In the hall, no one spoke.
Bach's corpulent body lay sprawled on the floor like a bled-out hog, completely motionless.
Outside the window, the white hell churned and bubbled sluggishly. The foul, fishy stench was so thick it felt tangible, pressing down on everyone's nerves.
The assembled creditors exchanged glances, their eyes silently confirming their mutual thoughts.
They were the most cunning speculators in the world, the kind who would fight to offer you a magnificent silk umbrella on a sunny day, only to snatch it back faster than anyone else at the first drop of rain.
And now, in their eyes, the storm Caroline had unleashed had passed. The skies had cleared, and a rainbow forged from pure gold now arced across them.
The first to move was the representative from the Royal Capital Bank, Duncan.
