“Like all women, you’ve no idea of business. The job I took on was to supply certain explosives and arms⁠—heavily paid for⁠—to foment feeling generally, and to incriminate certain people up to the hilt. I’ve carried out my contract with complete success, and I was careful to be paid in advance. I took special care over the whole thing, as I intended it to be my last contract before retiring from business. As for burning my boats, as you call it, I simply don’t know what you mean. I’m not the rebel chief, or anything of that kind⁠—I’m a distinguished English visitor, who had the misfortune to go nosing into a certain curio shop⁠—and saw a little more than he was meant to, and so the poor fellow was kidnapped. Tomorrow, or the day after, when circumstances permit, I shall be found tied up somewhere in a pitiable state of terror and starvation.”

“Ah!” I said slowly. “But what about me?”