“What about a criminal from another dimension? Someone who isn’t so impressed with Mr. Hoos?”
The manager raised an eyebrow.
“Like who, for example?”
“Well… what if I and my friend here decided to…”
That was as far as she got.
For all his stuffiness, I had to admit the manager was good. I didn’t see him move or signal, but suddenly the bank was filled with armed guards. For some reason, their attention seemed to be centered on us.
I nudged Tananda, but she waved me off irritably.
“. . . Of course, that was simply a ‘what if.’ “
“Of course,” the manager smiled, without humor. “I believe our business is concluded. Good day.”
“But …”
“I said ‘Good day.’ “
With that he returned to his work, ignoring us completely.
It would have been bordering on lunacy to try to take on the whole room full of guards. I was therefore startled to realize little sister was starting to contemplate that very action. As casually as I could, I started whistling Gilbert and Sullivan’s “A Policeman’s Lot Is Not a Happy One” as a gentle reminder of the police station not half a block away. Tananda gave me a look that would curdle cream, but she got the message and we left without further ado.
“Now what, little sister?” I said, as tactfully as I could manage.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
I thought about that for a few moments.
“No,” I admitted frankly. “Seems to me you’ve come up against a dead end.”
‘ “Then you weren’t listening in there,” she said, giving me one of her smug grins. “The manager gave me a big clue for where to try next.”