Meantime every insurance firm in the country is going broke. Hoskins, what’s our
loss ratio?”
“It’s hard to say, Mr. Bidwell. It gets worse every day. We’ve paid off
thirteen big policies this week; all of them taken out since Pinero started
operations.”
A spare little man spoke up. “I say, Bidwell, we aren’t accepting any new
applications for United until we have time to check and be sure that they have not
consulted Pinero. Can’t we afford to wait until the scientists show him up?”
Bidwell snorted. “You blasted optimist! They won’t show him up. Aldrich,
can’t you face a fact? The fat little blister has got something; how I don’t know.
This is a fight to the finish. If we wait, we’re licked.” He threw his cigar into a
cuspidor, and bit savagely into a fresh one. “Clear out of here, all of you! I’ll
handle this my own way. You too, Aldrich. United may wait, but Amalgamated won’t.”
Weems cleared his throat apprehensively. “Mr. Bidwell, I trust you will
consult with me before embarking on any major change in policy?”
Bidwell grunted. They filed out. When they were all gone and the door
closed, Bidwell snapped the switch of the inter-office announcer. “O.K.; send him
Page 10
in.”
The outer door opened; a slight dapper figure stood for a moment at the
threshold. His small dark eyes glanced quickly about the room before he entered,
then he moved up to Bidwell with a quick soft tread. He spoke to Bidwell in a flat
emotionless voice. His face remained impassive except for the live animal eyes. “You
wanted to talk to me?”
“Yes.”
“What’s the proposition?”
“Sit down, and we’ll talk.”
Pinero met the young couple at the door of his inner office.
“Come in, my dears, come in. Sit down. Make yourselves at home. Now tell me,
what do you want of Pinero? Surely such young people are not anxious about the final
roll call?”
The boy’s honest young face showed slight confusion. “Well, you see, Dr.
Pinero, I’m Ed Harley and this is my wife, Betty. We’re going to have-that is, Betty
is expecting a baby and, well-”
Pinero smiled benignly. “I understand. You want to know how long you will
live in order to make the best possible provision for the youngster. Quite wise. Do
you both want readings, or just yourself?”
The girl answered, “Both of us, we think.”
Pinero beamed at her. “Quite so. I agree. Your reading presents certain
technical difficulties at this time, but I can give you some information now, and
more later after your baby arrives. Now come into my laboratory, my dears, and we’ll
commence.” He rang for their case histories, then showed them into his workshop.
“Mrs. Harley first, please. If you will go behind that screen and remove your shoes
and your outer clothing, please. Remember, I am an old man, whom you are consulting
as you would a physician.”
He turned away and made some minor adjustments of his apparatus. Ed nodded
to his wife who slipped behind the screen and reappeared almost at once, clothed in
two wisps of silk. Pinero glanced up, noted her fresh young prettiness and her
touching shyness.
“This way, my dear. First we must weigh you. There. Now take your place on
the stand. This electrode in your mouth. No, Ed, you mustn’t touch her while she is
in the circuit. It won’t take a minute. Remain quiet.”
He dove under the machine’s hood and the dials sprang into life. Very
shortly he came out with a perturbed look on his face. “Ed, did you touch her?”
“No, Doctor.” Pinero ducked back again, remained a little longer. When he
came out this time, he told the girl to get down and dress. He turned to her
husband.
“Ed, make yourself ready.”
“What’s Betty’s reading, Doctor?”
“There is a little difficulty. I want to test you first.”
When he came out from taking the youth’s reading, his face was more troubled
than ever. Ed inquired as to his trouble. Pinero shrugged his shoulders, and brought
a smile to his lips.
“Nothing to concern you, my boy. A little mechanical misadjustment, I think.