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"But damn it, Benton . . ."

Benton got to his feet and walked up and down the

room at the foot of the bed. "No use cussing at me. . . . I'm going to do the cussing today. What do you think of a guy who goes on a bender at a critical moment like this?

Yel ow, that's what I cal it. . . . You deserved what you got . . . and I had a hel of a time saving my own hide, I can tel you. Wel , I picked you for a winner, Anderson, and I stil think that if you cut out the funny business you could be in the real money in ten years. Now let me tel

-352-you something, young man, you've gone exactly as far as you can go on your record overseas, and that was certainly a hel of a lot further than most. As for this invention racket . . . you know as wel as I do there's no money in it unless you have the genius for promotion needed to go with it. You had a big initial success and thought you were the boy'wizard and could put over any damn thing you had a mind to."

"Hay, Nat, for Pete's sake don't you think I've got brains enough to know that? . . . This darn divorce and bein' in hospital so long kinder got me, that's al ."

"Alibis."

"What do you think I ought to do?"

"You ought to pul out of this town for a while. . . . How about your brother's business out in Minnesota?"

"Go back to the sticks and sel tin lizzies . . . that's a swel future.""Where do you think Henry Ford made his money?""I know. But he keeps his dealers broke. . . . What I need's to get in good physical shape. I always have a good time in Florida. I might go down there and lay around in the sun for a month."

"O.K. if you keep out of that landboom."

"Sure, Nat, I won't even play poker . . . I'm goin'

down there for a rest. Get my leg in real good shape. Then when I come back we'l see the fur fly. After' al there's stil that Standard Airparts stock."

"No longer listed."

"Check."

"Wel , optimist, my wife's expecting me for lunch.

. . . Have a good trip."

Benton went out. "Hay, Cliff," Charley cal ed through the door. "Tel 'em to come and get this damn breakfast tray. It didn't turn out so wel . And phone Parker to get the car in shape. Be sure the tires are al O.K. I'm pul in'

out for Florida Monday."

In a moment Cliff stuck his head in the door. His face

-353-was red. "Are you . . . wil you be needing me down there, sir?""No, I'l be needin'

you here to keep an eye on the boys downtown. . . . I got to have somebody here I can trust. . . . I'l tel you what I wil have you do though . . . go down to Trenton and accompany Miss

Dowlin' down to Norfolk. I'l pick her up there. She's in Trenton visitin' her folks. Her old man just died or some-thin'. You'd just as soon do that, wouldn't you? It'l give you a little trip."

Charley was watching Cliff's face. He screwed his mouth further to one side and bowed like a butler. "Very good, sir," he said.

Charley lay back on the pil ows again. His head was throbbing, his stomach was stil tied up in knots. When he closed his eyes dizzy red lights bloomed in front of them. He began to think about Jim and how Jim had never paid over his share of the old lady's money he'd put into the business. Anyway he ain't got a plane, two cars, a suite at the Biltmore and a secretary that'l do any goddam thing in the world for you, and a girl like Margo. He tried to remember how her face looked, the funny amazed way she opened her eyes wide when she was going to make a funny crack. He couldn't remember a damn thing, only the sick feeling he had al over and the red globes bloom-ing before his eyes. In a little while he fel asleep. He was stil feeling so shaky when he started south that he took Parker along to drive the car. He sat glumly in his new camelshair coat with his hands hanging between his knees staring ahead through the roaring blank of the Hol and Tunnel, thinking of Margo and Bil Edwards

the patent lawyer he had to see in Washington about a suit, and remembering the bil s in Cliff's desk drawer and wondering where the money was coming from to fight this