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11b After several turns, they stopped in front of a door. The waiter took a kwy out of his pocket and held it in front of the woman. She reached for it, but he pulled it away. She opened her purse and drew out a swat of cash and gave it to the waiter. He gave her the key. She unlocked and opened the door. The waiter hurried away. The woman went into the room, and closed the door and the room became dark. A flash as she lit a match. She went to a conference table, and lit a kerosene lamp with a green glass cover. She examined the empty table and must have found a secret button for suddenly half of the table slid away. The woman reached inside and took out a bunch of papers. She stopped and listened. Caselli moved to get a better look at the corridor. Ruskin came walking. The woman stood listening. Ruskin walkedcloser to the door. The woman pulled dup her dress and removed a small pistol strapped to her thigh. Ruskin stopped outside the door. Could he see light seep out. Maybe from the keyholde. The woman hadn’t locked the door. Back in the room, the woman hurried to a dark corner of the room, knelt behind a chair and pointed her gun towards the door. Caselli drew her own gun. Ruskin took the door grib and pushed down. He pushed the door open. Would the woman shoot him on sight? Or would they have some kind of interaction that Caselli but benefit from? Would it matter if the woman shot him? Caselli crashed the window with the barrel of her gun. “Drop your gun. I have you covered.” The woman looked up. “Drop it.” Ruskin opened the door, and stepped in and looked around. “Close the door and take her gun,” Caselli said. Ruskin looked up at her, surprise in his face. He closed the door and went to the woman carefully avoiding to step into Caselli’s line of sight. He took the woman’s gun and stepped away. Caselli cleared the opening for glass, lowered herself down and dropped to the floor. “Who is she?” Ruskin asked. At least he had the good sense not to ask her about what she was doing. “Who are you?” The woman didn’t answer. “She’s one of them. She set up a lamp in an open window, I think shee’s calling in her friends. “Help me,” the woman said, “and I’ll pay you more than you can imagine.” “Stay there.” Caselli said. She walked to the table and looked at the papers. Ruskin joined her. The paper was filled with handwritten number, organised as a table. “One column is headed Newton and this one Dumbass.” “Pressure and force from an explosion. Looks like notes from today’s experiment.” “The force of the explosions gets dramatically bigger for each line.” “We wouldn’t have survived the next.” “Not sure many in the neighbourhood would. But what’s this column without a header?” The door burst open. A man came bursting as if he had been pushed. The waiter who had guided the woman here. His face was bloody, his nose seemed to be broken. He’d been beaten up badly. Caselli and Ruskin had both drawn their gun and aimed at the door. The door stood open but there was no one to see. Henleys voice came from the outside. “Throw your gun through the door or I will throw in a granate. Three guns.” Caselli looked at Ruskin. He shrugged his shoulders. They both threw their guns out in the corridor. The woman did the same. Henley strolled into the room, followed by four men, all carrying a gun. “I want to know who sent the three of you. I believe I know why you’re here, but I want to know why you want it. And as I said, I want to know who the three of you are working for.” He looked from one to the other. “Now, don’t you all talk at once.” He stood still for another moment. “I see.” He liked his fingers and held up his hand. One of his men walked up to him, and put a gun in his hand. “Now, you over here, do you think you can hide.” He walked over to the woman and held his gun two inches from her head. “Talk.” “But we’re not—” began the woman. “Not you. You’re too distressed. You.” He looked at Ruskin. Ruskin looked back. Telling Henley that they were not together with the woman would do no good. Telling him everything wouldn’t save them. “Why do you need to know about us. You have want you need and you will either sell it to the primos. Or you’re one of them. If you sell it to them, you must realize that all your wealth won’t help you when they rule the world.” Henley smiled. “I don’t think you answered my question.” His gun fired. The woman tumbled to the ground. Blood spread out around her head. Henley looked at them. He nodded and smiled. “I thought this could be handled quick. And painless. Literally speaking. But I see you’re professionals. I like that. We will continue in the metal workshop where we have the equipment to cut, grind and melt.” He walked out while speaking to the guards, “take them there. I mustn’t neglect my other guests.” The guards pointed their guns at ushered Ruskin and Caselli out of the room and down the corridor away from the notice and music of the party. They acted like professionals, keeping their distance and their eyes open.