"Thank you."
"But Crippens is bungling. He ought to meet the World's requirements. We do the job for them the first of next week. They get their story and we keep our number one man, alive. How does it sound?"
"Rotten," McLeod said. "I'm not going to sit by and let Cripp take that kind of rap for me. What kind of louse do you think I am, anyway?"
"Let it simmer, Darius. There's no hurry. I suppose His Honor has been around to use your crying towel?"
McLeod nodded. "That's right."
"I thought he would. It was your series of articles that got him elected in the first place. You saved my life, now support me. One of those deals. It was obvious the World would try to show corruption after their own candidate lost."
"Is the Star-Times going to protect Mayor Spurgess' record?"
Overman jerked his head from side to side, the stretched, translucent lids blinking over popping eyes. "It's always easier to prove corruption than disprove it, you know that. We'd be backing the wrong animal, Darius. I've got it figured, though."
"How do you mean?"