One of the two wrestlers in the ring climbed down and took the
hammerlock from Johnny The Cat. Heck was still held so that he could
not move. "I'm getting dressed," Johnny The Cat explained, and
disappeared in the direction of a sign marked, Locker Room.
"Listen," Heck began.
"It ain't none of my business," Ada told him.
A few minutes later, Johnny The Cat came out. He took the hammerlock
back from The Leech. "Need any help?" The Leech asked.
"My pleasure," said The Cat.
He pushed Heck ahead of him down a flight of stairs. It led outside to
an alley.
* * * * *
"Now, pal," said Johnny The Cat.
He was still clutching Heck's arm, but Heck had no choice. He
teleported.
Taking Johnny The Cat Simese with him.
"Hey, who turned out the lights!" Johnny The Cat yelled. "How come it's
dark ina middle of the day?"
The darkness was absolute. Heck had teleported out without teleporting
in anywhere. "It isn't dark," said Heck, improvising. "It's your eyes.
I blinded you."
"You blinded me how?"
"Mental suggestion. Like--like a witch-doctor's curse."
"Say, are you kidding me or something?" But there was alarm in Johnny
The Cat's voice.
"Would I kid about a thing like that? Do you want your sight back?"
"I feel just like I'm floating."
"You're dis-oriented because you can't see."
"Dis which?"
"Do you ever want to see again?"
"Yeah!" pleaded Johnny The Cat.
"Then take me to Scarface Willy. Right now."
A pause. Then: "So you can hit him in the head. No thanks. My life
wouldn't be worth a plug nickel if I did."
"I am not Little Hymie. I have absolutely nothing to do with Little
Hymie. I promise you that."
"That's what Little Hymie would say if he wanted to see the boss. If
he wanted to kill the boss."
"So, stay blind."
Silence. Heck let the silence grow. He could feel Johnny The Cat
Simese's big hand moving uneasily between his shoulder blades.
"Ain't you gonna say nothing else?" The Cat asked.
* * * * *
"Ain't you gonna ask again, pal?"
No answer.
"Ain't you gonna say I can see again if I take you to Willy? Ain't you?"
Finally Heck said: "You don't even have to take me. Just tell me where
it is."
"I--I can't."
"Just think where it is!"
"I won't--"
Heck smiled suddenly in the darkness. "Try not to think about it," he
said. "I've put the thought in your mind. You have to think about it
now, don't you? You couldn't stop thinking about it if you wanted to.
Where is Scarface Willy? You know, don't you, Johnny The Cat? Don't
try and tell me you don't know. Where is he? Think about it! Where is
Scarface Willy?"
After the long silence, Heck's sudden deluge of words brought a groan
from the frightened Johnny The Cat. But abruptly the groan became a
shout of anger. "I don't have to listen to you," Johnny said. "All
right. I'm blind. All right. But I still got you. I can still give you
that schlammin, Little Hymie."
Heck felt his hand forced up cruelly between his shoulder blades.
He was spun around. Something cracked. He wondered if his hand were
broken. He had only seconds now, he knew. Seconds before Johnny The
Cat Simese began to administer the schlammin, gangdomese for a beating
he'd bear the traces of for the rest of his life. He had tried to find
Patty--and he'd lost. Patty was still in Scarface Willy's hands. And
he, Heck, was all washed up. A little guy, he thought in a flood of
self-pity, who was one of the best goldarn salesmen and perfectly happy
being a salesman, but who was in way over his depth now.
He heard Johnny The Cat's harsh anticipatory breathing.
He knew Johnny The Cat was about to strike him with those huge,
powerful hands.
He knew that in a matter of minutes he would be a beaten pulp....
"Try not to think of where Willy is!" he cried--and clutched Johnny The
Cat Simese--and hoped--and teleported!
It was a large, comfortable looking room. It was not empty. It was far
from empty.
"Patty!" Heck cried.
Because Patty was there.
She seemed very frightened. She was standing next to Scarface Willy and
Heck got the impression she wasn't frightened because of him. She was
frightened for him. Or maybe frightened with him.
Because Scarface Willy didn't look so good, either.
There were two other men in the room. One was somewhat below medium
size--about Heck's own height. This must be Little Hymie, Heck thought.
Little Hymie held a gun. The bigger man with him was sneering. It was
Hymie who did the talking.
"O.K., Willy," he said, "then you and your moll are both going to get
it."
"I'm not his moll!" wailed Patty.
Johnny The Cat hulked in bewilderment behind Heck. There was very
little time left, Heck knew. Johnny The Cat was too bewildered to do
anything....
Patty's eyes went big when Heck shouted her name a second time.
Apparently the first time he hadn't materialized sufficiently for them
to hear him. Willy stared at him in disbelief. The big man with Little
Hymie began to turn around. He was every bit as big as Johnny The Cat
Simese.