Nelson wailed, “My Coshocton employees! And this damn law-suit against G.M.L.—it’s already on the calendar! My God, Mundin, can’t there be some mistake?”
Hubble was almost philosophical, as he could afford to be. He had spent least; if anything, he had picked up some change on increased circulation of his publications. “Better lose some than all,” he said consolingly. “Anyway, I’m still going to take some convincing that a screwy-looking vase and our— ah—breakdown of communications with Green, Charles-worth means that they’re against us. Naturally, when I am convinced, that’s that.”
Norma Lavin looked thunderstruck. “You’d quit?” she gasped.
They looked at her. “My dear,” Harry Coett said, “we remember what happened to your father. Don’t you?”
Mundin said furiously, “Damn it, Coett, this is crazy! They’re just people. They’ve got nothing but money. We’re people and we’ve got money too, plenty of it All right, maybe they’ve got more, but they’re not God Almighty! We can lick them if we have to!” He stopped; Hubble, Nelson, and Coett were wincing at every word.
Hubble opened his eyes. “Mundin,” he remonstrated faintly. That was all he could manage to say.
Ryan said shakily, the jerks in his hands more visible than Mundin had seen them in weeks, “Maybe if one of us went to see them, Coett. Maybe——” his whole body was shaking, but he said, “111 do it myself. At the worst they’ll refuse to see me. That’s happened before, God knows, but I can’t see how we’ll be any worse off——”
Coett said, “Shut your face, you old fool”
Hubble, more kindly, said, “You know how it is, Ryan. If we sent anyone but a very top man—God!”
“I’m not going,” said Nelson very positively.
“I’m not,” said Harry Coett.
And Nelson said, “So you see? There’s just too much to lose. Sorry.”
Norma Lavin, pale and quivering, stood up. “My Daddy invented the bubble-house for——” she began tremblingly, then caught herself. “No! The hell with that. Leaving my Daddy out of this, one-quarter of G.M.L. Homes belongs to Don and myself. It’s ours, understand? Ours! Not yours or Green, Charlesworth’s. If you yellow bastards want out, you can have out. We’re sticking, and I can tell you right now we’re sticking until we drop dead, or hell freezes over, or we win—in descending order of probability. It isn’t just money, you know. We got along fine on no money. We can do it again. It’s people, Coett! It’s making life worth living for the poor slobs who buy their bubble-houses with their life’s blood! Slavery’s against the law. G.M.L.’s been breaking the law, but we are taking over, and we are going to make some changes. You hear me?”
They heard her, and that was the ball game. Seven people
were shouting at once, even old Ryan: “—no better than a
Republican, young lady!” Nelson was howling; and “For
. God’s sake, let her talk!” screamed Mundin; and Coett was
spouting endless obscenities.
And the door opened. Mishal, the guide, stared in, looking upset. “Visitor,” he got out, and disappeared.
“Oh, hell,” said Mundin in the sudden silence, starting toward the door, “I told those idiots—oh, it’s you!” He looked irritatedly at the figure of William Choate IV, now entering. “Hello, Willie. Look, I’m awfully busy right now.”
Willie Choate’s lower lip was trembling. “Hello, old man,” he said dismally. “I have a—uh—message for you.”
“Later, Willie. Please.” Mundin made pushing motions.
Willie stood his ground. “Here.”
He handed Mundin a square white envelope. Mundin, torn between annoyance and hysteria, opened it and glanced ab-sently at the little white card inside. \
Then he glanced at it again.
Then he stared at it until Coett came to life and leaped
forward to take it out of his hand. It said in crabbed handwriting:
Messrs. Green, Charlesworth
request the appearance
of Mr. Charles Mundin
and Miss Norma Lavin
when convenient
It was a long ride.
Willie apologetically took out a magazine as soon as they settled down in the car. “You know what Great-Great-Grand-daddy Rufus said, Charles. ‘Happy is he who has laid up hi his youth, and held fast in all fortune, a genuine and passionate love for reading.’ I always like to——”