Because say what you like, in that set-up it’s the female party who controls the situation, even if she gives the male one all her earnings, and he crunches her on Sunday evenings after the weekly visit to the Odeon. The simple reason being that her own activity, whatever you may think of it, is legal, and the boy’s is not, and all she has to do if there’s an argument is dial Detective Sergeant Someone round the corner.
‘Health, wealth and happiness,’ he said sarcastically.
‘Happiness! You should talk!’
There was a silence. Then,
‘Go on,’ said Wiz. ‘Let’s have it.’
‘What use, if you’ve decided?’
‘Let’s have it all the same.’
I groaned, I really did.
‘It’s just, Wiz, that it’s not your kind of thing. Tell me one ponce you know who’s got real brains.’
‘I know of several.’
‘I don’t mean craft or cunning, I mean brains . Constructive brains.’
The Wiz said, ‘I could introduce you to several bookies, club owners, car-hire proprietors, who’ve builtup their business by loot they made when on the game before retirement.’
I said, ‘I could introduce you to several Saturday-midnight -at-the-chemist’s, and several in-and-out boys, and several corpses, who’ve had just the same idea.’
‘Ah. Well, we disagree.’
I said to the lunatic, ‘It may be all right for creatures who are young in mind , as well as age, but, let’s face it, Wiz, you’re too mature already. You know too much what you’d be doing.’
The Wizard smiled, if you can call it that. ‘And this,’ he said gently, ‘comes from a kiddo known around the town for flogging pornographic photos.’
Oh well, hell!
‘In the first place,’ I said …
‘And don’t forget the second – and the third …’
‘In the first place,’ I continued, ‘you know very well only some of my snaps are pornographic, and I’m on that kick for giggles as much as loot. In the second, as you say, you know I’m pulling out of that activity as soon as ever – as I’ve often told you. And in the third, yes, as you also say, are you really comparing poncing with what I do?’
‘Not really,’ the Wizard said, ‘because it’s more straightforward, and it’s better paid.’
‘Oh, if you say so, Sporting Life.’
There was another pause for refreshments between rounds.
‘And who’s the lucky chick?’ I asked him.
‘Oh, girl I know. Of course,’ he said, ‘you’llunderstand it’s not wise to say who , specially to anyone who disapproves.’
‘How right you are, young Wizard. Anyway, whoever it is, I pity her. You’ll have a dozen on the game before you’re nicked.’
‘I’d not be surprised,’ the Wizard said.
I drained my non-alcoholic beverage.
‘Well, let me tell you, genius,’ I said, ‘two things, and do just listen. The first is, cute little number though you may be, you’re really not the fixer type, the hustler type, because you’re too damn delighted by the sport of it to take it seriously enough. The other, which you know full well, and should be ashamed of yourself for, is that you really have got brains, and if you’d had even a fragment of education, you’d have done big things, boy, and it’s not too late. It’s really not too late: why don’t you study?’
‘The school of life,’ Wiz answered.
‘Brixton class.’
‘So what? Each occupation has its risks.’
‘Fool.’
‘Yeah? Oh, well …’
The Wizard looked up at the ceiling, because the combo had stopped its operations for a moment. And me, I really felt I must say something to stop this thing: not because I disapproved of it (although I did), but because I knew that, if the Wizard did it, then I’d lose him.
But he got in first, now. ‘I’ll tell you something,’ the Wizard said to me. ‘I’ve thought it over carefully – and I’m safe as houses. Look!’ And I looked at him. ‘Imagine me in the dock! What mug – even a magistrate, let alonea jury – is going to believe a
‘Health, wealth and happiness,’ he said sarcastically.
‘Happiness! You should talk!’
There was a silence. Then,
‘Go on,’ said Wiz. ‘Let’s have it.’
‘What use, if you’ve decided?’
‘Let’s have it all the same.’
I groaned, I really did.
‘It’s just, Wiz, that it’s not your kind of thing. Tell me one ponce you know who’s got real brains.’
‘I know of several.’
‘I don’t mean craft or cunning, I mean brains . Constructive brains.’
The Wiz said, ‘I could introduce you to several bookies, club owners, car-hire proprietors, who’ve builtup their business by loot they made when on the game before retirement.’
I said, ‘I could introduce you to several Saturday-midnight -at-the-chemist’s, and several in-and-out boys, and several corpses, who’ve had just the same idea.’
‘Ah. Well, we disagree.’
I said to the lunatic, ‘It may be all right for creatures who are young in mind , as well as age, but, let’s face it, Wiz, you’re too mature already. You know too much what you’d be doing.’
The Wizard smiled, if you can call it that. ‘And this,’ he said gently, ‘comes from a kiddo known around the town for flogging pornographic photos.’
Oh well, hell!
‘In the first place,’ I said …
‘And don’t forget the second – and the third …’
‘In the first place,’ I continued, ‘you know very well only some of my snaps are pornographic, and I’m on that kick for giggles as much as loot. In the second, as you say, you know I’m pulling out of that activity as soon as ever – as I’ve often told you. And in the third, yes, as you also say, are you really comparing poncing with what I do?’
‘Not really,’ the Wizard said, ‘because it’s more straightforward, and it’s better paid.’
‘Oh, if you say so, Sporting Life.’
There was another pause for refreshments between rounds.
‘And who’s the lucky chick?’ I asked him.
‘Oh, girl I know. Of course,’ he said, ‘you’llunderstand it’s not wise to say who , specially to anyone who disapproves.’
‘How right you are, young Wizard. Anyway, whoever it is, I pity her. You’ll have a dozen on the game before you’re nicked.’
‘I’d not be surprised,’ the Wizard said.
I drained my non-alcoholic beverage.
‘Well, let me tell you, genius,’ I said, ‘two things, and do just listen. The first is, cute little number though you may be, you’re really not the fixer type, the hustler type, because you’re too damn delighted by the sport of it to take it seriously enough. The other, which you know full well, and should be ashamed of yourself for, is that you really have got brains, and if you’d had even a fragment of education, you’d have done big things, boy, and it’s not too late. It’s really not too late: why don’t you study?’
‘The school of life,’ Wiz answered.
‘Brixton class.’
‘So what? Each occupation has its risks.’
‘Fool.’
‘Yeah? Oh, well …’
The Wizard looked up at the ceiling, because the combo had stopped its operations for a moment. And me, I really felt I must say something to stop this thing: not because I disapproved of it (although I did), but because I knew that, if the Wizard did it, then I’d lose him.
But he got in first, now. ‘I’ll tell you something,’ the Wizard said to me. ‘I’ve thought it over carefully – and I’m safe as houses. Look!’ And I looked at him. ‘Imagine me in the dock! What mug – even a magistrate, let alonea jury – is going to believe a
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