"We _could_ duplicate that if we liked." "Yes, you could, Mr.Latham," replied Mr.Wynne slowly, "but you can't duplicate the brain that isolated absolutely pure carbon from the charred residue of brown sugar.

That brain was Mr.Kellner's; the secret died with him!" Again there was a long silence, broken at last by Mr.Schultze: "Dat means no more diamonds can be made undil some one else can make der pure carbon, ain'd id?
Yah! Und dat brings us down to der question, How many diamonds are made alretty ?" "The diamonds I showed you gentlemen were all that have been cut thus far," replied Mr.Wynne.

"Less than twenty of the disks were used in making them.

There are now some five hundred more of these disks in existence--roughly a billion dollars' worth--so you see I am prepared to hold you to my proposition that you buy one hundred million dollars' worth of them at one-half the carat price you now pay in the open market." Mr.Latham passed one hand across a brow bedewed with perspiration, and stared helplessly at the German.
"The work of cutting could go on steadily here, under the direction of Mr.Czenki," Mr.Wynne resumed after a moment.

"The secrecy of this place has not been violated for forty years.