“As far as Trimmer is concerned,” said he, quite undisturbed, “you can have his head any minute. He’s a mutt.”
“You don’t need to give me Mr. Trimmer’s head,” replied Bobby, quite as calmly. “I intend to get that myself.”
“And as for the Brightlight,” continued Stone as if he had not been interrupted, “I sent Sharpe over to see you about that this morning. I think we can fix it so that you can get back your two hundred and fifty thousand. The deal’s been worth a lot more than that to the Consolidated.”
“No doubt,” agreed Bobby. “However, I’m not looking, at the present moment, for a sop to the Brightlight Company. It will be time enough for that when I have forced the Consolidated into the hands of a receiver.”
Stone looked at Bobby thoughtfully between narrowed eyelids.
“Look here, young fellow,” said he presently. “Now, you take it from me, and I have been through the mill, that there ain’t any use holding a grouch. The mere doing damage don’t get you anything unless it’s to whip somebody else into line with a warning. I take it that this ain’t what you’re trying to do. You think you’re simply playing a grouch game, table stakes; but if you’ll simmer down you’ll find you’ve got a price. Now, I’d rather have you with me than against me. If you’ll just say what you want I’ll get it for you if it’s in reach. But don’t froth. I’ve cleaned up as much money as your daddy did, just by keeping my temper.”
“I’m going to keep mine, too,” Bobby informed him quite cheerfully. “I have just found that I have one, and I like it.”
Stone brushed this triviality aside with a wave of his heavy hand.
“Quit kidding,” he said, “and come out with it. I see you’re no piker, anyhow. You’re playing for big game. What is it you want?”
“As I said before, not very much,” declared Bobby. “I only want to grind your machine into powder. I want to dig up the rotten municipal control of this city, root and branch. I want to ferret out every bit of crookedness in which you have been concerned, and every bit that you have caused. I want to uncover every man, high or low, for just what he is, and I don’t care how well protected he is nor how shining his reputation, if he’s concerned in a crooked deal I’m going after him—”