"You're right on that, Bert."
"Do you remember that big clean-up we made a year ago" — the rajah's cigarette light was swaying back and forth as he spoke — "I mean, the third time I came back from India—"
"Half a million gross," came the voice of the hidden chief.
"Well," declared Rajah Brahman quietly, "this sheep-clipping job is going to double that. Maybe more. My mystic shrine in India is still in need of endowments. Copper is going up. Spirits still like to take back valuable souvenirs when they depart for the astral plane.
"Jacques is out of the picture. He has been pretty tight about sending up his best payers to the big league. Now, since he forgot himself with the dirk, he's ready to do anything we ask. He wants to forget all his old clientele. I can handle the entire lot.
"Anita Marie has chipped in with a real bet in this Garwood woman. She's good for plenty of jack. Maybe the best sucker of the lot. I'll pay off Anita's mortgage on that joint of hers in Philadelphia, and she'll be tickled green.
"There's a couple of good ones coming from the Middle West, all ripe for my psychic development classes. There's one coming from Cincinnati that is a sure bet."
"You mean Arthur Dykeman?"
"Right. Since his daughter floated to the upper plane, he's been looking everywhere for a materialization. Madame Plunket, out in Cincinnati, passed him along as her contribution.
"The madame goes in for better game than Anita Marie, but she's pretty cheap, too — and Dykeman will be pretty near all profit."