research.
Nurse Tomkins, maternity ward, Protestant Temperance, started. ‘Oh, it’s you, Dr Zale.’
‘Yes,’ Panofsky said, ‘it’s only me.’
Leo grunted.
‘And how’s the little Edwards child today?’ Panofsky asked.
Nurse Tomkins handed Panofsky the chart.
‘Capital,’ Panofsky said. ‘Capital. Dr Shub …?’ He passed the chart to Leo.
Outside, Atuk geared down to second.
‘What is it?’ Goldie asked.
But Atuk was staring at the billboard. Another one, the largest he had seen.
STICK OUT YOUR NECK
‘Next time I see Buck,’ Atuk said, ‘I’ll ask him what it’s all about.’
Buck Twentyman rose with a smile.
‘Glad to have you with us,’ Twentyman said.
He had chosen Derm ‘Gabby’ Gabbard over all the other television pitchmen in Canada for the prized job of compère of STICK OUT YOUR NECK because of his incomparably wholesome manner: Canada trusted him.
‘Glad to
be
with you, sir,’ Derm said, smiling.
Blindfolded, Derm was led to a black limousine by Twentyman and driven off to a studio in the woods. The security guards saluted Twentyman, doublechecked Derm’s pass, unlocked the gates, the outer and inner studio doors, and finally the vault. Derm’s blindfold was removed at last.
Twentyman pulled the curtain. ‘There it is,’ he said. ‘Your equipment.’
‘Golly!’ Derm passed his hand lovingly over the ice-blue steel. ‘It’s ring-a-ding,’ he said.
‘The bushel with a million bucks will be on the table over here … with the guards … and over here, the equipment with the contestant. Well?’
‘If this show doesn’t bring you the highest ratings in the country I’ll eat my chapeau,’ Derm said.
‘But you don’t look entirely convinced,’ Twentyman said.
‘Well, sir, to be frank, ah … well, there is
one
area of doubt in my mind. Where will you get a contestant?’
‘You just let me worry about that,’ Twentyman said.
Atuk was late getting to the office.
‘Any messages?’ he asked Miss Stainsby.
‘Bette Dolan phoned. Three times.’
‘Anything else?’ Atuk asked.
‘Norman Gore called. He wants to know if you’ve given up night school altogether.’
‘Ha, ha, ha.’
Professor Gore stopped Panofsky in the hall.
‘Have you seen the evening papers?’ he asked. ‘Isn’t it disgraceful?’
‘You mean Snipes asking for an import quota on American magazines?’
‘No. Certainly not. I mean our subservient, so-called government playing footsie with the FBI in the Arctic.’
‘Don’t you think we ought to co-operate with the Americans?’ Panofsky asked, bored.
‘Co-operation is one thing and domination is another. The trouble with those boys is they see commies under every bed. Surely,
you
don’t go for that cock-and-bull story about their colonel having been kidnapped by Russian agents?’
‘He did disappear, didn’t he?’
‘The man had no right investigating
our
defences in the first place. Probably he got drunk one night and fell down an ice crevice.’
‘Probably? He certainly did. So why worry?’
‘Why? Haven’t you any national pride? They step all over us.’ Professor Gore suddenly smiled. ‘There I go losing my temper again. Oh, say, you will be coming on Friday, won’t you?’
‘I’m looking forward to it immensely, sir.’
Just about anybody who was anybody was going to Professor Gore’s on Friday night. Even Atuk would be there.
The Old One took down the bar, unbolted the door, and opened the locks one by one.
‘Enter in peace,’ the Old One said.
‘Hi,’ Atuk said. ‘How’s everything?’
‘They are all gathered around the box and waiting. There is much tension among them for youfailed them yesterday. The Old One strongly recommends the magic for tonight.’
‘I told them only if they work hard. I—’
‘Of work they have done their fill. For this I give my word.’
Atuk went into the living-room and saw for himself how they all sat huddled and expectant round the box.
