The circumstances were not favourable to reasoned expostulation. The governor was interrupted by two calls that he had to take, one from his director of finance and one from Washington. His personal secretary came in once and shoved a memorandum under his eyes, at which the old man looked worried, then scrawled something on it and handed it back. I could tell that his attention was elsewhere for some minutes after that.
When Jedson stopped talking, the governor sat for a moment, looking down at his blotter pad, an expression of deep- rooted weariness on his face. Then he answered in slow words, No, Mr Jedson, I can't see it. I regret as much as you do that this business of the regulation of magic has been tied in with an entirely different matter. But I cannot veto part of a bill and sign the rest - even though the bill includes two widely separated subjects.
I appreciate the work you did to help elect my administration' - I could see Sally's hand in that remark - and wish that we could agree on this. But the Middle Counties Project is something that I have worked towards since my inauguration. I hope and believe that it will be the means whereby the most depressed area in our state can work out its economic problems without further grants of public money. If I thought that the amendment concerning magic would actually do a grave harm to the state-'
He paused for a moment. But I don't. When Mrs Logan called me this morning I had my legislative counsel analyse the bill. I agree that the bill is unnecessary, but it seems to do nothing more than add a little more bureaucratic red tape. That's not good, but we manage to do business under a lot of it; a little more can't wreck things.'
I butted in - rudely, I suppose - but I was all worked up. But, Your Excellency, if you would just take time to examine this matter yourself, in detail, you would see how much damage it will do!'
I would not have been surprised if he had flared back at me. Instead, he indicated a file basket that was stacked high and spilling over. Mr Fraser, there you see fifty-seven bills passed by this session of the legislature. Every one of them has some defect. Every one of them is of vital importance to some, or all of the people of this state. Some of them are as long to read as an ordinary novel. In the next nine days I must decide what ones shall become law and' what ones must wait for revision at the next regular session. During that nine days at least a thousand people will want me to see them about some one of those bills-'
His aide stuck his head in the door. Twelve-twenty, chief! You're on the air in forty minutes.'
The governor nodded absently and stood up. You will excuse me? I'm expected at a luncheon.' He turned to his aide, who was getting out his hat and gloves from a closet. You have the speech, Jim?'
Of course, sir.
Just a minute!' Sally had cut in. Have you taken your tonic?'
Not yet.'
You're not going off to one of those luncheons without it!' She ducked into his private washroom and came out with a medicine bottle. Joe and I bowed out as quickly as possible.
Outside I started fuming to Jedson about the way we had been given the run-around, as I saw it. I made some remark about dunderheaded, compromising politicians when Joe cut me short.
Shut up, Archie! Try running a state sometime instead of a small business and see how easy you find it!'
I shut up.
Bodie was waiting for us in the lobby of the capitol. I could see that he was excited about something, for he flipped away a cigarette and rushed towards us. Look!' he commanded. Down there!'
We followed the direction of his finger and saw two figures just going out of the big doors. One was Ditworth, the other was a well-known lobbyist with whom he had worked. What about it?' Joe demanded.
I was standing here behind this phone booth, leaning against the wall and catching a cigarette. As you can see, from here that big mirror reflects the bottom of the rotunda stairs. I kept an eye on it for you fellows. I noticed this lobbyist, Sims, coming downstairs by himself, but he was gesturing as if he were talking to somebody. That made me curious, so I looked around the corner of the booth and saw him directly. He was not alone; he was with Ditworth. I looked back at the mirror and he appeared to be alone. Ditworth cast no reflection in the mirror!'
Jedson snapped his fingers. A demon!' he said in an amazed voice. And I never suspected it!'
I am surprised that more suicides don't occur on trains. When a man is down, I know of nothing more depressing than staring at the monotonous scenery and listening to the maddening lickety-tock of the rails. In a way I was glad to have this new development of Ditworth's inhuman status to think about; it kept my mind off poor old Feldstein and his thousand dollars.
Startling as it was to discover that Ditworth was a demon, it made no real change in the situation except to explain the efficiency and speed with which we had been outmanoeuvred and to confirm as a certainty our belief that the racketeers and Magic, Incorporated, were two heads of the same beast. But we had no way of proving that Ditworth was a Half World monster. If we tried to haul him into court for a test, he was quite capable of lying low and sending out a facsimile, or a mandrake, built to look like him and immune to the mirror test.
We dreaded going back and reporting our failure to the committee - at least I did. But at least we were spared that. The Middle Counties Act carried an emergency clause which put it into effect the day it was signed. Ditworth's bill, as an amendment, went into action with the same speed. The newspapers on sale at the station when we got off the train carried the names of the new commissioners for thaumaturgy.
Nor did the commission waste any time in making its power felt. They announced their intention of raising the standards of magical practice in all fields, and stated that new and more thorough examinations would be prepared at once. The association formerly headed by Ditworth opened a coaching school in which practising magicians could take a refresher course in thaumaturgic principles and arcane law. In accordance with the high principles set forth in their charter, the school was not restricted to members of the association.
That sounds bighearted of the association. It wasn't. They managed to convey a strong impression in their classes that membership in the association would be a big help in passing the new examinations. Nothing you could put your finger on to take into court - just a continuous impression. The association grew.
A couple of weeks later all licences were cancelled and magicians were put on a day-to-day basis in their practice, subject to call for re-examination at a day's notice. A few of the outstanding holdouts against signing up with Magic, Incorporated, were called up, examined, and licences refused them. The squeeze was on. Mrs Jennings quietly withdrew from any practice. Bodie came around to see me; I had an uncompleted contract with him involving some apartment houses.
Here's your contract, Archie,' he said bitterly. I'll need some time to pay the penalties for noncompletion; my bond was revoked when they cancelled the licences.'
I took the contract and tore it in two. Forget that talk about penalties,' I told him. You take your examinations and we'll write a new contract.~
He laughed unhappily. Don't be a Pollyanna.'
I changed my tack. What are you going to do? Sign up with Magic, Incorporated?'
He straightened himself up. I've never temporized with demons; I won't start now.'