We broke out laughing and, leaning over, struck hands with a resounding clap.
“Davy, damned if I expected this!”
“Well, Alan, you’ve been knocking round one way. I’ve knocked round another: between us we must have gone up and down the scale,” I said, settling back. “Well, what have you gotten out of it, and what do you think of this funny old world of ours?”
He looked at me a long moment, still a little suspicious of me.
“I enjoy it,” he said, to my surprise.
“Really? As for me, I’ve had about everything I started with knocked into a cocked hat.”
“Then there’s hope—so long as you cling to some sort of code.”
“Wonder if I do.”
“Aren’t there some things that you wouldn’t do, no matter what happened? You wouldn’t forge—or cheat—”
“Well, hardly.”