Nurse Tomkins, maternity ward, Protestant Temperance, started. ‘Oh, it’s you, Dr Zale.’
‘Yes,’ Panofsky said, ‘it’s only me.’
Leo grunted.
‘And how’s the little Edwards child today?’ Panofsky asked.
Nurse Tomkins handed Panofsky the chart.
‘Capital,’ Panofsky said. ‘Capital. Dr Shub …?’ He passed the chart to Leo.
Outside, Atuk geared down to second.
‘What is it?’ Goldie asked.
But Atuk was staring at the billboard. Another one, the largest he had seen.
STICK OUT YOUR NECK
‘Next time I see Buck,’ Atuk said, ‘I’ll ask him what it’s all about.’
Buck Twentyman rose with a smile.
‘Glad to have you with us,’ Twentyman said.
He had chosen Derm ‘Gabby’ Gabbard over all the other television pitchmen in Canada for the prized job of compère of STICK OUT YOUR NECK because of his incomparably wholesome manner: Canada trusted him.
‘Glad to
be
with you, sir,’ Derm said, smiling.
Blindfolded, Derm was led to a black limousine by Twentyman and driven off to a studio in the woods. The security guards saluted Twentyman, doublechecked Derm’s pass, unlocked the gates, the outer and inner studio doors, and finally the vault. Derm’s blindfold was removed at last.
Twentyman pulled the curtain. ‘There it is,’ he said. ‘Your equipment.’
‘Golly!’ Derm passed his hand lovingly over the ice-blue steel. ‘It’s ring-a-ding,’ he said.
‘The bushel with a million bucks will be on the table over here … with the guards … and over here, the equipment with the contestant. Well?’
‘If this show doesn’t bring you the highest ratings in the country I’ll eat my chapeau,’ Derm said.
‘But you don’t look entirely convinced,’ Twentyman said.
‘Well, sir, to be frank, ah … well, there is
one
area of doubt in my mind. Where will you get a contestant?’
‘You just let me worry about that,’ Twentyman said.
Atuk was late getting to the office.
‘Any messages?’ he asked Miss Stainsby.
‘Bette Dolan phoned. Three times.’
‘Anything else?’ Atuk asked.
‘Norman Gore called. He wants to know if you’ve given up night school altogether.’
‘Ha, ha, ha.’
Professor Gore stopped Panofsky in the hall.
‘Have you seen the evening papers?’ he asked. ‘Isn’t it disgraceful?’
‘You mean Snipes asking for an import quota on American magazines?’
‘No. Certainly not. I mean our subservient, so-called government playing footsie with the FBI in the Arctic.’
‘Don’t you think we ought to co-operate with the Americans?’ Panofsky asked, bored.
‘Co-operation is one thing and domination is another. The trouble with those boys is they see commies under every bed. Surely,
you
don’t go for that cock-and-bull story about their colonel having been kidnapped by Russian agents?’
‘He did disappear, didn’t he?’
‘The man had no right investigating
our
defences in the first place. Probably he got drunk one night and fell down an ice crevice.’
‘Probably? He certainly did. So why worry?’
‘Why? Haven’t you any national pride? They step all over us.’ Professor Gore suddenly smiled. ‘There I go losing my temper again. Oh, say, you will be coming on Friday, won’t you?’
‘I’m looking forward to it immensely, sir.’
Just about anybody who was anybody was going to Professor Gore’s on Friday night. Even Atuk would be there.
The Old One took down the bar, unbolted the door, and opened the locks one by one.
‘Enter in peace,’ the Old One said.
‘Hi,’ Atuk said. ‘How’s everything?’
‘They are all gathered around the box and waiting. There is much tension among them for youfailed them yesterday. The Old One strongly recommends the magic for tonight.’
‘I told them only if they work hard. I—’
‘Of work they have done their fill. For this I give my word.’
Atuk went into the living-room and saw for himself how they all sat huddled and expectant round the box.
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