"An' this is me, Big Bob, in—"
"Windbag Bob," a heavy bass comments from above.
"Shut up, Curley, I'm on th' line. I'm in 6 F, Aleck, top tier. Call me up any time I'm in, ha, ha! You see, pipe's runnin' up an' down, an' you can talk to any range you want, but always to th' same cell as you're in, Cell 6, understand? Now if you wan' t' talk to Cell 14, to Shorty, you know—"
"I don't want to talk to Shorty. I don't know him, Bob."
"Yes, you do. You list'n what I tell you, Aleck, an' you'll be all right. That's me talkin', Big Bob, see? Now, I say if you'd like t' chew th' rag with Shorty, you jest tell me. Tell Brother Bob, an' he'll connect you all right. Are you on? Know who's Shorty?"
"No."
"Yo oughter. That's Carl, Carl Nold. Know him, don't you?"
"What!" I cry in astonishment. "Is it true, Bob? Is Nold up there on your gallery?"
"Sure thing. Cell 14."
"Why didn't you say so at once? You've been talking ten minutes now. Did you see him?"