Pope's Assassin Read Online Free PDF Page B

attentive, appraising eye of his father. This time was different. His father was on board a ship with his mother, relaxing in the Mediterra nean. Young Ben made a nightly report of what had happened during the day. His mother tolerated this discussion as long as it didn't take more than fifteen minutes. Ben Isaac took advantage of it to counsel his son. He wasn't a good husband, or father, but nobody beat him at his game. He thought his business affairs would be lighter as he got older, but he had deceived himself. His objectives had changed. First he wanted the best for its own sake, then for Myriam, then for his son, and now he simply wanted to leave a magnificent legacy, immune to rough times or bad decisions. "When you die, you leave everything," Myriam warned him. "You can't take it with you."
    The cruise could not be happening at a worse time. The negotiations
    with his Israeli counterparts were at a crucial stage, and little Ben had to conclude the deal. It was a crucial test for the boy.
        He'd boarded MS Vo yager of the Seas, an enormous ship with fi f teen decks and more than a thousand passengers. They called it a fl oat ing hotel, and they weren't wrong. It had a casino, a spa, a marriage chapel, ice-skating rink, cinema, theater, shopping center, everything to make the travelers forget they were at sea and not on land.
        Ben Isaac could have bought his own ship and crew and sailed where he wanted, but Myriam was inflexible. She wanted to take a cruise like a normal married couple. Arguing with her was not an option. He reserved five cabins on deck 14 and occupied the middle one in order to avoid unpleasant neighbors. Of course, he decided not to tell Myriam this detail. Ben Isaac was like that. He gave in to a cer tain point, and then arranged things his way. He tried to spare Myr iam everything. Business problems, his son's accidents, her brother's detoxification cure, her father's lovers. He permitted nothing to incon venience her, kept her enclosed in a glass dome. This created other problems, such as a lack of attention, long absences, and a lack of affec tion. Myriam rebelled and Ben Isaac gave in to her, adapting to the new reality. That was always the secret of his success.
        So we find him reading the paper at table 205 in the restaurant on deck 14. Myriam was in the gymnasium swimming, and would join him shortly. Mornings were always the same since they'd boarded the ship. And Ben Isaac, exiled in London since childhood, where he made his fortune, didn't care. If Myriam was happy, so was he. If he got news of the business only at night, then so be it. That was the price he had to pay for innumerable lonely nights. Myriam deserved this sacrifi ce.
        The waiter brought his coffee.
        "Good morning, Dr. Isaac. How are you today?" A genuine smile crossed his face.
        "Good morning, Sigma. Very well, thank you."
        Sigma was from the Philippines and an excellent waiter, in Ben Isaac's opinion.
        "Are you only going to have coffee?'
        "Yes, just coffee. I'm not hungry before ten.
        "Certainly, Dr. Isaac. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to call me. I hope you have a very nice day."
        "Thank you, Sigma."
        Ben Isaac continued to read the F inancial Times out of profes sional interest. No other reading gave him more pleasure. Analyzing the market, reading between the lines, evaluating investment oppor tunities. One page alone could turn into millions of dollars of income. For this reason he advised little Ben to subscribe and read this paper carefully.
        He lifted the coffee cup and drank a little. Black, strong, without sugar. What better way to face the day? Only when he set the cup back down did he notice a small envelope at the edge of the saucer. How strange. Sigma had not mentioned it. He lay the paper down on the table with the intention of returning to his reading and opened the envelope. There was a small