“Then do. Pretty please. Pretty Tom Cat with the muscles.”
“Not Hester’s fault they haven’t. I know. She told me bang, one night, while we were at it. Said the Boss could have it any time he reached for it. Hester thinks the Boss is God’s right hand.”
“Well, so do I. But it doesn’t keep me from appreciating my Thomas Cat. How would you feel about it? Jake and Hester.”
“Me?” He looked astonished. “Look, Pussy Cat, you ‘know if anybody does I don’t see no sense in putting a fence around a broad. Just makes her want to jump it. I’d ruther hold open the gate for her, she wants to.”
“I said, ‘How would you feel about it, dear?’”
“Oh.” Her driver-guard looked thoughtful. “Wouldn’t get my nose out of joint. The Boss is numero uno, da kine. Rozzer?”
“Roz.”
“He knocked up a broad, he’d pay. No huhu. But no huhu anyhow; we were only licensed for one and Hester had herself fixed, right after she had Eve. Good broad I married—didn’t split when I dropped one, took me back when I was paroled. Oh, she shacked, sure—but just with her boss, she worked. Didn’t peddle it. Or kept it to herself, didn’t tell me. Hester and the Boss? Sure, if they want to. Told her so, bang. Have fun, I told her.”
“Mmm…Thomas Cattus, let’s give them a chance. Or six chances. Might be insurance for us, later.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Smart thinking, Pussy Cat. But how? And would he? The Boss?”
“I feel sure he would if he knew it was safe. Private, I mean; Jake has courage under fire, just as you have, dear.
Main problem is to get Eve out from underfoot. Mmm… you could take me shopping or such and I could ask Hester to get Mr. Salomon’s lunch. . . then as an afterthought I could invite Eve to come with me. Hmm?”
“With either Fred or Ski up here? No good, Pussy Cat.”
“All it needs is a time when you have the guard. Jake won’t send for your relief; at most he’ll lock open the lift door. He doesn’t worry about him, he worries about guarding me.”
“Mmm. . . roz. Could work if he wants it. You’re filling out, Pussy Cat. Tits prettier than ever.”
“Joe says a woman gets prettier as she bigs out. But I don’t think many men think so.”
“Hester looked awful cute, clear up to the last minute. And on you it looks good, too. Uh. . . you’re sure the Boss is asleep?”
“Certain enough that I’m willing to risk it. But I don’t mean to scare you, dear. Want to wait and see how our plans for Jake and Hester work out?”
“Uh…oh, hell, we might all be dead by then.”
“Right here?”
“Uh, copter might cruise by.”
“Let’s go into the lanai.”
27
Harvard University Corporation voted to withhold all funds until the Student Government selected a new university president. Both of the rival student governments and the faculty senate sought court relief from this “reckless and irresponsible action.” CONS BEST COPS SEZ FUZZ PREZ—the General Secretary of the Private Police, Guards, and Security Drivers (AFL) at its annual banquet congratulated Milwaukee on joining the growing list of municipalities that had abolished the “clean record” rule in hiring peace officers. “The outstanding success of parolees and probationers as licensed private security officers is finally teaching the politicians to ‘hunt ducks where the ducks are.’ The Bible says ‘To catch a thief you set a thief,’ don’t it? Who knows more about hoods than a hood? Give a man incentives to keep his nose clean and put him on work he understands and you can count on him in the crunch. My Mom kept telling me that when I was just a punk knockin’ over candy stores. Besides, like the Sec’etary of the Treasury told us earlier tonight, ‘Look what it’s done for the economy!’ In this great republic—”
“Today’s Day” newscast interviewed a midwife who claimed to have delivered Miss Molly Maguire of child ten days before her sensational two-nation sky dive. The sensie star promptly sued newcaster, station, and videonet.