按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
an ancient red…brick structure of seven stories built in the early 1900s。 Nothing had been done to it since。 The entrance lobby was narrow； grimy and filled with trash blown in from the street。 There was a crude； hand…lettered sign on the elevator stating that it was out of order。 Doc's pany was on the sixth floor。
The stairwell up was unlighted and without windows。 I climbed the six flights only to discover that his office was closed。 The office was two doors away from the far end of the hallway； and the frosted glass top half of the door had gold letters painted on it four inches high：
THE DIXIE PHARMACEUTICAL CO。
Dr。 Onyx P。 Riordan
PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANGR。
I tried the door and found it locked。 Rather than descend the stairs and then climb up again I leaned against the wall and smoked cigarettes until Doc showed up。
The wait was less than twenty minutes and I heard Doc huffing up the stairs long before I could see him。 He entered the hail； red…faced； carrying a large cardboard container of coffee。 The container was too hot for him to hold fortably； and as he recovered his breath； he kept shifting it from one hand to the other as he fumbled with his key in the door lock。
〃e on in； Frank；〃 Doc said； as he opened the door。 〃Soon as I set this coffee on the desk I'll shake hands。〃
I followed Doc into the tiny office； and we shook hands。 Doc wiped his perspiring bald head and brow with a hankerchief and cursed angrily for two full minutes before he sat down behind his desk。
〃I've told the superintendent before and I'm going to tell him one more time；〃 Doc said as he ran down； 〃and if he don't get that damned elevator fixed； I'm moving out！ That's a fact； Frank； a fact！〃
I sat down in a straight…backed chair in front of Doc's desk； and surveyed his ratty little office。 A single dirty window afforded a close…up of the side of a red…brick movie theater less than three feet away； and the proximity of the building didn't allow much light into the room。 Doc probably had to burn his desk and ceiling lights even at midday。 Doc's desk was a great； wooden； square affair； and much too large for the size of the room。 In front of the fluorescent desk lamp was his carved desk sign： Dr。 Onyx P。 Riordan； Pres。 （and a beautifully carved ornate job it was； too）。 In addition to his desk there was a low two…drawer filing cabinet； the swivel executive； chair he was sitting in； and two straight…backed chairs。 These simple furnishings made the room overly crowded。 On the wall behind his desk was a hand…lettered； professionally done poster in three primary colors praising the virtues of a product called Licarbo。 After reading the poster I studied Doc's face。 He had taken two green dime…store cups out of his desk and was filling theni with black coffee。
With his bald head and tonsure of thin； fine gray hair； Doc looked his fifty some…odd years； all right； but there was a certain youthfulness about his face that denied those years。 His features were all small； gathered together in the center of a round； bland face。 His mouth and snubby nose were small。 His blue eyes were ingenuously wide and revealed the full optic circle。 With his round red cheeks and freshly scrubbed look； Doc could probably have passed for thirty if he wore a black toupee and dyed his eyebrows to match。
〃It's been a long time； Frank；〃 Doc said sincerely； 〃and I'm really glad to see you again。〃 He sat back with a pleased smile。 〃I want to show you something！〃
He began to rummage through his desk。 I sipped some coffee and lit another cigarette from the butt of the one I was smoking。 The sight of this little hole…in…the…wall office had dashed any hopes I might have had about getting even a portion of my money back from the old pharmacist。
〃Read this； Frank！〃 Doc said eagerly； sliding a letter across the broad surface of the desk。 I read the letter。 It was from a drug laboratory in New York。
President
Dixie Pharmaceutical Co。
Latham Building
Jacksonville； Florida
Dear Dr。 Riordan：
We have made exhaustive tests of your product； LICARBO； at your request； and we agree that it is nontoxic； and that it will provide nonharmful relief to certain types of indigestion； such as overeating； overindulgence； etc。
However； we are not in the market for such a product at this time。 Thank you for letting us examine it。 Best wishes。
Very truly yours；
The signature was indecipherable； but vice…president was typed beneath the inked scribble。 I put the letter down on the desk。
〃Do you realize what that letter means； Frank？〃 Doc said excitedly。 〃They're interested； definitely interested！ They couldn't find a single fault； and do you know why？ Licarbo doesn't have any； that's why！ I've dealt with panies like that before。 They think I'll sell out for little or nothing； but if they want Licarbo； and you can read between the lines of the letter that they're dying to get it； it'll cost them plenty！〃
Doc sat back in his big chair； steepled his fingers together； and attempted to look shrewd by narrowing his eyes。 His narrowed eyes only made him look sleepy； however。
〃Not only do I want a flat ten thousand for my rights； Frank； I'm also holding out for a percentage on every package sold。 Now what do you think of that？〃
I admired Doc's spirit； but； evidently； he refused to recognize a politely worded turndown when he saw it。 I shrugged my shoulders nonmittally。
〃By God； I forgot！〃 Doc snapped his fingers。 〃You haven't tried Licarbo yet； have you？〃
I shook my head。 Doc opened the top right drawer of his desk and removed three flat packets approximately the size and shape of restaurant…size sugar packets。 The name Licarbo was printed in red ink on each packet； including directions to take as needed； with or without water； following overindulgence； overeating or for mild stomach distress。
