They crossed the sea of tables. Friends and acquaintances shouted greetings along the way, their invitations to sit and drink reluctantly turned down.
He did stop to ask of one city councilman, "Where's Mayor Speranza?"
The councilman shrugged. "You haven't heard the latest. Three councilmen are missing. We're all worried."
"Tweel, do you think?"
"That's what's on the grapevine. There were dengs all over City Hall today, hanging around, looking like they owned the place."
"Maybe they think they do, now."
"We gotta do something to clean up this town," the man said, lifting his bathtub-gin martini. He took a drink. He smiled. "Present company excepted, John. If some ganglord has to run things, I'd rather it be you."
"Thanks for that vote of confidence, Stanley."
Delivering a reassuring pat on the shoulder, he moved on.
They crossed in front of the stage to get to the other side of the room. King Elmont took his left hand from the keyboard briefly, to wave. Then the hand dropped to sound an augmented ninth chord.
"Is there anyone in Necropolis you don't know?" Velma said.
"Long ago I learned how to win friends and influence people. Read a book on it."
"It must have been a good book."
The back room was busy, the craps table surrounded three-deep, the roulette even deeper. Blackjack dealers slapped cards down in front of the apprehensive players. Private poker games were over in one corner.
Stately, plump Biff Millington was seated at a green-felt table holding a pat hand, Caribbean cigar clamped securely between his teeth, one eye shut against smoke drifting back. His skin was a little darker than café au lait. His suit was custom-tailored and his nails were manicured, the white carnation on his lapel so fresh it could have been cut moments before and rushed from the hothouse with sirens wailing. Slowly, one end of his lip curled up, then down. His was not the best of poker faces. But he made up in luck what he lacked in skill.
One dark eye found Carney.
"Be with you in a minute," he said around the cigar.
"I call," said the player beside him.
"Straight, ten high," Millington said, showing him.
"Damn!"
"I should have stayed in," said another player. "I was working on a flush. But despair's my greatest sin."
"Ego te absolvo," Millington said. "Nil desperandum."
"No capeesh. I flunked that subject, along with others."
Millington rose and picked up his cash. "Gentlemen, deal me out."
Carney and Velma had taken seats at the bar. The bartender was setting a gin-and-tonic in front of Velma when Millington arrived.
"John, nice of you to drop by."
They shook hands. "Biff, meet Velma."
Velma flashed her small even teeth.
"Hello, Velma. That's on the house."
"He's paying."
Millington blew more smoke into the smoky air. "Have a drink, John. On me. Then get the hell out."
Carney grinned. "Still sore about that brewery in Melville."
"I liked that little operation, and I didn't like having it salamandered."
"Your insurance paid off. Business, Biff, just business. Nothing personal. The profit margin didn't allow our dropping prices to match the competition. It was either fold up our tents or carry out a preemptive strike."
"Oh, I understand." Millington grinned back. "I simply didn't like it."
"I'll get, but first you might think about doing the unthinkable and helping me."
Millington laughed. "Oh, you lead a rich fantasy life, my friend."
"Don't rule it out just yet. Tweel's dengs are muscling in on everyone in town. Somebody has to put a stop to it."
"You, I suppose. Alone?"
"It's best. The other way would just kill off eighty percent of my boys. I'd win that way, too, but it'd be messy."
"You're mighty confident."
"I can't be anything else. Half the battle is the approach, the frame of mind."
Millington nodded. "True. Psychological considerations are paramount, especially in some sort of showdown. But I think you're overstretching yourself. You're a hell of a sorcerer, but maybe not enough to go up against Hell itself."
Carney munched some peanuts. "Funny the way you put that."
"Am I hinting that Tweel's dengs might be running him instead of vice versa? Yes, I'm hinting. They seem to have an agenda all their own." Millington puffed thoughtfully on the long green cigar. "In which case, it's inevitable that they'll be calling the shots in this town. Because if Tweel can't control them, neither can you."
"Maybe so," Carney said. "But I think I'll take a shot anyway. I have some experience."
Millington was dubious. "Where? When?"
"Another time, another place."
"Uh-huh. Well, there is this longstanding rumor about you, a bit of latter-day folklore, which says you're from another world. Just what other world is vague. Are you telling me it's true?"
"I'm not telling you it isn't. But forget that. You really think it's inevitable that they'll take over?"
Millington frowned. "I don't know. I hope not. But… not everyone can be big wheels. Some of us must be cogs. I know my limitations. I figure I'm a little wheel at best. But tell you what, I will think about your proposition."
"The dengs might shift gears and leave you spinning. If they run Necropolis, they won't need humans at the middle-management level. Or even lackeys. They have all the personnel they need. They are legion."
Millington regarded the ceiling, contemplating its painted stars and crescent moons.
"You have a point, much as I hate to admit it." He let out a sigh. "What do you want, John?"
"What spells are you using?"
Millington chuckled. "What fo' you wanna mess wit' colored, boss?"
"A fresh approach. An unusual angle. Unexpected."
"Yeah." Millington chuckled again. "Unexpected. Well, I'm not going to let you tap into my connection, that's for sure. You learn my charms and it's not just breweries on Great Isle that I'll be losing. But there are other consultants open for business around here. I can give you a name and an address."
"I'd appreciate it."
Millington took out a pen. Carney gave him a business card to write on. Millington thought first, then wrote.
"I think that's the number. Anyway it's on One Hundred Thirty-fourth Street next to a greasy spoon called Darby's Cafe."
"Much obliged," Carney said, taking the card.
"You're quite welcome, sir. I have a game to get back to. Be well, and if I don't see you in here again, it will be too damned soon."
The big man wheeled around and walked off a few steps before stopping and turning his head to say, "Oh, and good luck." He blended back into the crowd.
"Thanks."
"Nice music in there," Velma said.
"Yes. Want to dance?"
"Love to. You have the time?"
"One spin around the dance floor on our way out. Finish your drink."
She downed most of it and gave him a serious look. "You can't win against dengs. Who do you think you are? God?"
"There are those who cast out dengs in His name."
"Stow the sermons, parson."
"Not until I pass the plate. Drink up and let's get the hell out of here."
Fifteen
Graving Dock
"How's it coming, Luster?"
Gene was on his knees, peering under the bell-shaped craft.
"It's comin'," Luster answered. On his back underneath the Voyager, spanner in hand, he was wrestling with a stubborn lug-nut. Dolbert was helping, manning a crescent wrench.
Gene got up. He had changed from the garb of Cyrano to something befitting a NASA astronaut: a sky-blue jumpsuit with velcro-sealed pockets.
Jeremy said, "At least the communications repairs are done. We'll be able to keep in touch by modem."
"Can't you rig voice communications some way?"