The Hot Rock

5

Kelp was shown to a different room this time, but he said, "Hey! Hold on just a minute."

The ebony man with the long thin fingers turned back in the doorway, his face expressionless. "Sir?"

"Where's the pool table?"

Still no expression. "Sir?"

Kelp made motions like a man operating a cue. "The pool table," he said. "Pocket billiards. The green table with the holes in it."

"Yes, sir. That's in a different room."

"Right," said Kelp. "That's the room I want. Lead me to it."

The ebony man didn't seem to know how to take that. He still had no expression on his face, but he just stood there in the doorway, not doing anything.

Kelp walked over to him and made shooing motions. "Let's go," he said. "I feel like dropping a few."

"I'm not sure-"

"I'm sure," Kelp told him. "Don't you worry about it, I'm positive. Just you lead me there."

"Yes, sir," said the ebony man doubtfully. He led the way to the room with the pool table in it, shut the door after Kelp, and went away.

The one ball being blind after the break, Kelp decided to play straight pool this time. He dropped twelve balls with only four misses and was taking aim at the one at last when the Major came in.

Kelp put the cue down on the table. "Hi, Major. Got another list for you."

"It's about time," said the Major. He frowned at the pool table, and he seemed irritated by something.

Kelp said, "What do you mean, about time? Less than three weeks."

"It took less than two weeks last time," the Major said.

Kelp said, "Major, they don't guard coliseums the way they guard jails."

"All I know is," said the Major, "I have so far paid out three thousand three hundred dollars in salaries, not counting the cost of materials and supplies, and so far I have nothing to show for it."

"That much?" Kelp shook his head. "It sure mounts up, doesn't it? Well, here's the list."

"Thank you."

The Major sourly studied the list while Kelp went back to the table and sank the one ball, leaving the nine and the thirteen. He missed a try for the nine but wound up with perfect position on the thirteen. He dropped the thirteen with enough back spin on the cue ball to practically put it inside his shirt, and the Major said, "A truck?"

"We're going to need one," Kelp said. He sighted on the nine. "And it can't be hot, or I'd go out and get one myself."

"But a truck," said the Major. "That's an expensive item."

"Yes, sir. But if things work out, you'll be able to sell it back when we're done with it."

"This will take a while," the Major said. He scanned the list. "The other things should be no problem. You're going to scale a wall, eh?"

"That's what they've got there," Kelp said. He hit the cue ball, which hit the nine, and everything dropped. Kelp shook his head and put up the cue.

The Major was still frowning at the list. "This truck doesn't have to be fast?"

"We don't want to outrun anybody in it, no."

"So it doesn't have to be new. A used truck."

"With a clean registration we can show," Kelp said.

"What if I rent one?"

"If you can rent a truck that it won't get back to you if things go wrong, you go right ahead. Just remember what we're using it for."

"I'll remember," the Major said. He glanced at the pool table. "If you're finished with your game…"

"Unless you'd like to try it with me."

"I'm sorry," the Major said with a dead smile, "I don't play."