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Pitt 's gaze traveled from Boudicca to Deirdre and then Maeve "Like hts and e theirl's best friend"

Dorsett laughed dryly "It's the men who' buy precious stones for women And as her regard for value Sell them on the fact that rubies and emeralds are fifty times more rare than diamonds, and they'll buy them"

"Is that true?" Pitt was skeptical "That an emerald is fifty times more rare than a comparable diamond?"

Dorsett nodded solemnly "As the deposits of eap will becoher Actually, it could safely be said of the red emerald, which comes only from one or two mines in the state of Utah, that it is over a million times as rare"

"Cornering oneanother, there has to be more in it for you than mere profit"

"Not `mere profit,' my dear Pitt Profits on a level unheard of in history We're talking tens of billions of dollars"

Pitt was incredulous at the staggering sum "You couldn't achieve that kind of emstones"

"Quadrupled would be closer to the truth Of course, the raise would not take place overnight, but in graduated price hikes over a period of years"

Pittdirectly in front of Dorsett, peering up closely at the tallerMidas," he said with quiet steadiness "Do what you ith the price of diamonds But for God's sake shut down the ultrasonic excavation of your mines Call your superintendents and order them to stop all operations Do it now before another life is lost"

There cae stillness Every pair of eye, turned toward Dorsett in expectation of an outburst of wrath at being challenged He stared at Pitt for long seconds before turning to Maeve

"Your friend is inize ain faced Pitt "The assault on the diamond cartel is set for February twenty-second, twenty-one days froram, every carat, e, advertising space in newspapers and time on television is purchased and scheduled

There can be no change, there will be no change in plans If a few rabble die, so be it"

Mental derangeht, those were the only words to describe the eerie eht of remorse He was a man totally without conscience Pitt felt his skin crawl fro at him He wondered howbefore he began excavating diamonds with ultrasound, howrich and powerful? He felt a sharp chill at knowing the man was a sociopath on the same level as a serial killer

"You will pay for your crie in his voice "You will surely pay for the unbearable grief and agony you have caused"

"Who will be the angel of my retribution?" Dorsett sneered "You, maybe? Mr Giordino here? I do not believe there will be ordained retaliation from the heavens The possibility is too remote The only certainty I can bank on, Mr Pitt, is that you won't be around to see it"