Carrie hesitated a moment, then went upstairs again. After a few minutes Sadie followed her down.
Raven’s eyes lit up a little when he saw her. This one was good, he told himself. When he looked at her he saw her go suddenly very white and her step falter. Carrie took her arm and shoved her forward. She muttered something that Raven didn’t hear. He made a mental note to look into this. Sadie stood beside the other girls, her dark eyes big with fear, gazing steadily at Raven. It made him a little uncomfortable.
He looked away from her. “I’ve got somethin’ to say to you girls,” he said abruptly. “I’m Raven. I run this racket. There’s goin’ to be some changes. Get into a line, you girls. Snap to it!”
A little buzz filled the room as the girls stared at him. Maltz stepped forward. “Quiet,” he said loudly. “Get into a line. Go on, damn you, get into a line!”
They slowly formed into a line and stood giggling and nudging each other.
Raven lit a cigarette. “Take your things off. All of ’em. Your stockings as well.”
“I ain’t takin’ orders from a bum like that. What’s the game, Carrie?” Lulu shrilled.
Raven made a little sign to Maltz. Maltz stepped forward and dragged Lulu out of the line. He slapped her twice across her face with his open palm, before she could dodge, and then he shoved her back into the line again.
She was so dazed by the heavy blows she could only rock on her heels, blinking away the tears that had started to her eyes.
Raven said, “The next dame who cracks wise will get a boot. Get undressed.”