The Rubber Band

Anyhow, when Wolfe decided he weighed too much, that was what he got. He called the darts javelins. When I found my losses were approaching the century point I decided to stop humoring him, and quit the thing cold, telling him that my doctor had warned me against athlete's heart. Wolfe kept on with his exercise, and by now, this Sunday I'm telling about, he had got so he could stick the Joker twice out of five shots.

I said, "It would be a good number. You rate it. You admit yourself that you're a genius. It would get us a lot of new clients. We could take on a permanent staff-"

One of the darts slipped out of Wolfe's handful, dropped to the floor, and rolled to my feet. Wolfe stood and looked at me. I knew what he wanted, I knew he hated to stoop, but stooping was the only really violent part of that game and I figured he needed the exercise. I sat tight.

Wolfe opened his eyes at me. "I have noticed Mr. Woolfs drawings. They are technically excellent."

The son of a gun was trying to bribe me to pick up his dart by pretending to be interested in what I had said. I thought to myself, All right, but you'll pay for it, let's just see how long you'll stand there and stay interested. I picked up the magazine section and opened it to the article, and observed briskly, "This is one of his best. Have you seen it? It's about some Englishman that's over here on a government mission-wait-it tells here-"

I found it and read aloud: "'It is not known whether the Marquis of Clivers is empowered to discuss military and naval arrangements in the Far East; all that has been disclosed is his intention to make a final disposition or the question of spheres of economic influence. That is why, after a week of conferences in Washington with the Departments of State and Commerce, he has come to New York for an indefinite stay to consult with financial and industrial leaders. More and more clearly it is being realized in government circles that the only satisfactory and permanent basis for peace in the Orient is the removal of the present causes of economic friction.'"

I nodded at Wolfe. "You get it? Spheres of economic influence. The same thing that bothered Al Capone and Dutch Schultz. Look where economic friction landed them."

Wolfe nodded back. "Thank you, Archie. Thank you very much for explaining it to me. Now if you-"