"A con by any other name," said Matheny, pouring down an akvavit.
Doran squinted through cigarette smoke. "You are interesting me strangely, my friend. Say on."
"No." Matheny realized his head was a bit smoky. The walls of the booth seemed odd, somehow. They were just leatheroid walls, but they had an odd quality.
"No, sorry, Gus," he said. "I spoke too much."
"Okay. Forget it. I do not like a man that pries. But look, let's bomb out of here, how about it? Go have a little fun."
"By all means." Matheny disposed of his last beer. "I could use some gaiety."
"You have come to the right town then. But let us get you a hotel room first and some more up-to-date clothes."
"Allez," said Matheny. "If I don't mean allons, or maybe alors."
The drop down to cab-ramp level and the short ride afterward sobered him; the room rate at the Jupiter-Astoria sobered him still more.