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PHIL struggled through the slap-slap of an invigorating gray surf, until he realized it was a wet toielded by Juno

"How&039;s the head?" she inquired with a grin that showed her lip scar

The head seemed twice as thick and heavy as usual to Phil, but he didn&039;t feel any special pain until his exploring hands came to the lu the towel on the upset black and silver table He doubted it

"Do you think that by any chance Mr Brierly swiveled his head around Sacheverell, whose green gararish and not too clean bathrobe and whose dark co a conference of so Mary was busy at her work table

"A what?" Cookie asked suspiciously

"You know, a Satanist, a devil-worshipper," Sacheverell explained briskly "That would explain his stealing the Green One A Satanist wouldn&039;t want good to bloouff," Cookie told him "Moe Brimstine isn&039;t interested in any kind ofelse, for thatAnd Moe Bri for anyone but hi - probably both That&039;s true, isn&039;t it, Jack?"

The kingman didn&039;t seem at all inclined to be talkative, but at this question he did nod his head with conviction

Juno put a glass in Phil&039;s hand "Here, drink this," she told him Phil looked at the brown stuff "What is it?" he asked

"Not soybean milk," she assured him "Drink it up!"

The whiskey, which tasted as if it were laced with soht tears to his eyes, but alan to feel clearer He surveyed the room Outside of Mary&039;s work table, none of the h so over the broken

"And what&039;smystical is crud too"

Sacheverell looked at him and Jack with exquisite blankness "But didn&039;t you feel it?" he asked "Didn&039;t you feel what it did to all of us?"

Jack shifted uneasily and didn&039;t ed his shoulders and said nervously, "Oh, that! We were just all of us worked up, between your "

"But didn&039;t you feel your whole being change?" Sacheverell insisted "Didn&039;t you feel universal love and understanding burgeon?"

"Universal sky-pie!" Cookie said rudely "I didn&039;t feel a thing that man didn&039;t quite nod his head, but he certainly didn&039;t shake it And he didn&039;t look at Sacheverell

The latter surveyed theotten," he said "You&039;ve et But how," he asked Cookie, "do you explain the behavior of the cats? They recognized the Green One They tendered him worship"

"They just panted around after him," Cookie asserted "He&039;s probably an oversexed her - if that cat&039;swith powers, why did he let himself be knocked out? Why didn&039;t he feed Moe Brilass and distance between them," Sacheverell reminded him "Besides, if Mr Brimstine is a Beelzebite -"

"What&039;s more," Cookie went on relentlessly, "why did he let himself be knocked out by Jack in the first place? Jackie, before you stun-gunned the little brute, you didn&039;t feel any great burgeon of universal love, did you?"

Jack frowned "I stunned hi eyes studying the upset chalice, which chose thisout of the corner of ht it was a unned it and we hustled it into the locker as soon as as green," Cookie assured him decisively "Which certainly proves the cat has no powers Sash here just worked us up into thinking we had Gave evenan orange sheet and Sash had said it was Mohammed, I&039;d have believed him"

"But suppose the Green One was taken by surprise," Sacheverell argued "All gods have limitations Perhaps the Green One is not so ether telepathically the thoughts and feelings of ave Cookie a quick look that was both angry and i, as if to say, "You&039;ve proved your point Lay off"

Sacheverell shrugged and said, "Well, if I have to descend to your materialistic level, what is it that makes the Green One so important to Mr Brimstine?"

"How should I know?" Cookie said huffily "Maybe he&039;s s heroin in it or secret docus to the currentof South Africa Did Moe tell you anything, Jackie?"

"Just that he&039;d give 10,000 for a green cat and that he didn&039;t want any dye jobs That was a couple weeks ago Some of the other boys asked for details, but he said there weren&039;t any" He stood up "But what&039;s the use of talking about it? We can&039;t do anything," he said harshly, suddenly glaring at Sacheverell, as if daring hi him, to answer

"Well" said Sacheverell

Phil had finished his thinking He got to his feet and squared his narrow shoulders "We can rescue the green cat from Brimstine," he said "Who&039;s with me?"

Cookie whirled on him "Nobody, not even yourself," he said, while Jack put his hand to his teroaned, "Now the Ikeless Joe"

Juno heaved herself out of her chair, and lulass and bottle "Look, Phil," she said, "I gotta admit you&039;re a spunky little ainst Moe Brimstine"

Phil considered that for a moment "I did," he said proudly

"Yeah, I know," she admitted, "but he didn&039;t take it seriously"

Phil looked at Sacheverell "How about you?" he asked "You believe in Lucky"

Cookie glared warningly at Sacheverell "If any one of us bothers Moe Brireen cat," Cookie said, "we&039;ll all be inhalingaround for advice His gaze settled on his wife "Mary, what steps do you think we should take?"

Mary, chewing her tongue over a difficult job of wax shaving, twitched her shoulders "I don&039;t care what anyone else does," she said, lifting off theon Moe Brimstine my own little way" And she held up for their inspection a s to look like the heavy jowled assistant boss of Fun Incorporated "And when it&039;s all finished," she told theh!" Cookie looked alhtfully and, with a wary eye on Jack and Cookie, said, "Yes, I suppose that is the best way after all"

"Okay," Phil said and started for the door