Business is business,
Matt; I never mix sentiment with it and I advise you never to do it
either. Pay your way and take your beating like a sport--that's my
policy, Matt."
"Do you want to save the Blue Star Navigation Company some money?"
Matt managed to articulate.
"Certainly! Now you're talking business; so I'll listen."
"As charterer of your steamer Tillicum, I find that Captain Grant, the
master you installed there, is offensive to me. I object to the way
he parts his hair and knots his necktie, and I want a new skipper on
the ship."
Cappy Ricks slid out to the edge of his swivel chair, placed a hand on
each knee and eyed Matt suspiciously over the rims of his spectacles.
After a long silence he shook his head negatively.
"Then I'll sue you!" Matt replied. "There's a clause in the charter
party. You've got to do it."
Cappy's mouth flew open.
"Oh, by Judas Priest, that's right," he said, and laughed. "So you're
providing a job for yourself after the smoke clears away, eh?" he
quizzed. "Well, you can skipper the Tillicum while you keep up the
payments of the charter money, Matt; but I give you my word that the
day you slip up on a payment, out you go and back Captain Grant goes
into the ship. Meantime, however, I think I see now why you inserted
that clause.
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