lrh.fortuneoffear-第18部分

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　　　〃Maybe　you　better　tell　me　about　your　problem；〃　I　said。
　　　〃Cash；〃　he　said。　〃You　are　about　to　ask　for　cash。　No；　don't　deny　it。　You　are　going　to　hand　me　one　of　those　certificates　and　request　I　give　you　half　a　million　dollars'　worth　of　cash。〃
　　　〃That　was　the　idea　I　had　in　mind；〃　I　said。
　　　〃Ah；　youth；　the　folly　of　youth。　Allah；　hear　him！〃　He　came　to　a　stop　before　me。　〃Are　you　aware　that　five　hundred　thousand　U。　S。　dollars　converts　into　FIFTY　THOUSAND　one…thousand…Turkish…lira　notes？　Are　you　aware　of　the　fact　that　that　many　notes…notes；　mind　you…of　the　largest　denomination　now　available；　would　fill　a　trunk　THIS　big？〃　And　he　sketched　it　out　between　the　floor　and　air　with　his　fat　hands。　〃It　means　you　would　have　to　roll　a　wheelbarrow　around　all　the　time；　even　into　the　shower！　And　you　would　get　tired　of　that　and　buy　a　donkey　and　a　cart　to　carry　it。　Donkeys　are　not　honest！　I　can't　have　the　son　of　my　boyhood　friend；　my　very　best　and　closest　friend；　suffering　the　indignity　of　racing　over　hill　and　dale　chasing　a　donkey。　The　indignity　of　it！〃　He　resumed　his　pacing　and　the　throwing　up　of　the　hands。
　　　I　saw　what　he　meant。　I　would　look　pretty　silly　chasing　a　donkey　all　day　and　all　night。　They're　treacherous；　too。　They　lie　in　wait　and　kick。
　　　〃Then　what　do　I　do？〃　I　said。
　　　〃I　knew　you　would　agree；〃　said　Mudur　Zengin。　He　plucked　the　four　one…half…million…dollar　certificates　out　of　my　pocket　very　smoothly。　He　laid　them　on　his　desk　and　sat　down。
　　　〃This　one；〃　he　stated；　〃we　will　use　in　part　to　open　the　credit…card…pany　pay…bills　account。　〃These；〃　he　held　up　the　other　three；　〃we　will　put　totally　into　a　fluid　cash…drawing　account。　Now；　I　will　inform　the　Piastre　Bankasi　Afyon　Branch　to　hand　you　any　amount　in　Turkish　lira　that　you　wish　at　any　one　time。　You　can　also　walk　up　to　the　teller　here　and　make　a　like　request。。。。〃
　　　〃Wait！〃　I　cried。　〃I　want　no　checking　account。　They　could　forge　my　signature　like　that！　And　somebody　could　e　in　disguised。。。。〃
　　　〃No；　no；〃　he　said。　〃Hear　me　out。　The　tellers　will　be　informed　that　only　you　may　draw　it；　only　you　can　sign　for　it　and　only　I　will　make　the　accounting。　And　when　you've　used　it　up；　you　can　simply　e　up　to　Istanbul　and　give　me　another　certificate。〃
　　　Oh；　did　I　smell　a　big；　juicy　rat。　I　must　have　looked　it。
　　　Mudur　Zengin；　now　in　his　chair；　gave　me　a　very　level　stare。　In　a　voice　entirely　unrelated　to　the　one　just　used；　he　said　in　cold　banker　tones；　〃The　Swiss　only　gave　you　10　percent　per　annum。　I　can　get　you　30　percent　on　short…term　loans；　even　more。〃
　　　I　thought　I　knew　what　was　ing。　He　was　going　to　suggest　I　give　him　the　whole　box　full。　I　started　to　speak　to　check　this　obvious　raid。
