The Beyonders by Manly Wade Wellman, Lou Feck Page A
Authors: Manly Wade Wellman, Lou Feck
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aware of it. "I want to know what for."
Struve lounged back against a hump of rock, dark among green weeds. "Maybe to make you rich," he said. "Maybe to make you happy "
"I'm right happy the way it is," replied Gander Eye, "and for being rich, I've got enough to do me. I never needed money very bad."
Struve clicked his tongue. "Dear me," he smiled, "you're going to be a problem."
"I might could be."
Struve held up a fuzzy hand, as though in reassurance. "What if I told you that Sky Notch was going to become the most famous town in the country? In the world?"
"I'd wonder myself what you meant," said Gander Eye at once. "You hark at me, Mr. Struve, if you're a-trying to have fun with me, stop it. Maybe things will quit being funny all of a sudden."
Struve leaned against the rock. He slid his hand into a side pocket, and Gander Eye tightened for a spring. But all Struve brought out was a lean, expensive-looking cigar. Deliberately he removed the brilliant band and flicked a gleaming lighter to kindle the end. He blew out a wisp of slaty smoke.
"If that's a threat," he said, "try something else. I'm not without help. If I only raised my voice in a certain way, the help would be here. All around you."
"Now it's you doing the threat," said Gander Eye. "Hark at me. Maybe I've got a gun on me and maybe I haven't. If you call your help, you'll find out quick. "
"Oh, now, Mr. Gentry." Struve gazed at the end of his cigar and knocked a fleck of ash from it. "I said I might make you rich and happy. I said that Sky Notch was going to become an important town. These may be new thoughts to you, but please give them place in your mind. When Sky Notch has this sudden rise in the world, wouldn't you like to be the mayor, with all that would mean when Sky Notch gets to be the town it's scheduled to be?"
"Derwood Ballinger's the mayor," said Gander Eye. "I ain't studying to run against him. I ain't about to run for no public office. Ain't never thought of it."
"Well, think of it now," Struve invited him. "Think of a lot of things. You say you don't want money, but money can buy whatever you might dream of. Or is it something else you might want? Women, perhaps? Beautiful women?"
"I never had no trouble wanting women," said Gander Eye, studying Struve intently as though choosing a place to hit him. "I've had a good plenty of them, one time another. But I ain't a-going to talk to you about that."
"Which does you great credit," said Struve. "But meanwhile, you're a musician. A true artist, or so I've been informed. How would you like to be a world-famous musician? Be called to the White House to play for the President? Go abroad and play before kings and queens, such of them as are still left?"
Gander Eye said nothing to that. He only kept looking at Struve.
"Ah," said Struve, in deep satisfaction, "I begin to think that perhaps I've mentioned a possibility that interests you."
At last Gander Eye relaxed and began to lounge where he stood. "The main thing I don't know is what you want from me."
"Just your friendship. Your helpful cooperation."
"Cooperation about what?" Gander Eye hooked his thumbs in his belt. "Smart as you let on to be, with all them things to give away, what way could I help you? Why should you give a damn shuck if I pick banjo or not, or if I'd have air' sort of luck a-picking before them kings and queens?"
"That's not fair to either of us, Mr. Gentry. Not kindness to me, nor justice to yourself. My interest happens to be in the future of Sky Notch, to help Sky Notch grow and be known. And if Sky Notch is to grow and be great, it will have to have wiser and better men to run it." Struve smiled at Gander Eye. "Men like you."
"When it comes to that," said Gander Eye, "what kind of business are you in, a-wanting to help Sky Notch?"
Struve shrugged massively. "You'll find that out when I take you into the business with me."
"My mother never raised me to go into no business without I knew what the business was,"
Struve lounged back against a hump of rock, dark among green weeds. "Maybe to make you rich," he said. "Maybe to make you happy "
"I'm right happy the way it is," replied Gander Eye, "and for being rich, I've got enough to do me. I never needed money very bad."
Struve clicked his tongue. "Dear me," he smiled, "you're going to be a problem."
"I might could be."
Struve held up a fuzzy hand, as though in reassurance. "What if I told you that Sky Notch was going to become the most famous town in the country? In the world?"
"I'd wonder myself what you meant," said Gander Eye at once. "You hark at me, Mr. Struve, if you're a-trying to have fun with me, stop it. Maybe things will quit being funny all of a sudden."
Struve leaned against the rock. He slid his hand into a side pocket, and Gander Eye tightened for a spring. But all Struve brought out was a lean, expensive-looking cigar. Deliberately he removed the brilliant band and flicked a gleaming lighter to kindle the end. He blew out a wisp of slaty smoke.
"If that's a threat," he said, "try something else. I'm not without help. If I only raised my voice in a certain way, the help would be here. All around you."
"Now it's you doing the threat," said Gander Eye. "Hark at me. Maybe I've got a gun on me and maybe I haven't. If you call your help, you'll find out quick. "
"Oh, now, Mr. Gentry." Struve gazed at the end of his cigar and knocked a fleck of ash from it. "I said I might make you rich and happy. I said that Sky Notch was going to become an important town. These may be new thoughts to you, but please give them place in your mind. When Sky Notch has this sudden rise in the world, wouldn't you like to be the mayor, with all that would mean when Sky Notch gets to be the town it's scheduled to be?"
"Derwood Ballinger's the mayor," said Gander Eye. "I ain't studying to run against him. I ain't about to run for no public office. Ain't never thought of it."
"Well, think of it now," Struve invited him. "Think of a lot of things. You say you don't want money, but money can buy whatever you might dream of. Or is it something else you might want? Women, perhaps? Beautiful women?"
"I never had no trouble wanting women," said Gander Eye, studying Struve intently as though choosing a place to hit him. "I've had a good plenty of them, one time another. But I ain't a-going to talk to you about that."
"Which does you great credit," said Struve. "But meanwhile, you're a musician. A true artist, or so I've been informed. How would you like to be a world-famous musician? Be called to the White House to play for the President? Go abroad and play before kings and queens, such of them as are still left?"
Gander Eye said nothing to that. He only kept looking at Struve.
"Ah," said Struve, in deep satisfaction, "I begin to think that perhaps I've mentioned a possibility that interests you."
At last Gander Eye relaxed and began to lounge where he stood. "The main thing I don't know is what you want from me."
"Just your friendship. Your helpful cooperation."
"Cooperation about what?" Gander Eye hooked his thumbs in his belt. "Smart as you let on to be, with all them things to give away, what way could I help you? Why should you give a damn shuck if I pick banjo or not, or if I'd have air' sort of luck a-picking before them kings and queens?"
"That's not fair to either of us, Mr. Gentry. Not kindness to me, nor justice to yourself. My interest happens to be in the future of Sky Notch, to help Sky Notch grow and be known. And if Sky Notch is to grow and be great, it will have to have wiser and better men to run it." Struve smiled at Gander Eye. "Men like you."
"When it comes to that," said Gander Eye, "what kind of business are you in, a-wanting to help Sky Notch?"
Struve shrugged massively. "You'll find that out when I take you into the business with me."
"My mother never raised me to go into no business without I knew what the business was,"
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