The William P. McGivern Fantasy Megapack by William P. McGivern

Author:William P. McGivern
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy, magic, science fiction, adventure, pulp fiction
ISBN: 9781479403660
Publisher: Wildside Press LLC
Published: 2015-05-07T16:00:00+00:00

TINK TAKES A HAND

First published in Fantastic Adventures, October 1941.

The argument started on the corner of Forty-second and Broadway on a very hot morning in late August. Like many intense arguments it was precipitated by a chance remark.

Tinkle and Nastee were sprawled on top of the broad shoulders of the redfaced Irish cop who directed traffic at the intersection. They were sunning themselves lazily, paying little attention to the surging crowds and noisy trucks and cars.

Of course the Irish cop didn’t know that his shoulders were serving as a resting place for Tink and Nastee. In fact he didn’t even see them.

For Tink and Nastee were Leprechauns, not quite the size of the Irish copper’s index finger and quite invisible to human eyes. Forty-second Street was a favorite spot for them. They liked the noise and the bustle and the never-ending crowds of people. Practically every morning they climbed onto the top of a refuse can or the copper’s shoulders and basked contentedly in the warm sun and the exciting street noises.

On this particular morning, the morning the argument started, Nastee turned on his side grumpily and said, “I feel miserable. I feel terrible. Usually I can stand the sight of all these cheerful looking people going to work, but today it has got me down. I feel acutely, horribly unhappy.”

Tinkle—Tink for short—chuckled. His laughter was a merry gusty bubble of gayety that tickled the Irish copper’s ear.

“What’s wrong with cheerful people?” he asked. “I like ’em. They make me feel fine, too. That’s why I do what I can to make people happier. If you’d try that occasionally you’d feel the same way I do.”

“Bah!” Nastee snorted. “I feel like a king when I’m making people unhappy. That’s the only fun I get out of life these days.”

“That’s why you have such little fun,” Tink replied. “It’s a hard job making people unhappy, because they’ve got too much sense to make themselves unhappy over unimportant things. I’ll bet you couldn’t get anyone in trouble if you tried.”

“What?” Nastee cried eagerly. “You think I can’t mess people up and make them unhappy any more?”

“Well,” Tink hedged uneasily. “I didn’t mean exactly that. But I will say it’s easier to make people happy than it is to make them unhappy.”

“I think you’re crazy,” Nastee said sourly. “If I want to cause trouble it’s the simplest thing in the world. And nobody can stop me either.”

“Causing trouble may be simple,” Tink said, “when you don’t have any opposition. But did you ever stop to think of what would happen if someone decided to spike your guns? Stopped your mischief before it did any harm?” Nastee peered at Tink through his narrow little eyes.

“It wouldn’t make any difference,” he said flatly.

“I think it would,” Tink said, just as flatly.

“Hummph,” Nastee grunted.

“I say I think it would,” Tink persisted. “In fact I’m willing to bet that if I had anything to say about the matter you wouldn’t get to first base with your trouble making.

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