nothing! Draw up another
sketch, or send off others. The affair is quite inconsequential and you
cannot imagine how you distract me.”
“Excuse me,” said Jantiff. “As you suggest, I will send another
sketch, and please convey my compliments to the snerge.”
Skorlet only shrugged and finished her work. “Now, Jantiff,
please help me carry the globes down to Esteban’s apartment; he knows the
dealer who sells for the best price.”
Jantiff started to protest but Skorlet cut him short: “Really,
Jantiff, I’m dumbfounded! In your life you’ve enjoyed every known luxury, yet
you won’t help poor Tanzel to a single taste of bonter!”
“That’s not true,” cried Jantiff hotly. “I took her to
Disjerferact the other day and bought her all the poggets [20] and water-puffs and eel-pies she could eat!”
“Never-mind all that! Just bear a hand now; I’m not asking
anything, unreasonable of you.”
Jantiff sullenly allowed himself to be loaded down with
cult-globes. Skorlet gathered up the rest and they proceeded around the
corridors to Esteban’s apartment. In response to Skorlet’s kick at the, door,
Esteban peered out into the corridor. He saw the globes without show of
enthusiasm. “So many?”
“Yes, so many! I’ve made them and you can trade them, and
please bring back whatever old wire you can salvage.”
“It’s really an enormous inconvenience—”
Skorlet tried to make a furious gesture but, impeded by the
globes, managed only to flap her elbows. “You and Jantiff are both
insufferable! I intend to go to the feast and Tanzel is coming as well. Unless
you care to pay for her bonter, then you must help me with these globes!”
Esteban gave a groan of annoyance. “An abominable nuisance!
Well, dog defile it, what must be, must be. Let’s count them out.”
While they worked Jantiff seated himself upon the couch,
which Esteban had upholstered with a fine thick cloth, patterned in a dramatic
orange, brown and black geometry. The other furnishings showed similar evidence
of taste and discrimination. Upon an end table Jantiff noticed a camera of
familiar aspect. He picked it up, looked at it closely and put it in his
pocket.
Skorlet and Esteban finished the count. “Kibner is not the effusively
generous person you take him for,” said Esteban. “He’ll want at least thirty
percent of the gross.”
Skorlet gave a poignant contralto cry of distress. “That’s
utterly exorbitant! Think of the scrounging, the work, the, inconvenience I’ve
suffered! Ten percent is surely enough!”
Esteban laughed dubiously. “I’ll start with five and, settle
as low as I can.”
“Be steadfast! Also you must carefully impress values upon
Kibner! He seems to think we don’t know the worth of money.”
“Creeping elitism there!” Esteban warned her facetiously. “Curb
that tendency!”
“Yes, of course,” said Skorlet sarcastically. “Come along,
Jantiff. It’s almost time for evening wump.”
Esteban’s gaze brushed the end table, stopped short, veered
around the room, returned briefly to the end table, then came to rest upon
Jantiff. “Just a moment. There’s snergery going on, and I don’t care to be a
party to it.”
“What are you talking about?” snapped Skorlet “You have
nothing worth attention.”
“What of my camera? Come now, Jantiff, disgorge. You were
sitting on the couch, and I even saw you make the move.”
“This is embarrassing,” said Jantiff.
“No doubt. The camera is missing. Do you have it?”
“As a matter of fact I have my own camera with me, the one I
brought from Zeck. I haven’t so much as seen yours.” Esteban took a menacing
step forward and extended his hand. “No snerging here, please. You took my camera;
give it back.”
“No, this is definitely my own camera.”
“It’s mine! It was on the table and I saw you take it.”
“Can you identify it?”
“Naturally! Beyond all equivocation! I could even describe
the pictures on the
sketch, or send off others. The affair is quite inconsequential and you
cannot imagine how you distract me.”
“Excuse me,” said Jantiff. “As you suggest, I will send another
sketch, and please convey my compliments to the snerge.”
Skorlet only shrugged and finished her work. “Now, Jantiff,
please help me carry the globes down to Esteban’s apartment; he knows the
dealer who sells for the best price.”
Jantiff started to protest but Skorlet cut him short: “Really,
Jantiff, I’m dumbfounded! In your life you’ve enjoyed every known luxury, yet
you won’t help poor Tanzel to a single taste of bonter!”
“That’s not true,” cried Jantiff hotly. “I took her to
Disjerferact the other day and bought her all the poggets [20] and water-puffs and eel-pies she could eat!”
“Never-mind all that! Just bear a hand now; I’m not asking
anything, unreasonable of you.”
Jantiff sullenly allowed himself to be loaded down with
cult-globes. Skorlet gathered up the rest and they proceeded around the
corridors to Esteban’s apartment. In response to Skorlet’s kick at the, door,
Esteban peered out into the corridor. He saw the globes without show of
enthusiasm. “So many?”
“Yes, so many! I’ve made them and you can trade them, and
please bring back whatever old wire you can salvage.”
“It’s really an enormous inconvenience—”
Skorlet tried to make a furious gesture but, impeded by the
globes, managed only to flap her elbows. “You and Jantiff are both
insufferable! I intend to go to the feast and Tanzel is coming as well. Unless
you care to pay for her bonter, then you must help me with these globes!”
Esteban gave a groan of annoyance. “An abominable nuisance!
Well, dog defile it, what must be, must be. Let’s count them out.”
While they worked Jantiff seated himself upon the couch,
which Esteban had upholstered with a fine thick cloth, patterned in a dramatic
orange, brown and black geometry. The other furnishings showed similar evidence
of taste and discrimination. Upon an end table Jantiff noticed a camera of
familiar aspect. He picked it up, looked at it closely and put it in his
pocket.
Skorlet and Esteban finished the count. “Kibner is not the effusively
generous person you take him for,” said Esteban. “He’ll want at least thirty
percent of the gross.”
Skorlet gave a poignant contralto cry of distress. “That’s
utterly exorbitant! Think of the scrounging, the work, the, inconvenience I’ve
suffered! Ten percent is surely enough!”
Esteban laughed dubiously. “I’ll start with five and, settle
as low as I can.”
“Be steadfast! Also you must carefully impress values upon
Kibner! He seems to think we don’t know the worth of money.”
“Creeping elitism there!” Esteban warned her facetiously. “Curb
that tendency!”
“Yes, of course,” said Skorlet sarcastically. “Come along,
Jantiff. It’s almost time for evening wump.”
Esteban’s gaze brushed the end table, stopped short, veered
around the room, returned briefly to the end table, then came to rest upon
Jantiff. “Just a moment. There’s snergery going on, and I don’t care to be a
party to it.”
“What are you talking about?” snapped Skorlet “You have
nothing worth attention.”
“What of my camera? Come now, Jantiff, disgorge. You were
sitting on the couch, and I even saw you make the move.”
“This is embarrassing,” said Jantiff.
“No doubt. The camera is missing. Do you have it?”
“As a matter of fact I have my own camera with me, the one I
brought from Zeck. I haven’t so much as seen yours.” Esteban took a menacing
step forward and extended his hand. “No snerging here, please. You took my camera;
give it back.”
“No, this is definitely my own camera.”
“It’s mine! It was on the table and I saw you take it.”
“Can you identify it?”
“Naturally! Beyond all equivocation! I could even describe
the pictures on the
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