"Then listen to me," Marc said, his voice level. "You have no special liking for Cecil and Gerald, so it shouldn't matter to you if they get hurt." He cleared his throat. "If you'll just turn me loose and give me a chance to stop them, I'll let you send me off in the catapult."
"Marc!" Toffee cried. She turned to George. "Don't listen to...."
"Whether I win or lose, George," Marc said.
"You can't!" Toffee cried. "That's suicide!"
"Not exactly," Marc said. "If he doesn't finish me off, they will." He turned back to George. "You'll be sure of getting rid of me. And the city will be saved."
"Well," George hesitated. "I don't know...."
"Hurry," Marc said. "You've got to do it. They're loading the bomb right now. This is your chance to do something decent for once."
George closed his eyes thoughtfully and rocked back on his heels. There was a moment of tense silence as he swayed forward. "Okay!" he said. "It's a deal. Not that I have any particular feeling one way or another about this city of yours. Actually, I'm only doing it as a personal favor to you. After all, I can understand why you don't want to move on to the next world to make room for someone else. It takes time to get adjusted to the idea that...."
"Stop orating," Toffee put in harshly. "If you're going to let us loose, you ghoul, then do it."
"Hurry, George!" Marc said.