lrh.fortuneoffear-第28节

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in　New　York；　he　had　bee　the　proud　possessor　of　incalculable　sums　of　utter　ruin。　I　enjoyed　it　and　enjoyed　it。　He　was　not　only　slowed　down；　he　was　going　backwards！
　　　He　looked　at　his　watch；　at　last。　It　registered　nearly　noon；　Eastern　Standard　Time。　I　remembered　that　noon　was　the　stated　time　of　foreclosure。　He　looked　at　the　door。　Then　he　looked　at　the　phone。　I　realized　that　he　had　been　waiting　around　for　news　from　Izzy。
　　　He　got　up　and　went　to　the　phone。　He　picked　it　up。　No　dial　tone。　Dead。　He　pushed　some　buttons　for　an　outside　line。　Still　dead。
　　　Aha！　I　knew　what　had　happened。　The　phones　had　been　shut　off　by　the　phone　pany！　A　surge　of　pleasure　raced　through　me。
　　　Heller　put　it　back　on　the　cradle。　Then　he　looked　at　the　bathroom。　The　lights　there　had　been　on　a　little　earlier。　He　went　in　and　threw　the　switch。　He　threw　another　switch。　Nothing　happened。　No　lights！
　　　Oh；　wonderful！　The　light　pany　had　shut　off　the　lights！
　　　He　turned　on　a　water　tap。　Nothing　happened！　Oho；　I　gloated。　The　water　pany　had　shut　the　water　off！
　　　He　went　over　to　a　radiator　and　felt　it。　Evidently　it　was　ice　cold。　The　furnaces　were　off！
　　　He　was　in　a　super…posh　Atlantic　City　high…rise　hotel…casino。　He　was；　in　fact；　the　proprietor。　And　all　the　utilities　were　shut　down　tight！
　　　I　gloated。　Given　time；　even　the　pipes　would　freeze！
　　　Glory；　glory！　Fate　was　driving　misfortune　in　with　a　sledgehammer！
　　　He　began　to　pace　slowly　back　and　forth；　occasionally　glancing　at　his　watch　and　then　at　the　door。　Once　he　said；　〃Izzy；　where　are　you？！〃
　　　Twelve…thirty　came。　The　room　must　be　getting　cold；　for　he　threw　his　trench　coat　over　his　shoulders。
　　　He　continued　to　pace。　He　continued　to　glance　at　his　watch。　Oh；　I　enjoyed　every　second　of　it！
　　　One　o'clock　came。　The　Countess　had　not　e　back。　No　slightest　sign　of　Izzy。　Heller　sank　down　in　a　chair。　〃Izzy；　you　have　deserted　me　and　I　don't　blame　you　one　bit。〃
　　　He　saw　some　smoke　rising　from　down　the　Boardwalk；　quite　a　distance　away。　He　went　to　the　window。　He　couldn't　see　it　very　well。　Some　sort　of　a　burning　vehicle。　There　was　smoke　drifting　also　from　the　direction　of　the　beach。　He　didn't　bother　to　go　into　the　sitting　room　and　look。　I　guessed　that　it　might　be　rioting　and　looting。
　　　One…ten。　A　knock　on　the　door。
　　　Heller　raced　across　and　opened　it。
　　　A　very　mournful　Izzy　stood　there。　He　looked　even　shabbier　than　usual。　The　Salvation　Army　Good　Will　overcoat　was　faded　and　shiny　with　wear。　His　briefcase　was　a　mottle　of　scuffs　with　paper　tears　showing　through。　And　he　looked　far　sadder　and　more　slumped　than　usual；　a　feat　which　was　nearly　impossible。　Heller　let　him　in。
　　　〃Oh；　Mr。　Jet；〃　said　Izzy。　〃I　told　you　not　to　do　anything　foolish。　I　have　never　heard　of　such　a　catastrophe　in　the　whole　history　of　business。　I　have　told　you　and　told　you　to　keep　your　name　off　corporations。　Now　you're　in　it　up　to　your　skull　top。　You　should　leave　business　to　me。〃
　　　Heller　sank　into　a　chair　and　put　his　head　in　his　hands。　〃I　know　that　now。〃
