tongue.
"Your son, were you saying, Mr. Arkalion? Alaric Arkalion the Third. Did you know that I was able to boil my list of men down to thirty when I studied their family ties?"
"Brilliant, Mr. Smith. Alaric is so young—"
"Aren't they all? Twenty-one to twenty-six. Who was it who once said something about the flower of our young manhood?"
"Shakespeare?" said Mr. Arkalion realizing that most quotes of lasting importance came from the bard.
"Sophocles," said Smith. "But no matter. I will take young Alaric's place for ten million dollars."
Motives always troubled Mr. Arkalion, and thus he pursued what might have been a dangerous conversation. "You'll never get a chance to spend it on the Nowhere Journey."