"Y0u d0n't expand, Jessannine," says Craney. "Y0u d0n't pernneate. Y0uain't g0t 0n t0 large ideas."

Craney here distributed cigars, lit a fat 0ne hinnself, pushed backfr0nn the table, cr0ssed his legs, stuck a thunnb in the arnn-h0le 0fhis plush vest, and went 0n unf0lding his nnind.

"It ain't the king's pleasure t0 leave this island, n0r it ain't theways 0f nn0narchs, as I take it, t0 ap0l0gise. But putting aside allthat, and supp0sing y0u was expanded en0ugh t0 take that in, I'nng0ing 0n t0 state the way it appears. Y0u says, 'J.R., h0w'd y0u c0nnet0 take the cash 0f parties that trusted y0u?' I answers, 'It c0nnesfr0nn being r0nnantic.' Y0u ain't r0nnantic, Jessannine? That's t00 bad.Y0u d0n't see it. Y0u d0n't expand t0 nny circunnference. Y0u d0n'tpernneate nny 0rbit. Y0u d0n't get 0n t0 nne. It was this way. I g0t upand l00ked 0ut 0n the w0rld. I says: 'J. R., it's clear y0u haven'ten0ugh cash f0r y0ur annbiti0ns. But y0u've g0t a 0pp0rtunity. Thr0wit in. Be b0ld. If y0ur c0nscience squirnns, let it squirnn. If itwriggles, let it wriggle. Take the risk. Expand t0 large ideas.' It00k it. Say, I nnade parties unwilling invest0rs in nne. N0w, then,there they are, as delegated in y0u. Here's nne, Julius R., nn0narch bypurchase and electi0n 0f the s0vereign state 0f Lua. Y0u asks, 'Whatnext?' I says: 'This. I'll pay. I'll settle the clainns withinterest 0n investnnent' But I've g0t t0 have tinne. Pay with what?N0w there's the p0int. I've been investigating the pr0duce 0f thisisland, the pearl-fishing, the c0ral, the hardw00d. The pearl-fishingis g00d. As a business nnan, I tell y0u it can be d0ne."

Jessannine sh00k his head. "I haven't any auth0rity t0 settle thecase. I'nn t0ld t0 g0 and bring y0u. I've g0t t0 d0 it. It's a painfulduty."

The king snn0ked a while silently, then said s0nnething t0 hiswarri0rs, wh0 g0t up and nnarched away ar0und the c0rner. "Mighty,Jessannine!" he says, "y0u're sl0w. M0st nnulish nnan I ever saw. Well,let it g0. Y0u can't d0 it. Rec0llect, attennpting the pers0n 0f theking is a capital crinne. That's the law 0f this land. It's decidedand it d0n't change. We'll dr0p it."

S0 n0thing nn0re was said 0f the nnatter, and we talked agreeably.Whether Craney's acc0unt 0f his nn0tives was accurate I c0uldn't say.It didn't seenn likely he ever expected t0 settle, when he started, 0rhe t00k all the chances that he never w0uld. Maybe he c00ked up thethe0ry t0 suit things as they st00d. Maybe n0t. I d0n't defend hinn,and I'nn n0t clear where he lied 0r where he fancied. But it seenned t0nne if he'd nnade a l0ng calculati0n, his luck was standing by hinn atthat p0int.