STetc ch38 thotz, refs, & a stray idea on ch 39

[Michael Bailey]

Ch39 - 3 outcomes, 3 dudes with different females

- 1) Bruno winds up with that statue "miles monstrosus", of which he only gets a distant glimpse, from which he derives a mistaken impression

- 2) Hicks, pursuing his proclivities with Terike, perhaps a promising beginning, but she's not without misgivings

- 3) Skeet and Zinnia (the last of an alphabet of romantic  possibilities? Whereas Terike's most of the way thru Hicks's 2nd or 3rd little black book?)

...I say, I say, Skeet and Zinnia with starry eyes like S Clay Wilson's Stella (tho' Basnight's warned Skeet of likely  upcoming Checkered Demon encounters) a happy couple heading West as the man suggested, and, as pronounced in _V._ ,
 "we all love to see young people get together"

Skeet having told Hicks early on (memorably, imho) " I want to be classier than you; more like that Sherlock Holmes," or words to that effect.



Back to ch38 - Chazz: " The deal is I do them this one li'l international intrigue job, and they drop everything they got against me....Plus now I'm on a federal swindle sheet [expense account] with a nice-size wagonload to spend."

- as opposed to Hicks's carload of kisses?



Foditto: "there might be one small news item...."
(Playing it coy, not telling)

McTaggart: "C'mon, Chazz, for a pal?"

Foditto: "That's right, muscle it outa me, hired torpedoes...."

[callback to M&D torpedo scene; and to BE Mischa & Grischa?]

Interestingly, he claims to perceive McTaggart's importunity as force majeure

(Reminds of a scene in one of the John McDonald books where that private dick who lives in a boat called The Busted Flush is trying to refuse a dangerous favor to somebody, but had to accede because the guy forced him by saying "please")

Foditto "'Swell,' less a snort than an articulate release of Toscano smoke...."

- which Chazz has evidently now lit, at some point during the conversation.