condensed master

Will Bonner
that they were back at the restaurant and roadhouse in the Nuuana Valley but had
approached it from the opposite direction.
"This is one place I can rely on," Gerald remarked, as they got out of the car
and went inside. This time Aki was there and Will was introduced. Around 40
years of age Will guessed, typically Hawaiian with a wonderful sense of humour
and always smiling. After a period of general conversation Aki left, leaving Gerald
and Will at the table.
"What does he know about what you do?"
"Only just enough to retain his support. I can get him quite a lot of business
without much effort so things work both ways."
"He can be trusted then?"
"Yes."
They both settled down to a mid-day meal during which time very little
conversation took place. The restaurant had started to fill up and Gerald suggested
that they move away to a more secluded area for coffee. Guiding Will to a room
at the rear of the premises they both went inside. "This is one of Aki's offices that
he rarely uses, we will be okay here."
The room was a fair size, about 20 foot x 12 foot but had no windows, the
fresh air flow being supplemented by a large ceiling fan and several ventilators.
Local artefact and paintings covered the walls. A solid desk with accompanying
chairs was situated at one end of the room, with a large coffee table surrounded
by four easy chairs at the other. The abundance of wall hung items, combined with
a large square carpet which nearly covered the floor area, contributed to the
acoustic deadening in the room, providing some security against conversation
being overheard. The only predominant sound was the gently swishing of the fan
as it slowly cut through the air.
As Will walked around the room discussing the various items with Gerald, the
door opened and a girl entered carrying a tray which she placed on the coffee
table and then left, quietly closing the door behind her. Gerald made himself
comfortable in one of the easy chairs and Will, choosing the chair opposite him,
sat down. After pouring the coffee Gerald appeared to be getting uptight again, as
he had on previous occasions when it was necessary to get down to practicalities.
It had become apparent to Will by now, that he probably had a select group
of people he could use for obtaining information, keeping him in good faith with the
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