“Yes,” Importuna said. “A note to Mrs. Importuna: ‘My dear, Instruct Mrs. Longwell to have the Kashan rug in my den taken up for the summer and sent to Bazhabaty-an’s for cleaning and storage. I made this request two days ago and it has not yet been done.’ Signed as usual.”
“With great love,” Ennis murmured, writing, “Nino.” When he looked up from the notebook he asked, “Is something wrong, Mr. Importuna?”
“What do you mean?”
It was fascinating to watch Importuna pace. He took 9 steps in one direction, 9 steps back. Never more, or less, than 9 in these pacing episodes.
Did he consciously count them, or had his obsession with his lucky number become part of his autonomic nervous system?
“Nothing, really. It’s just that I thought you seem disturbed this morning.”
“I am! I had a transatlantic call from Von Slonem before you got here. The Ploesti deal has fallen through.”
“But I thought that was firm. Locked up.”
“It was! I don’t know how it could have happened. Without warning-
“Today is Friday.”
“Today is the 9th!”
“Oh,” Peter Ennis said. “Yes. Well, maybe it’s good luck in disguise, Mr. Importuna. Remember what your brother Julio used to say? The sweetest-tasting deals are the ones that turn sour first. Maybe the fact that the Ploesti deal fell through on the 9th is a sign that you shouldn’t have gone into it in the first place.”
Importuna’s frown lightened. It was incredible. A man of his acumen. “You think so, Peter?”
“Who knows, Mr. Importuna? If you have faith in any system of belief… “
How long, 0 Lord?
They resumed working.
Importuna’s 9th step away from Ennis took him to the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on the other side of the room. Ordinarily when he reached the shelves he would turn on his heel and take the 9-step journey back. But sometimes as he dictated to Ennis he would pause to lean against a shelf in pursuit of a thought, his right hand with its four fingers raised to one of the higher shelves, his gaze directed to the Kashan rug. During one of these reflective pauses Importuna chanced to look up and about. His glance fixed on the row of books at his eye level and all thoughtfulness fled his face. It was supplanted by something very like panic.
“Peter!” he cried in a rage.
Ennis, startled, looked around. “Yes, sir?”
“Come here!”
Ennis jumped up. “What’s the matter?”
“I said come here!”
“What’s wrong, Mr. Importuna?”
“This shelf-these books here-” He was almost unable to articulate.
“Books? What about them? They look perfectly all right to me.”
“They are
Ennis stammered, “If you say so, Mr. Importuna-”
“You know they were!” the tycoon thundered. “Why didn’t you let them alone? You were the one who turned them right side up again, weren’t you, Peter? Weren’t you?”
“If those were the ones, Mr. Importuna. Wait, I remember now. I really didn’t stop to identify the titles. I saw some books standing on the shelf upside down and I naturally righted them.”
“What do you mean ‘naturally’? There’s nothing natural about it! Why did you do it?”
“Well, because-”
“Don’t you remember my specifically ordering you not to lay a finger on
Ennis was extremely pale. “I’m sorry, Mr. Importuna, I forgot. Or mistook the shelf. Anyway, all I did was-”
“All you did,” stormed Nino Importuna, snatching the three books from the shelf and slamming them back into place upside down, “was something you don’t begin to understand! No wonder the Ploesti deal blew up. From now on, Peter, when I say don’t touch something,
Ennis ran to the table, ignored the telephone console, snatched up the red phone, and ran back with it to Importuna.
“Get me Crabshawe… John! Importuna. Call a meeting of the staff. Immediately. And arrange for a transocean conference call among ourselves, Bucharest, and Von Slonem… I
“I’ve already alerted McCoombes. He’ll have the car out front by the time you get downstairs, Mr. Importuna. Is there anything you want me to do meanwhile?”
“No, we’ll finish up here tomorrow morning. Just take care of the matters I’ve already noted. And tell Mrs. Importuna I’ll let her know later today about this evening. I don’t know how long those Rumanians will tie me up.” Importuna showed his great teeth again and tapped Ennis affectionately on the chest. “I’m sorry I shouted at you, Peter. But you got me very upset.”
He seemed in high humor as he strode out.
Ennis sank into Importuna’s chair. His hands were shaking, and he grasped the arms of the chair to steady them. His chest itched where Importuna’s double finger had tapped it.
Two cool, soft hands slipped over his eyes from behind.
Ennis’s hands flew up to hers, trying to detach them. “Virginia. I didn’t hear a sound. He may still be here-”
“He’s left, darling,” Mrs. Importuna said. “It’s all right. I made very sure.”
She came round and sat down on his lap, twining her bare arms about his neck.
“Honey. If Editta, or Crump-”
“I sent Editta out on an errand. She’ll be gone for an hour. And Crump’s in the pantry with Mrs. Longwell, polishing the silver for our dinner party tonight.”
“You may not have any dinner party tonight. He told me to tell you he’d let you know later today. He may be tied up buying half of Rumania. Are you sure-?”
“Don’t be so jittery,” she said, breathing into his ear. “Nobody’s going to catch us doing anything naughty. Or are they?”
They embraced with familiar passion in her husband’s chair.
“You know something, Peter?” Virginia murmured after a while.
“What, Virgin?”
“I’d like us to make love right here.”
“Here! Where?”
“On Nino’s table. He’s so stupid about it. Just because it belonged to a Medici. I’ll bet it’s seen a lot worse.” She laughed and deliberately nipped his ear. “What do you say?”
“Sounds groovy. But give me a rain check, baby. I’m still a little shook up.”
“Oh?” She sat up and regarded him at arm’s length. “Something happened?”
“Before he left he almost bit my head off. And you’d never guess what about.”
“You didn’t kiss his ring.”
“This isn’t funny! A long time ago, he’d told me never to touch any of the books on some shelf or other back there. Hell, I’d forgotten all about it, it seemed so childish. All the damn shelf held were ordinary books. Yesterday I
