The demolished man by Alfred Bester

Author:Alfred Bester
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fiction - Science Fiction, sci-fi, Science Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction - General, Bester, Alfred - Prose & Criticism, General
ISBN: 9780679767817
Publisher: Vintage Books
Published: 1996-08-15T18:49:47.749000+00:00

Chapter 11

The pawnshop was in darkness. A single lamp burned on the counter, sending out its sphere of soft light. As the three men spoke, they leaned in and out of the illumination, their faces and gesticulating hands suddenly appearing and disappearing in staccato eclipses.

"No," Powell said sharply. "I didn't come here to peep anybody. I'm sticking to straight talk. You two peepers may consider it an insult to have words addressed to you. I consider it evidence of good faith. While I'm talking. I'm not peeping."

"Not necessarily," Tate answered. His gnome face popped into the light. "You've been known to finesse, Powell."

"Not now. Check me. What I want from you two, I want objectively. I'm working on a murder. Peeping isn't going to do me any good."

"What do you want, Powell?" Church cut in.

"You sold a gun to Gus Tate."

"The hell he did." Tate said.

"Then why are you here?"

"Am I supposed to take an outlandish accusation like that lying down?"

"Church called you because he sold you the gun and he knows how it was used."

Church's face appeared. "I sold no gun, peeper, and I don't know how any gun was used. That's my objective evidence. Eat it."

"Oh, I'll eat it," Powell chuckled. "I know you didn't sell the gun to Gus. You sold it to Ben Reich."

Tate's face came back into the light. "Then why'd you--"

"Why?" Powell stared into Tate's eyes. "To get you here for a talk, Gus. Let it wait a minute. I want to finish with Jerry." He turned toward Church. "You had the gun, Jerry. It's the kind of thing you would have. Reich came here for it. It's the only place he could come. You did business together before. I haven't forgotten the Chaos Swindle…"

"God damn you!" Church shouted.

"It swindled you out of the Guild." Powell continued. "You risked and lost everything for Reich… just because he asked you to peep and squeal on four members of the Stock Exchange. He made a million out of that swindle… just by asking a dumb peeper for a favor."

"He paid for that favor!" Church cried.

"And now all I'm asking for is the gun," Powell answered quietly.

"Are you offering to pay?"

"You know me better than that, Jerry. I threw you out of the Guild because I'm mealy-mouthed Preacher Powell, didn't I? Would I make a shady offer?"

"Then what are you paying for the gun?"

"Nothing, Jerry. You'll have to trust me to do the fair thing; but I'm making no promises."

"I've got a promise," Church muttered.

"You do? Ben Reich, probably. He's long on promise. Sometimes he's short on delivery. You'll have to make up your mind. Trust me or trust Ben Reich. What about the gun?"

Church's face disappeared from the light. After a pause, he spoke from the darkness. "I sold no gun, peeper, and I don't know how any gun was used. That's my objective evidence for the court."

"Thanks, Jerry." Powell smiled, shrugged, and turned again to Tate. "I just want to ask you one question, Gus.

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