He asked me a few more questions, then thumbed a button centered in a ring of grime on the wall behind him. A chair scraped beyond the door; it opened and a tall bony fellow with thick wrists and an adams apple set among heavy neck tendons came in.
The man behind the desk pointed at me with his chin.
"Throw him out, Lefty."
Lefty gave me a resentful look, came around the desk and reached for my collar. I leaned to the right and threw a hard left jab to the chin. He rocked back and sat down.
"I get the idea," I said. "I can make it out under my own power." I turned to the door.
"Stick around, mister. Lefty's just kind of a like a test for separating the men from the boys."
"You mean I'm hired?"
He sighed. "You come at a good time. I'm short of good boys."
I helped Lefty up, then dusted off a chair and listened to a half-hour briefing on conditions in the city. They weren't good. Then I went upstairs to the chart room to wait for a call.