As a journalist, Robert was a frequent flyer, mostly around western Europe. Being multilingual, he’d become adept at making friends during flights around the continent.

One fellow traveler of special interest was a British marine architect named Archie. During lunch one day months later in Paris, Archie tells Robert about an unusual assignment. His client has a high-speed ocean-going vessel with twin outboard engines mounted on the fantail. The client needs the boat modified to achieve maximum speed.

Now this craft is already capable of extremely high speeds, but the owner wants more—the most he can get and still remain afloat.

Archie draws up plans for a modification and determines the only way to gain the required additional speed is to install a third engine, amidships, with the propeller mounted directly over the keel.

However, Archie warns the client, this particular modification will limit the craft’s hours of operation to just 96 hours. Without a maintenance routine every 96 hours, the boat might sink.

In spite of the warning, the client gives Archie the go-ahead. Weeks later, the modified boat is delivered on time and for a handsome fee.

Several years pass until one day Robert spots Archie sitting at a sidewalk cafe in Lisbon. Robert asks about the performance of the modified craft.

"It was truly amazing," says Archie. "They ran it for slightly less than 100 hours and—as I’d warned—the craft sank to the bottom like a rock."

Robert looked concerned. Quickly Archie consoled him, "Don’t you worry. During the few days of its high-speed performance my client said he made ten times the total cost of the boat."

Hearing such a report, Robert knew the boat had to have been used in a smuggling operation. Before the two men parted company, Robert dared ask, "What was the cargo?"

Archie laughed aloud, then whispered in Robert’s ear, "Birth control pills—into Spain."