"Not worried. Just trying to look ahead. I can't afford to be caught napping."
"Well, well," he said, "can't pull another South American this time."
"No, no—and besides, I'm not concerned with money."
"Now, Albert, don't tell me youve finally got enough."
"This is not the time to be avaricious," I reproved him. "If the Grass continues to spread—and there seems to be little doubt it will—"
"All of New Zealand's North Island was finished this morning," he interrupted.
"I heard it myself; anyway, that's the point. As the Grass advances there will be new hordes of refugees—"
He was certainly in an impatient mood this morning, for he interrupted me again. "New markets for concentrates," he suggested.
I looked at him pityingly. Was the old man's mind slipping? I wondered if it would be necessary to replace him. "General," I said gently, "with rare exceptions these people will have nothing but worthless currency."
"Goods. Labor."