Read Online Dreadful Summit by Stanley Ellin - Free Book Online

and I had to look because Rocks Abruzzo got in a good one, the one everybody wanted to see, only I didn’t see it, and Joe Shotfield was down and he must have been hurt bad. He couldn’t even get up when it was all over. They had to carry him to his corner.
    Then I felt with my foot my father’s good hat was on the floor, and I picked it up and saw it was dirty all over. I was scared about that and what he would say, and I started to dust it off. Then I remembered the scarf.
    I looked down quick and it wasn’t there any more. I was so mad that I grabbed the glasses right out of Dr Cooper’s hand, and he looked like I was nuts. But no matter how I looked around with them, I couldn’t find that scarf. The typewriter was gone, the cane was gone too, and I knew for sure Al Judge would get away from me if I didn’t do something quick to find him.
    Then I remembered Dr Cooper might know where he went to so I grabbed his arm. I said, ‘Look, it’s important. Where does Al Judge go after the fights? I mean, is there any place special? I have to know because he went away already and I have to find him.’
    â€˜About that job?’
    â€˜Yes. I have to get that job. I just have to.’
    I was starting to get up, but he pulled me back so I was sitting down again. He said, ‘Is it Al Judge you were looking at through the glasses?’
    â€˜I had to know where he was so I could talk to him. Does he go back to the paper now?’
    â€˜You ought to polish up your lying, George. First it was your friend; then it was Al Judge. And all you want to do is ask for a job. You don’t expect me to believe all that stuff, do you?’
    I said, ‘Honest to God.’
    â€˜Listen,’ he said, ‘I’ll tell you what’s bothering you. You were working for the Press , and Judge had you fired off your job, and now you want to square it somehow, don’t you?’
    The way I tried to pull my arm loose was a giveaway, but I couldn’t help it. All I wanted to do was get away from there and do it quick, but he held my arm so tight I was afraid it would start trouble where everybody would look. Dr Cooper said, ‘He’s done that to a hundred guys, and the smart ones forget it and shop around for another job. When you tangle with him you’re looking for trouble. I once saw him whack a copy boy over the head with his cane for looking at him cross-eyed. What did you expect to do? Beat him up?’
    The finger was on me good now. Whatever I did, Dr Cooper would figure out who it was, and he even knew my name. The only thing to do was get him somewhere and give it to him and that would fix it up. But what about all the people who saw me with Dr Cooper, and maybe if my picture was in the papers they would put the finger on me for that.
    All I wanted to do was kill Al Judge and kill him quick. I didn’t want to kill Dr Cooper, because that would be murder and not like killing Al Judge. I wasn’t even sore at Dr Cooper, only a little because he was getting everything balled up.
    Then it hit me I could get Dr Cooper to help me, and I could do the job so good I would be all right. I would only know that when I did the job, and if it didn’t turn out right, there would be time to get Dr Cooper too.
    I said, ‘That’s what happened. What you said.’
    â€˜What exactly?’
    â€˜I was a copy boy and Al Judge didn’t like me so he had me fired. Now my whole family is broke.’
    â€˜I know how you feel. I felt that way myself ten years ago. But it’s smarter to forget it.’
    â€˜I don’t care. I want to give him what’s coming to him.’
    We were looking at each other and Dr Cooper was moving his lips in and out over his teeth like he was thinking hard. He said, ‘If there was ever anybody who needed a good shellacking, it’s Al Judge. But you’re not the guy to do it.’
    â€˜I’ll take my