Doom Fox by Iceberg Slim Page A

with tailored clothes and fancy cars. He was like a despot king of teenagers with his pick of the choicest girls, and the ego-bloating worship of his subjects. I repeat, Reba does not deserve having our adored mixed up son inflicted on her as a husband.'
    Mai says, 'Perhaps she would accept care and support here unmarried ... since Melvin decided to join our church last month he seems less flighty. He could be on a moral turnabout. I've always believed he wasn't hopeless ... perhaps the influence of the church will result in his maturity to become Reba's husband in the near future.'
    Saul shakes his grizzled head. 'Love, I don't think Melvin's church motivation was spiritual redemption but rather because I convinced him that his future medical practice needed the bedrock of a church congregation ... and I think it may be too late to indefinitely defer the wedding, after the ring and her expectations ... her Creole pride, you know, and the predictable shock of disappointment with fallout resentment for us as guiding culprits.' He gnaws his bottom lip in thoughtful speculation. 'There are two possible equitable solutions.'
    'Yes, like what?' Mai asks with a skeptical face.
    Saul says, 'I'm going to test Melvin's gut feelings about Reba and the marriage. I'm not planning to sacrifice my dream that he become a physician. Purely to test him, I'm going to tell him we've decided that pre-med school and marriage is not a good mix, that if he chooses marriage, then our only support will be the gift of a modest house that he must maintain on his own and a job changing tires for Greyhound that I will arrange with Murray, the foreman, down there ... well Dear, would you bet that diamond pendant on your lovely throat that he'll choose Reba or choose employment as a nine to five tire technician? Of course, we won't really force him to that.'
    She sighs. 'That's a helluva test and choice to make for a man who gets a manicure every Friday ... I hope he comes through with colors flying, love.'
    'And you know I feel the same. I'm pulling for him to take Reba but I wouldn't bet on him to go that way.' Saul glances at his diamond dial Patek Phillippe wristwatch. He kisses Mai and gets out of bed. He does ten push-ups on the carpet before he will shave and shower for his usual Sunday visit to the black ghetto Holiness Church of elder Reverend Felix and his child prodigy preaching son, Reverend Felix, Junior. It is Saul's practice to mingle with and communicate with old friends there and slip generous checks to those in need.
    Mai says, 'I feel great, doctor darling! May I go with you?'
    Saul rises from the carpet and goes to the bed, kisses her upturned face. 'Next Sunday, Pet, for sure.' Then, as he turns to go to the bathroom, adds, 'If you're still feeling chipper later I'll take you to evening services at Saint Mark's.'
    She puckers her lips and makes a kissy sound to his back.
    At 8:50 a.m. Baptiste Rambeau walks Erica Swenson to a backyard gate. He dips his head toward the carton of marked new decks of playing cards she carries. He says, 'Now honey pie, be sure to double staple the decks of cards into a sack that one of my poker guests will come to buy. That way I'll know up front if he's switched in bust-out cards of his own. Give me a call right after he gets back. That way I can cancel the game off your call as an emergency without tipping that I'm hustler wise, that I'm not a mark.'
    They kiss.
    'Will do, Da Dee' she says as he opens the gate.
    As she steps into the alley he says 'Oh say, as a double block against hanky-panky with the package, step out to the sidewalk and watch him all the way until he gets back here. He could have decks and a staple gun on him or stashed in a car.'
    She nods, glances at his throat scar, livid in the light, says 'Do be careful with your ... uh, guests' as she goes down the alley.
    Baptiste watches the morning sun explode platinum fireworks from her tail bone length mane until her girlish figure