　　　〃You　should　have　known　it　yesterday。　Business　is　one　of　the　most　treacherous　tools　of　Fate。　But　it　is　my　fault。　I　saw　a　gleam　in　your　eye　and；　when　you　have　it；　you　always　go　out　and　get　people　to　shoot　at　you。　And　now　they've　used　submachine　guns；　cannons　and　even　a　hydrogen　bomb。　Oy；　what　rubble　and　wreckage！〃
　　　Heller　said；　miserably；　〃I　know。　I　know。　What　is　the　state　of　affairs　now？〃
　　　Izzy　said；　〃There　is　a　little　bit　of　nonpessimistic　news　which　I　don't　trust　and　bad　news　which　is　reliable。　So　I　will　give　you　the　bad　news　first。〃
　　　〃Probably；〃　said　Heller；　〃the　good　news　is　that　they　will　feed　me　breakfast　before　they　exterminate　me。　So　go　ahead。〃
　　　〃You　should　have　been　suspicious　when　they　let　you　win　so　much　for　so　long。　In　order　to　pay　the　bets　you　were　placing　with　such　wild　abandon；　they　dragged　down　every　casino's　cash；　every　bank　account　the　corporation　had。　They　even　wired　money　in　from　Las　Vegas。　They　also　collected　in　advance　from　all　hotel　guests。　They　exhausted　every　possible　source　of　cash　they　could　lay　their　hands　on　so　it　would　flow　back　to　them　through　you；　laundered　as　corporation　losses。
　　　〃The　corporation　cash…liquidity　picture　is　minus　millions　and　millions。　And　it　also　has　to　honor　the　IOU　markers　issued　like　an　avalanche　at　the　end　of　the　night；　and　so　we　e　to　the　nasty　subject　of　debt。
　　　〃Money　they　should　have　paid　for　utilities…phone；　lights；　water…for　months　has　been　going　into　their　pockets。　So　the　service　was　cut　off　today　on　all　these；　and　to　it　is　added　heating　oil。　It　even　includes　gasoline　charge　accounts　for　the　extensive　corporation　rolling　stock。
　　　〃All　staff　of　all　the　corporation's　numerous　businesses　are　unpaid　and　have　been　for　some　time。　The　government　IRS　withholding　tax　is　also　missing。
　　　〃The　money　which　went　into　the　staff　pension　funds　was　invested　in　businesses　which　mysteriously　failed；　and　so　the　pension　fund　has　to　be　made　up。
　　　〃All　state　and　local　taxes；　including　sales　tax；　are　owing　for　the　past　year。
　　　〃Most　of　the　hotel　equipment　is　on　time…payment　contracts　and　those　panies　want　to　take　the　equipment　back；　even　the　furnaces。
　　　〃It's　winter　and　there　is　no　yacht　traffic　for　the　marina　and　nothing　is　travelling　on　the　Intracoastal　Waterway。
　　　〃It's　winter　and　there's　nothing　one　can　do　with　the　amusement　piers。
　　　〃It's　winter　and　there　are　no　vacationers　to　fill　the　hotels。〃
　　　Heller　shivered。　〃Is　that　all？〃
　　　〃No；〃　said　Izzy。　He　was　unfolding　a　newspaper。　〃That　spaghetti…eating　schlemazel　Piegare　must　have　talked　to　the　press　right　away　last　night；　the　schmuck。　Have　you　seen　this？〃　He　was　holding　the　front　page　of　the　New　York　Grimes　before　Heller's　eyes。　It　said：

WHIZ　KID　STEALS　
ATLANTIC　CITY
　　　The　resort　metropolis　is　the　first　American　city　to　be　stolen　since　the　Indians　ripped　off　Roanoke　from　Sir　Walter　Raleigh　in　A。D。　1590。
　　　In　a　raging　midnight　gun　battle　which　local　police　and　the　Army　did　not　stop；　Jerome　Terrance　Wister；　known　as　the　〃Whiz　Kid；〃。。。

　　　〃Oh；　my　Gods；〃　said　Heller；　reading　no　further。
