Chace had politely raised his forefinger and waited for Linger's attention. “Roy,” he said, “I think we ought to start taping now.'
'Oh, yes. Would you mind,” he said to Gideon and Abe, “if we tape-recorded our conversation this evening?'
'I'm not sure if I do or not,” Gideon said, faintly uneasy. “Why do you want to tape it?'
It was Chace who answered, when Linger deferred to him with a nod. “It's for our own protection. There are people out there who twist our words for their own ends, who have their own sinister purposes. There are those who are just out for the money, who don't—'
'What Professor Chace means,” Linger said, “is that the Sasquatch Society, having been involved in more than one unfortunate controversy, now makes it a point to record all pertinent discussions. With your permission, of course?'
'Sure,” said Abe. “It's okay by me.'
'I think I'd rather you didn't,” Gideon said.
Chace spoke after a moment of silence. “Would you mind explaining why?” he said, his eyes fixed on his glass.
Gideon minded. He was offended by the implication behind the taping and annoyed by Chace's manner. “Yes, I'd mind,” he said curtly.
Chace's cheeks flushed an angry purple, but Linger cut smoothly in. “Fine. No need to tape if you'd rather not.” He uncrossed his legs, then recrossed them the other way around. “Now, as I'm sure you know, I've spent most of my life in the attempt to further man's knowledge, and I like to think that, in my small way, I've succeeded.” He paused, looking down into the swirling brandy.
'You sure have, Roy,” Chace said, “and we all appreciate it.'
Linger continued, “I believe that this evening presents an unparalleled opportunity to share and increase our understanding of one of the most fascinating and mysterious creatures known to science.'
Gideon shifted in his chair. Linger was as oily as Chace once he got going. This would not be the first time Abe's enthusiastic eclecticism had gotten them into an uncomfortable situation.
With the placid assurance of the rich and powerful that he would not be interrupted, Linger slowly sipped his brandy, then let his eyes rest on the ancient maps on the wall across from him, as if gathering inspiration. “In this room tonight,” he said, “we have three of the finest scientific minds of our times: the dean of American anthropology, the world's leading authority on giant anthropoid behavior and morphology, and one of the foremost younger anthropologists of his day.'
'Thank you, Roy,” Chace said.
Gideon said nothing.
'You got maybe a little seltzer in the icebox to go with this?” said the dean of American anthropology, holding out his glass. “Gives me heartburn.'
With the merest tic of irritation at his chiseled lips, Linger took Abe's glass to the bar, added soda water from a cut-glass siphon, and returned with it.
'Now, gentlemen,” he said, sitting down and crossing his legs as meticulously as before, “the quest for accurate and unimpeachable data on the last of the great anthropoids, the being we call Bigfoot or Sasquatch —'
Gideon could sit still no longer. “Mr. Linger, pardon me, but I'm not quite sure just what this meeting is about.'
It was Chace who leaned forward, his big-boned elbows on his thighs, the snifter cupped in both hands, in a posture of warm sincerity that showed he forgave Gideon his gauche performance over the tape recorder. “That's my doing, Professor. I read about your interview in Quinault, and I knew you were on a dig up this way, so I asked Roy—Mr. Linger—if he'd have the kindness to bring us together. It's an unanticipated honor'—he bowed toward Abe—'to meet the eminent Professor Goldstein as well.'
He leaned back and crossed his legs, not delicately like Linger, but in an expansive, masculine way, right ankle on left knee. “Now, the Sasquatch Society is always delighted to find a reputable scientist with whom we can begin a meaningful dialogue. As I'm sure we all know all too well, the halls of academe are sometimes just a little bigoted about certain things.'
'I've found them pretty open-minded,” Gideon said.
'Ah-ha-ha,” said Chace. “Now, as you may know, the Sasquatch Society sponsors a massive educational program of seminars and institutes, and we are always looking for highly regarded academics to serve on panels and so forth.'
'Thanks,” Gideon said. “I don't think I'd be interested.'
'We'd pay your expenses, of course, and there'd be compensation, substantial by academic standards, for your participation.'
'Professor Chace, I don't believe that Bigfoot exists.'
'But you were quoted as saying—'
'I was quoted out of context.'
'Surely,” Linger said suavely, “you don't mean that you would refuse to accept legitimate evidence because it's contrary to your views?'
'Legitimate evidence, no. But I've never seen any.'
'Professor,” said Linger, “were you quoted accurately on the matter of superhuman strength having been required to drive that spear point in?'
'Well, yes, that was accurate.'
