Tuesday The Rabbi Saw Red by Harry Kemelman

front door, the rabbi wondered if the poor fellow really was waiting for a phone call, or whether he was waiting for the results of the committee meeting that could decide his fate.
     
    Although it was well into autumn, the weather was mild and balmy, and David Small rode with the window down.
    He was beginning to relax and enjoy the drive when he passed a couple of students sitting on the sidewalk and they reminded him of what had happened earlier in his classroom, he tried to put it out of his mind by concentrating on the approaching Sabbath when one should be at peace with the world, he pictured Miriam setting the table, laying out the twisted Sabbath loaves and the kiddush wine.
    He visualized his arrival and her greeting:” Shabbat Shalom, David.” and then the inevitable. “And how did it go today?”
    And he would answer. “Well, it was – you see, the other day President Macomber went to visit the Boys’ Reformatory as a member of some special citizen’s committee, and…” It just wouldn’t do, he could not minimize the fiasco. If he tried, she would sense that he was holding something back and it would be even worse.
    Up ahead he saw a roadside cafeteria and pulled in, he badly wanted a cup of coffee.

Chapter Twelve
    What’s with the briefcase?” Abner asked Ekko as they met in front of the administration building. “What’s in it?”
    “Nothing.” said Ekko. “but I figured it would look businesslike, after all, we’re going like to a conference.”
    Abner looked at him doubtfully and then said: “Well, there won’t be any conference if we don’t get there. Let’s go.”
    Upstairs Dean Hanbury pulled up some chairs in front of her desk and locked the office safe, adjusting the Venetian blind against the sun: she returned to her desk and began to knit placidly, waiting for the student delegation to arrive. Promptly at half-past two they entered. Judy Ballantine and Abner Selzer first, followed by Ekko, with his dispatch case, which he placed conspicuously on his lap.
    The dean smiled graciously and continued to knit while the students shot glances at each other, uncertain how to begin, they felt somehow they had been put on the defensive even before the conference had begun.
    Ekko cleared his throat. “Look here. Miss Hanbury –”
    “Cool it. Ekko.” Selzer ordered curtly, then he said. “We’re here on what we consider important business, Dean Hanbury.”
    She inclined her head to denote agreement.
    “Well, with you knitting, it kind of throws us off, if you see what I mean. It’s like you don’t consider this very important.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Selzer. It’s a habit with me. I’m afraid I knit even at faculty meetings.”
    She placed her knitting in the plastic bag at her feet. “There now, is that better? What can I do for you?”
    “Well, first we’d like to take up the matter of Professor Roger Fine,” said Judy.
    “You said, ‘first.’ Are there other things?”
    “There are other things,” said Selzer.
    “Well, why don’t you tell me what they are. Perhaps there are some on which we are in substantial agreement and we can settle those at once.”
    “We’d rather take them up one at a time. Miss Hanbury.,” said Abner.
    She shrugged.
    “We’d like to begin with the matter of Roger Fine.”
    “Very well. But first let me ask you just what your position is in the matter. Has he asked you to represent him?”
    “We are representing him.”
    “But has he requested that you do so? Because if he has, if you are acting as his official representative, then I think you should have a written authorization from him to that effect.”
    “We don’t have any written authorization. Miss Hanbury,” said Selzer easily, “but he knows of our interest in the matter. I guess everyone does since we’ve been circulating a petition on his behalf.”
    “And did he authorize that? And how many signatures did you get, Mr. Selzer?”
    “We got plenty. Miss