　　　〃It's　in　every　paper；　local　and　national；　that　I　spotted　on　the　stands　in　New　York；〃　said　Izzy。　〃Headlines！〃
　　　I　really　laughed。　Izzy　thought　Piegare　had　talked　to　the　press。　But　whether　he　had　or　not　made　no　difference。　Madison！　Good　old　J。　Walter　Madison；　priceless　Madison：　that　marvel　of　PR　had　Rockecenter's　Underworld　Crime　puter　Bank　right　at　his　fingertips。　He　had　jumped　onto　the　job；　feeding　a　story　to　the　media　within　minutes。　What　a　genius！
　　　Heller　groaned；　〃Isn't　there　any　good　news　at　all？〃
　　　Izzy　said；　〃I　think　you　should　e　down　to　the　auditorium。　The　employees　are　meeting　there　and　they　prise　about　a　quarter　of　the　population　of　Atlantic　City。　I　can't　face　that　many　people。〃
　　　Heller　opened　his　tattered　beachwear　denim　jacket　and　buckled　on　his　gun。　He　drew　it　and　checked　the　load。
　　　Izzy　cried；　〃Oh；　dear！　This　can't　be　solved　by　persuading　more　people　to　shoot　at　you！　I　only　want　you　there　when　they　start　ing　over　the　tops　of　the　seats　to　tear　me　to　pieces。〃
　　　Heller　threw　his　black　leather　trench　coat　over　his　shoulders；　locked　and　hid　his　grip　and　then　followed　Izzy　out　into　the　dark　passageway。
　　　They　had　to　walk　down　many　flights　of　steps；　as　the　elevators　were　not　running。　They　came　at　last　into　the　back　of　a　vast　auditorium。　It　was　lit　only　with　kerosene　camping　lights。
　　　It　was　jammed　with　people；　thousands　of　them。　Waiters；　cooks；　maids；　croupiers；　doormen；　marina　sailors；　clerks；　janitors；　drivers；　pilots；　carnival　barkers；　topless　dancers　and　every　other　kind　of　riffraff　it　takes　to　run　casino…hotels；　amusement　piers；　clubs；　marinas　and　honky…tonks。　Even　security　guards　were　there　but　they　sure　weren't　on　duty　to　keep　things　orderly。　What　a　tough　collection！　They　weren't　the　Mafia：　they　were　the　employees　of　all　the　enterprises　the　Mafia　had　taken　over　and　now　dumped。
　　　A　low　growl　began　to　rise。　Fingers　began　to　point。　Teeth　began　to　show。　And　they　were　all　directed　at　Heller　as　he　walked　down　the　aisle　toward　the　auditorium　stage。　From　those　expressions；　he　was　about　as　popular　as　a　skunk　with　rabies。　What　an　enjoyable　moment　for　me！
　　　Izzy　cringed　close　to　Heller。　He　whispered；　〃Don't　fire　them　all　at　once。　They'll　riot　and　we'll　have　hospital　bills。　We　have　made　no　arrangements　with　them。〃
　　　Heller　whispered　back；　a　little　savagely；　〃Haven't　you　done　anything？〃
　　　Izzy　whispered；　〃It's　an　almost　impossible　business　situation。　I　did　file　a　name　change　for　the　corporation。　Scalpello　is　too　notorious。　But　that　won't　alter　its　debts。〃
　　　They　were　walking　up　the　steps　to　the　stage。　It　was　totally　empty　except　for　a　set　of　trap　drums。　Izzy　whispered；　〃I　couldn't　get　any　of　my　relatives　to　take　over　any　director　or　officer　posts。　You　own　the　shares；　but　I　can't　let　you　get　involved　any　deeper。　So　I　had　to　do　the　best　I　could。〃
　　　Heller　was　about　to　turn　and　face　the　sullen　audience　but　Izzy　steered　him　further；　pushing　him　off　to　the　side　of　stage　right。　There　was　a　little　room　there；　probably　a　dressing　room　for　performers。　Izzy　stopped　Heller　before　they　could　enter。　Heller　peeked　i