Читаем A Dangerous Fortune (1994) полностью

"My journal is in a difficult position," he said worriedly. "Having campaigned so vociferously for a banker to get a peerage, it's hard for us to turn around and protest when it actually happens."

"But you never intended for a Jew to be so honored."

"True, true, although so many bankers are Jews."

"Couldn't you write that there are enough Christian bankers for the prime minister to choose from?"

He remained reluctant. "We might...."

"Then do so!"

"Excuse me, Mrs. Pilaster, but it's not quite enough."

"I don't understand you," she said impatiently.

"A professional consideration, but I need what we journalists call a slant. For instance, we could accuse Disraeli--or Lord Beaconsfield, as he now is--of partiality to members of his own race. Now that would be a slant. However, he is in general a man so upright that that particular charge might not stick."

Augusta hated dithering, but she reined in her impatience because she could see there was a genuine problem here. She thought for a moment and was struck by an idea. "When Disraeli took his seat in the House of Lords, was the ceremony normal?"

"In every way, I believe."

"He took the oath of loyalty on a Christian Bible?"

"Indeed."

"Old and New Testament?"

"I begin to see your drift, Mrs. Pilaster. Would Ben Greenbourne swear on a Christian Bible? From what I know of him, I doubt it."

Augusta shook her head dubiously. "He might, though, if nothing were said about it. He's not a man to look for a confrontation. But he's very stiff-necked when challenged. If there were to be a noisy public demand for him to swear the same way as everyone else he might well rebel. He wouldn't let people say he had been pushed into anything."

"A noisy public demand," Hobbes mused. "Yes ..."

"Could you create that?"

Hobbes warmed to the idea. "I see it already," he said excitedly. "'Blasphemy in the House of Lords.' Now that, Mrs. Pilaster, is what we call a slant. You're quite brilliant. You ought to be a journalist yourself!"

"How flattering," she said. The sarcasm was lost on him.

Hobbes suddenly looked pensive. "Mr. Greenbourne is a very powerful man."

"So is Mr. Pilaster."

"Of course, of course."

"Then I may rely on you?"

Hobbes rapidly weighed the risks and decided to back the Pilaster cause. "Leave everything to me."