
CHAPTER I - A PROPHECY
CHAPTER II - UNDERSTANDING
CHAPTER III - PLEASURE
CHAPTER IV - UNCERTAINTY
CHAPTER V - CERTAINTY
CHAPTER VI - A WARNING
CHAPTER VII - REBELLION
CHAPTER VIII - CATASTROPHE
CHAPTER I - ANTICIPATION
CHAPTER II - ACQUAINTANCE
A sharp, dialogue‑driven opening pits two long‑time friends against each other in a battle of wits and worldviews. Darley Roberts lives by a ruthless calculus that reduces every choice—love, ambition, even morality—to a dollar value, while his counterpart, Armstrong, constantly challenges that cold formula with humor and a hint of resentment. Their banter reveals a deep, uneasy bond that feels both inevitable and precarious, hinting at a future clash they both seem to expect.
As the conversation drifts toward a new opportunity—a chemist position at a powerful corporation—the stakes shift from abstract philosophy to concrete temptation. The offer promises wealth and influence, yet it also threatens to amplify the very metric Roberts has always used to navigate life. Listeners are drawn into a tense exploration of how money, friendship, and personal integrity intersect, setting the stage for a conflict that could reshape both men’s futures.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (356K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Roger Frank, Darleen Dove and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2009-01-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1878–1909
Best known for vivid Western and prairie fiction, this short-lived American novelist balanced a dental career with writing at night. His books drew on firsthand knowledge of Dakota and frontier life, giving them an authentic sense of place.
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