He moved around Jules, jerked the office door open and closed it behind him. Thornton was sitting at his desk, going over some papers. He looked up. Al hesitated. Now that he was here, just what was he supposed to do? It would be silly to threaten Carl Thornton, and how could he report him to the game warden when he had broken no law? Al felt a little foolish and Thornton's voice was as cold as his eyes when he spoke.
"What do you want?"
"You fired Ted?"
"That's right."
"What for?"
"Inefficiency."
"Ted told me different. He told me you fired him because he wouldn't shoot those two big bucks for you."
"He's a liar."
Al stepped to the desk, twined his right hand in Thornton's lapel, lifted him to his feet and used his left hand to slap both Thornton's cheeks. Then he let the resort owner slump back into the chair and turned on his heel.
"For callin' Ted a liar," he said.