　　　He　held　up　his　hand　to　cut　me　off。　〃They　could　easily　have　given　you　13　to　18　percent。　But　never　mind。　Your　ine　on　Swiss　interest　is　more　than　two　million　dollars　a　month　so　leave　them　there。　The　main　advantage　is　that　it　is　safe。　You　owe　about　a　third　of　a　million　to　the　credit　panies　which　I　guaranteed　to　pay　off；　and　that　includes　the　draft　I　paid　Squeeza。　I　do　not　like　to　even　seem　to　interfere　between　you　and　that　concubine。　But　my　advice　to　you　is　that　you　cease　to　use　credit　cards　and　make　her　e　to　you　for　cash。　And　you　leave　me　the　remaining　one　million；　seven　hundred　thousand　to　handle。　I　doubt　you　can　spend　as　much　as　you　think　around　Afyon。　But　even　if　you　go　to　a　million　lira　a　week…which　is　about　ten　thousand　dollars　U。　S。；　and　I　can't　imagine　how　you　could　squander　that　much…we　can　manage　your　dollars　left　in　these　four　certificates　in　such　a　way　that　they　increase　and　do　not　diminish。〃
　　　〃Fact？〃　I　said；　incredulous。
　　　〃I'm　glad　we　have　agreed；〃　he　said。　〃You　handle　it　this　way　and　I　doubt　you'll　have　to　open　that　safe…deposit　box　again　this　year。　Or　in　any　year；　for　that　matter；　unless　you　decide　to　buy　Turkey。〃
　　　I　really　was　blinking。　There　was　a　lot　I　didn't　know　about　banking！
　　　He　pushed　a　buzzer。　〃I　had　these　papers　prepared　while　we　were　gone。　I　knew　you　would　take　the　advice　of　an　old　friend。〃
　　　The　clerk　brought　them　in。　The　clerk　also　brought　a　bale。　It　was　huge。　It　was　Turkish　100…lira　notes。　There　was　also　a　very　heavy　bank　bag　full　of　coins；　of　2。50　？T；　1　？T　and　50；　25；　10　and　5　kurus。
　　　〃Turkish　money；〃　said　Zengin；　〃still　buys　plenty；　if　you　lay　off　the　imports。　Inflation　has　been　reversing　itself　the　last　two　years。　Domestic　cigarettes　are　now　ten　lira　a　pack　and　a　cup　of　kahve　is　back　to　seven。　I　can't　imagine　how　you　could　get　rid　of　this　bale　and　that　bag　in　one　week；　but　there　it　is；　your　first　week's　allowance：　a　million　Turkish　lira…10；000　U。　S。　You　are　a　Turkish　millionaire　and　will　be　one　every　week　if　you　choose。　Sign　here。〃
　　　The　guy　wasn't　a　crook　after　all！　He　was　really　helping　me　out！　He'd　make　his　own　whack　for　the　bank　but　I　was　richer　than　ever！
　　　I　signed。
　　　Trying　to　struggle　out　of　that　office；　the　string　of　the　heavy　bale　cutting　my　fingers　and　the　bag　of　coins　pulling　my　wrist　out　of　joint；　I　felt　wealthier　than　Croesus　and　Midas　bined！
　　　And　a　rich　Gris　was　a　very　dangerous　Gris；　as　people　were　about　to　discover。

Chapter　2

　　　〃Jeez；　boss；〃　said　the　taxi　driver；　〃you　rob　that　bank？〃　He　was　pretty　bug…eyed　as　he　got　his　shoulder　to　it　and　boosted　the　bale　of　currency　into　the　taxi。
　　　We　started　off。　We　passed　the　Buyuk　Post　Office；　got　tangled　up　in　a　byway　and　were　wheezing　up　the　hill　toward　the　Great　Bazaar。　Every　few　yards；　the　taxi　driver　said；　〃Wow。〃
　　　After　about　the　thirty…fifth　〃Wow；〃　and　an　unusual　number　of　pushcart　thumps；　with　the　assorted　violence　of　fist…shaking　by　the　owners　which　acpanies　that；　I　noted　we　were　heading　south　and　were　about　to　climb　into　the　Street　of　Weavers。　Aside　from　the　fact　that　it　is　not　wide　enough　for　a　taxi；　if　we　were　going　to　return　to　Afyon；　we　should　be　heading　in　exactly　the　opposite　direction　to　get　across　the　Bosporus　and　into　Asian　Turkey。
　　　〃Hey！〃　I　yelled　above　the　scream　of　pedestrians。　〃You're　going　the　wrong　way！〃
　　　He　stepped　on　the　brakes　and　stopped。　It　was　about　time；　too。　The　nose　of　the　taxi　was　into　a　basket　shop；　the　fat　lady　proprietor　struggling　amidst　her　falling　wares。
