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kitchen.’
    Dortmunder said, ‘If we got wheels on it, could you drive it away from there?’
    Murch’s beer was only half gone, but the head was gone entirely. Musing, he shook a little salt into the glass, which restored some head, and passed the shaker to his mom. ‘Not with a car,’ he said. ‘It’s too heavy for that. With a truck. The cab of a tractor-trailer – that would be best.’
    â€˜But it could be done.’
    â€˜Oh, sure. I’d have to stick to main streets, though. You’ve got a twelve-foot width. That’s pretty wide for going down back roads. Cuts your possibilities for a getaway route.’
    Dortmunder nodded. ‘I figured that.’
    â€˜Also time of day,’ Murch said. ‘Late at night would be best, when there’s not so much traffic around.’
    â€˜Well, we’d figure to do it then anyway,’ Dortmunder said.
    â€˜A lot depends,’ Murch said, ‘on where you want to take it.’
    Dortmunder glanced at Kelp, who looked very defensive and said, ‘We can work that out, we can work it out. Victor and me.’
    Dortmunder grimaced and looked back at Murch. ‘Would you be willing to try it?’
    â€˜Try what?’
    â€˜Driving the bank away.’
    â€˜Sure! Naturally, that’s what I’m here for.’
    Dortmunder nodded and sat back in his chair. He didn’t look specifically at anybody, but brooded at the green felt tabletop. Nobody spoke for half a minute or so, and then Victor said, ‘Do you think we can do it, Mr Dortmunder?’
    Dortmunder glanced at him, and the intense look was still there. This was originally Victor’s notion, of course, so it was only natural he wanted to know if he had a workable idea or not. Dortmunder said, ‘I don’t know yet. It begins to look as though we can take the thing away, but there’s still a lot of problems.’
    Kelp said, ‘But we can go forward, right?’
    Dortmunder said, ‘You and Victor can look for a place to stash the bank while …’ He stopped and shook his head. ‘A place to stash the bank. I can’t believe I’m saying a thing like that. Anyway, you two do that, Murch sets up wheels and a truck or whatever, and –’
    â€˜There’s the question of money,’ Murch said. ‘We’re gonna need some deep financing on this job.’
    â€˜That’s my department,’ Kelp said. ‘I’ll take care of that.’
    â€˜Good,’ Dortmunder said.
    Murch’s Mom said, ‘Is this meeting over? I got to get home and get this brace off.’
    â€˜We’ll be in touch with each other,’ Dortmunder said.
    Kelp said, ‘You want me to call Herman X?’
    Murch said, ‘Herman X?’
    â€˜Sure,’ Dortmunder said. ‘Give him a call. But tell him it isn’t a definite set-up yet.’
    Murch said, ‘Herman X?’
    â€˜You know him?’ Kelp said. ‘A lockman, one of the best.’
    Victor suddenly jumped to his feet and extended his ginger-ale glass over the table. ‘A toast!’ he cried. ‘One for all and all for one!’
    There was a stunned silence, and then Kelp gave a panicky smile and said, ‘Oh, yeah, sure.’ He got to his feet with his bourbon glass.
    One by one the others also stood. Nobody wanted to embarrass Victor. They clinked their glasses together over the middle of the table, and again Victor said, loud and clear, ‘One for all and all for one!’
    â€˜One for all and all for one,’ everybody mumbled.

9
    Herman X spread black caviar on black bread and handed it across the coffee table to Susan. ‘I know I have expensive tastes,’ he said, flashing his frankest smile at his guests, ‘but the way I think, we pass this way but once.’
    â€˜Truer words were never spoken,’ George Lachine said. He and his wife Linda were the token whites at this