Part 9 (1/2)
”Well, do so immediately! Why do you think I took the trouble of sending you in the first place?Never mind, I'll attend to it. Oh, we're terribly busy here. But a shapely la.s.s like you shouldn't have to work for a living, now should she, d.i.c.k?”
And with this, Jones nudged Elissa with his cane, in a spot which caused me to say: ”Now see here Jones--this is going too far! Do that again and I'll punch you in the snoot.”
”I must say, Richard, you're just like your father. Don't lose a minute, do you!” I reached out to grab him, but the second afterwards he was over on the other side of the room.
”Tut tut, m'boy, not a very nice way to treat your benefactor! Look at that basket there .”
I looked and so did Elissa. She looked long and hard. The room was full of money and checks, and Mr. Jones danced over with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
”Bet a couple could take just what's there and live comfortably for a year on it. That is, if they were sure there would be more to come.”
He sidled over to Elissa and nudged her again, and I started swinging. Before I landed on my face, a thought came to me. It was a desperate, long-odds, crazy thought, but it seemed the answer to everything.
”Tell you what, Jones,” I said, picking myself up off the floor and placing Elissa behind me. ”This is a little silly after all. I think you're right. I think I've acted in a very ungrateful fas.h.i.+on and I want to apologize. The _Courier_ is really selling now, and it appears that it'll make me a lot of money. All thanks to you. I'm really sorry.”
He put the chair down and seemed pleased.
”Now then, that's more like it, d.i.c.k. And, er, I apologize, young lady. I was only being devilish.”
Elissa was a sophisticated girl: she didn't open her mouth.
”I can see that you're busy, Mr. Jones, so if you don't mind, Elissa and I will take a little walk.”
I gave him a broad wicked wink, which delighted him.
”That's _fine_, m'boy. I want to get this evening's edition ready. Now let's see, where was I . . .”
By this time it was getting dark. Without saying a word, I pushed Elissa into the alley behind the shop. You could hear the press chugging away inside, so I began to talk fast.
”I like you,” I said, ”and maybe after all this is over, we can get together somewhere. But right now the important thing is to stop that bird.”
She looked beautiful there in the shadows, but I couldn't take the time to tell her so. Vaguely I sensed that I'd somehow fallen in love with this girl whom I'd met that same day. She looked in all ways cooperative.
I did manage to ask: ”You got a boyfriend?”
Again she shook that pretty blonde head, so I got right back to the business at hand.
”Jones _has_ to be stopped. What he's done so far is fantastic, all right, but comparatively harmless. However, we've got to remember that he's the devil after all, and for sure he's up to something.
Things won't stay harmless, you can count on that. Already he's forgotten about the original idea. Look at him in there, having the time of his life. This was all he needed to cut loose. Dad made the mistake of leaving the _idea_ of my happiness up to Mr. Jones' imagination.”
”All right, d.i.c.k, but what do we do?”
”Did you notice that he read aloud what's _going_ to happen tonight, Elissa?”
”You mean about the mermaids in the bathtub?”
”Yes. Don't you get it? That hasn't happened yet. He thinks up these crazy ideas, types 'em out, gets 'em all printed and _then_ they take place. He goes over, takes a few pictures and in some way gets the papers delivered a few minutes later, complete with the news. Don't ask me why he doesn't just snap his fingers--maybe he enjoys it this way more.”
”I suppose that's, uh, sensible. What do you want me to do, d.i.c.k?”
”It's asking a lot, I suppose, but we can't let him wreck the whole world. Elissa, do you think you could divert the devil for about a half hour?”
Looking at her, I knew she could.”I get it now. Okay, if you think it'll work. First, do me a favor?”
”Anything.”
”Kiss me again, would you?”
I complied, and let me tell you, there was nothing crazy about that kiss. I was honestly grateful to Mr. Jones for one thing at least.
Elissa opened the front door of the office, threw back her hair and crooked a finger at the devil.
”Oh Mr. Jones!”
From the alley I could see him stop typing abruptly. More than abruptly. So would I.
”Why, my dear! Back from your walk so soon? Where is Richard?”
”I don't know--he just walked off and didn't say anything. Now I'm all alone.”
The devil's eyes looked like tiny red hot coals, and he bit clean through his cigar. ”Well,” he said.
”Well, well, _well!_”
”You wouldn't like to take me out for a few drinks, would you, Mr. Jones?”
The way she moved her hips would have me bite through my cigar, if I'd had a cigar. She was doing beautifully.
”Well, I had planned to--no, it can wait. Certainly, Miss Traskers, I'd be pleased, more than pleased, oh, _very_ pleased to accompany you somewhere for a spot. Richard has probably gone home to talk to other reporters.”
With this he hopped over the desk and took Elissa's arm.
”Oh, my dear girl, it has been so long, so very long. Voluntarily, I mean.”
She smiled at the old goat and in a few minutes they were headed straight for Barney's Grill. I almost chased them when I heard him say, ”And afterwards, perhaps we could take a stroll through the woods, eh?”
As soon as they were out of sight, I ran into the office, took his material out of the typewriter and inserted a new sheet.
I thought for a few minutes, and then hurriedly typed: DEVIL RETURNS HOME.
The devil, known also as Mr. Jones, cut short his latest visit to Earth because of altercations in Gehenna. Mr. Elmer Lewis, for some years a resident of the lower regions, successfully made his escape and entry into heaven, where he joined his wife, Elizabeth. The devil can do nothing to alter this, but has decided to inst.i.tute a more rigorous discipline among his subjects still remaining.
And then, on another sheet I wrote: OFFICE OF DANVILLE DAILY.