〃Go ahead； Frank； open one up and taste it。 There isn't a better relief for indigestion in the world than Licarbo！ Take it with a glass of water and you'll belch every time。 What more does a man want than a big healthy belch when his belly hurts him？ Right？ In the South we like our medicines in powder and liquid form。 No self…respecting Southerner will take a fancy capsule for belly pains； no matter how many colors it's got。〃
I ripped open a packet and spilled some of the mixture into my hand。 Licarbo resembled gunpowder； or a mixture of salt and black pepper； heavy on the pepper。 I put my tongue to the mixture。 It tasted like licorice； not an unpleasant taste at all。
〃Mix it in with your coffee； Frank。 Licarbo will dissolve almost instantly。〃
I shuddered at this suggestion； shook my head and smiled。
〃Tastes good； don't it？〃 Doc beamed proudly； folding his short arms across his chest。 〃All it is； Frank； is a mixture of licorice root； bicarbonate of soda； a few secret ingredients and some artificial coloring。 But the formula will make me rich； and you too； Frank。 It takes time； however； to invent and develop a new product and get it out to the waiting market。 The New York pany isn't my only prospect； not by any means。 I've got feelers out all over the nation。 This is the big one； Frank； the one I've been working up to through thirty years in practical pharmacy。 I've invented other products and sold them too； but this time I'm holding out to the last breath。 Why； if I only had the capital I could manufacture Licarbo myself and literally make a fortune。 A fortune！〃
Doc turned in his chair； sighed deeply； and looked out the window at the rusty wall of the theater。
〃People just don't have faith no more； Frank。 People today don't recognize a mercial drug when they see and taste it； damn them all； anyway！ But this product has got to go over； it has to！〃 Doc dropped the level of his voice； and said softly； as if to convince himself； 〃It's only a matter of time； Frank。 Only a matter of time。 。
I slipped the two unopened packets of Licarbo into my jacket pocket。 At least I had something to show for my eight…hundred…dollar investment。 Doc swiveled his chair and faced me with a bright smile。
〃I made this first batch up myself； Frank； and had the sample packages printed up here in town。 It costs a lot of money to get started； but you've got to admit the product is good； don't you？〃
I nodded； pursing my lips。 As far as I was concerned； Licarbo was as good as any one of a hundred similar products on the market。 Plain old bicarbonate of soda will make you belch if a belch is required； and that was Doc's main ingredient。
〃You'd like to have your eight hundred dollars back just the same。 Am I right？〃 Doc said hesitantly。
I spread my hands； palms up； and nodded。
〃Well； I just don't have it right now； Frank。〃 Doc wet his thumb。 〃I just don't have it。 But you'll get it back one of these days soon； every damned dime； and with plenty of interest。 To be honest； I'm just hanging on these days。 Don't even have a phone anymore in the office； as you can see。 I've got a part…time pharmacist's job at night in a drugstore near my rooming house； and every cent I make goes into office rent； promotion of Licarbo； and I'm barely getting by on what's left。 I've dropped everything else to concentrate on Licarbo； but when it hits； and it's going to； it'll be big； really big！〃
Old Doc Riordan was another man like myself； riding along on an inborn； overinflated self…confidence and a wide outward smile。 Deep inside； I knew he was worried sick about being unable t？ write me a check for。 my money。 Well； I could relieve him from that worry in a hurry。 Whether his product ever went over big or not was no concern of mine。 I wasn't about to ride another man's dream； I had a big dream of my own。 It was time to get the hell off Doc's back。
There was a writing tablet on his desk。 I reached for it； took my ballpoint lead pencil out of my coat pocket and wrote on the pad：
President； Dixie Pharm。 Co。
In return for a ten…year supply of conditioning powder and other medicinal aids for poultry at the Mansfield Farms； the undersigned hereby turns over all his existing stock in the Dixie Pharm。 Co。 to the President。
After signing my name with a flourish； I smiled； and handed Doc the tablet。 He read the note and frowned。
〃Don't you have any faith in Licarbo； Frank？〃
I looked at him expressionlessly and nodded slowly。
〃Then why are you pulling out？〃
I got to my feet； leaned over the desk and underlined 〃ten…year supply〃 on the note I had written。
A knowing smile widened Doc's tiny mouth； and he nodded sagely。
〃You're a mighty shrewd businessman； Frank。 Why； if you ever expand your farms you'll double your eight hundred dollars in five years easily！ But damn your eyes； anyway！〃 He laughed gleefully。 〃I'm just going to take you up on this proposition！ Whether Licarbo hits big or not； I'll either have my own lab or work in a pharmacy someplace where I can get wholesale prices on drugs。 So on a deal like this； neither one of us can lose！〃
We shook hands； and I turned to go。 Doc stopped me at the door by putting his hand on my arm。 〃Just a minute； Frank。 As soon as I can afford it； I'm moving to a better office。 And； of course； when I get enough capital； I'm going to build my own laboratories。 But meanwhile； here's the address of the drugstore where I work。〃 He handed me a card and I slipped it into my wallet。 〃I'm on duty there every Friday； Saturday and Sunday night from six to midnight。 And almost every Wednesday from noon till midnight。 I relieve the owner； you see。 So when you need anything； drop me a line there； or e by and see me yourself。〃
I opened the door； and returned my wallet to my hip pocket。
〃You going to put an entry in the Orlando tourney； Frank？〃
I shook my head and pointed north。
〃Southern Conference then？〃
I nodded。
〃Well； I'll probably see you in Milledgeville； then。 I haven't missed an S。C。T in ten years and I don't intend to now。 And when you see any of the boys on the road； say hello for me； and tell them I still send out a few things when they write。〃
I winked； clapped him on the shoulder； and we shook hands again。 I started d