“That is not only silly, it is insultin’!” I sez, my annoyance overcomin’ my embarrassment at havin’ been caught.
“Then what is it? … If you don’t mind my asking?”
“Well … to be honest with youse, Nunzio, I feel a little funny stirrin’ up trouble at this particular location, seein’ as how it was me what did the negotiatin’ with Frumple to not cause him any grief.”
Nunzio throws back his head and gives a bark of laughter … which to me is a dubious way to express his sympathy at my plight.
“Let me get this straight,” he sez. “You’re worrying about dealing fair with a Deveel?”
“You may laugh,” I sez, “though I suggest you not do it often when I am the subject of your amusement. Allow me to remind youse, however, that even though Deveels are notoriously hard bargainers, it is also true that once a deal has been struck, they are equally scrupulous about stickin’ to the letter of said agreement. As such, it occurs to me that failin’ to honor one’s own end of such an agreement is to place oneself in a position of bein’ even less trustworthy than a Deveel … which is not a label I relish hangin’ upon myself.”
“Okay … let’s examine the letter of said agreement,” Nunzio shrugs. “What you agreed to was that we would neither trash his establishment, nor would we reveal the true nature of his identity as a Deveel. Correct?”
“Well … yeah.”
“… Neither of which conditions is broken by us directing our attentions to the lovelies which have taken to making this establishment their after-hours habitat … even if our attentions should turn out to be unwelcome.”