　　　〃Wow；〃　said　the　taxi　driver。　He　just　sat　there。　I　swatted　him　on　the　top　of　the　head。　It　attracted　his　attention。　He　turned　around；　reached　over　the　back　of　the　front　seat　and　tried　to　heft　the　bale　of　money　at　my　feet。　〃Wow；〃　he　said。　〃Is　this　really　yours；　Officer　Gris？〃
　　　〃It　certainly　is；〃　I　said。　〃And　I　can　get　as　much　every　week。　Now　get　this　taxi　turned　around　and　start　home！　I　have　things　to　do　and　we've　281　miles　to　go。〃
　　　People　were　pounding　on　the　windows。　I　handled　that。　I　lowered　one；　stuck　the　barrels　of　the　shotgun　out；　pointed　them　into　the　air　and　fired　them。
　　　It　didn't　have　the　desired　effect。　It　attracted　more　crowd。
　　　But　Apparatus　training　asserted　itself。　I　reached　into　the　bag；　took　out　a　fat　fistful　of　worthless　Turkish　coins　and　flung　them　over　their　heads　to　a　point　some　distance　away。
　　　Magic。　We　immediately　had　enough　space　to　turn　around　while　people　scrabbled　for　the　kurus。
　　　The　taxi　driver　was　up　to　it。　We　soon　were　speeding　on　our　way。
　　　〃The　car！〃　he　said。　〃It's　over　in　Beyoglu。　Hold　on；　I'll　have　you　there　in　no　time。〃
　　　We　roared　past　the　Egyptian　Bazaar；　twisted　our　way　into　the　mainstream　of　the　approaches　and　were　soon　rattling　across　the　Galata　Bridge　which　separates　the　Golden　Horn　from　the　Bosporus。
　　　We　progressed　through　a　band　of　smoke…belching　factories　and；　diving　down　some　questionable　alleyways；　at　length　emerged　into　an　area　which　might　have　once　been　an　estate　but　which　today　was　a　gecekondu；　a　word　which　means　〃set　down　by　night〃　and　designates　a　squatter　town　of　the　meanest　hovels。
　　　Wheels　skidding　in　garbage　and　mud；　the　taxi　approached　what　might　have　once　been　a　stable　but　was　now　held　together　mainly　by　the　sheet…iron　shanties　that　were　using　it　for　a　back　wall。
　　　〃You　let　me　do　all　the　talking；〃　said　the　taxi　driver；　Ahmed。　〃And　throw　your　coat　or　something　over　that　bale　of　money。〃　He　got　out　and　approached　a　door。
　　　I　did　as　he　asked。　Looking　at　some　of　the　people　around　here；　I　also　reloaded　the　shotgun。　Gods；　but　this　was　a　slum！
　　　The　taxi　driver　came　back　shortly。　He　beckoned　me　to　get　out。　He　locked　up　the　cab　thoroughly。　He　whispered；　〃Now；　don't　let　out　any　cries　of　delight　or　anything　like　that。　This　is　a　real　find。　The　general　owned　this　estate　once。　He　was　a　very　famous　man。　They　have　no　idea　at　all　of　the　value　of　the　car；　as　it　was　bought　when　the　lira　was　worth　a　hundred　times　what　it　is　now。　So　don't　go　shouting　'huzzah。'　And　don't　go　throwing　your　cap　in　the　air。　And　let　me　do　the　bargaining。〃
　　　I　agreed。　By　bending　down　and　going　through　a　tunnel　of　fallen　stone；　we　came　into　a　dim　area。
　　　There　was　a　loud　bustle　and　squawk。　Disturbed　chickens　were　flying　everywhere！
　　　My　eyes　became　accustomed　to　the　gloom。　A　huge　bulk　of　something　loomed。　It　was　covered　with　a　worn…out　army　tarpaulin。　And　the　tarpaulin　was　covered　totally　with　chicken　dung。
　　　I　heard　a　sort　of　evil　cackle　to　my　right。　An　ancient　man　was　standing　there。　He　had　a　nose　like　a　beak。