Bell Book and Candle Page #6

he'd read the first half tonight.

N icky.

Huh?

When did you get mixed up in this?

What? Hmm?

Oh, the night that Redlitch and

I left your shop. You remember?

Honestly, you'd die laughing if you read

some of the stuff Redlitch has been writing.

It's wrong. It's all wrong.

It took me quite a while to straighten him out.

What do you mean straighten him out?

Huh? You haven't told him

about yourself, have you?

Well, of course.

I told him nearly everything.

I want it to sell, don't I?

He doesn't know about me,

does he, Nicky?

Oh, no, dear.

He doesn't know about you.

I told him I was the one

who summoned him to New York.

Of course, if you want

to take the credit...

I do not want

to take the credit.

You fool.

Don't you know it doesn't pay

to tell outsiders?

Wow. Well, I think it will

pay very well this time.

Shep has already given Redlitch

a generous advance.

Nicky, you cannot publish this book.

What is the matter with you?

Why not?

Shep and I are getting married.

Well, goodness sakes.

Bless your little heart.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Marriage, no less.

[Chuckles] What fun.

Shep's really gonna have

quite a time, isn't he?

No jokes, Nicky, and no tricks.

You don't mean this is on the level?

Yes. Yes, I do.

Why? You already got him.

What do you want to marry him for?

Because I want to live with him.

Because I'm happy with him. Oh.

I suppose the next thing

is you're going to say...

you're giving it all up,

you're renouncing.

I have renounced.

You've what?

And this is too close

to home, Nicky.

Well, I'm sorry.

This is very important to me.

Well, it is much more

important to me.

And I want you to stop it.

What are you doing?

Not a chance! I'm not gonna spend

my life being a tom-tom player!

Very well then.

I'll just have to do something about it.

You mean you're gonna pull one, are you?

I thought you said you were renouncing.

I'll make a farewell appearance for this.

You will? But I wouldn't.

I wouldn't, Gil.

If you do,

I promise you something.

Your little romance

is gonna go on the rocks!

[Groans]

[Humming] [Purring]

;, [ Humming Continues]

Absolute trash. Garbage.

Very frankly, this is the most idiotic

thing I've ever read in my life.

You should call it What Every

Young Witch Ought to Know...

and include a do-it-yourself kit

with every sale.

But I thought you were

keen on the idea.

Yes, I was, but I certainly

have changed my mind.

Why?

Why? Because...

Be- [ Stammers]

I couldn't go on with a spoof.

- Spoof?

- Silly, isn't it?

It certainly is silly,

and I don't intend...

to become the laughingstock

of the trade by publishing it.

Every word is gospel, boy.

Gospel.

What's the use, Sid?

He isn't having any.

[Groans]

This is my hour of grief.

Well, now, Sidney, maybe we can

find something to tide you over.

[Groans] A little bourbon?

Scotch?

Oh, that's right,

you don't, uh...

You don't care which one it is.

Nicky, will you have one?

No thanks.

I've had plenty.

Here you are.

Uh...

Hello, Miss Holroyd.

Hello.

Is Mr. Henderson busy?

Yes, but there's a Mr. Holroyd with him.

[Shepherd] Now of course you

understand, you can keep the advance.

Well, think of the devil.

I'm sorry, Shep.

I have to see you. Now.

Hi, dear.

This is a pleasant surprise.

Come on in.

[Nicky Chuckles]

What do you suppose, Gil? Shep turned down the book.

Yes, I'm afraid I had to.

Here, sit down.

You bet you did.

So long, Shep.

Bye, Nicky.

You and Gil will be hearing from me.

Sidney.

Oh, here, you forgot

your manuscript.

Well, just drop it

in the waste-basket.

It was silly of me to try this

writing bit anyway. Wasn't it, Gil?

Of course, Nicky, you can

always go to another publisher.

No, I don't guess any other

publisher would do us much good.

Would it, Gil?

I doubt it.

I don't suppose you'd be interested

in the sequel I have in mind...

about the islands in the Caribbean...

Voodoo Among the Virgins.

No, huh?

Hmm.

[Gillian] Nicky.

Don't trouble, Nicky.

I'm going to tell Shep.

Either way, it's your funeral,

isn't it, dear?

Well, now,

what was that all about?

Shep, I decided this morning that...

Well, that there's something

I had to tell you, even...

even if I thought

you'd never find out.

Tell me what?

Shep.

There are people who...

Well, I've got to say it-

who live by magic.

BY magic, huh?

You don't believe there is such a thing.

No, no, dear.

No, I don't. [Sighs] Shep.

I'm one.

You're one what?

One of the people that the book's

about, and Nicky's one too.

[Chuckling]

Oh.

[Laughing]

He persuaded you

to come in on it, huh?

Well, I-I'm sorry, dear

It just won't work.

I'd be happy to publish the book for you,

but just for you.

But it's just terrible.

No, you don't understand, Shep.

I'm trying to explain something.

Now, if you're trying to prove

to me that Nicky's a witch...

The word is warlock. All right, warlock.

We don't have to be technical.

Dear, listen...

Well, what is wrong? Has Nicky

been threatening you or something?

About telling me

something about you?

Well, that's easy.

You can just tell me yourself.

That's what I'm trying to do.

Is it something in your past?

What have you been up to?

You been engaging

in un-American activities or something?

No, I'd say very American.

Early American.

[Intercom Buzzes] Hmm.

Yeah?

Maybe. I don't know.

Okay, I'll have a look.

Just give me a minute.

Shep, there are people who possess

powers that others don't.

You go right ahead, dear.

I'm listening.

There are ways

of altering things,

of manipulating things

for yourself.

- That's very interesting.

- It's true, I know! I can do it.

You can? Well, go ahead, do something.

Go on, show me.

No.

Why not?

Because it's habit-forming.

I gave in to it only last night.

But I'm gonna fight it, Shep.

I'm not gonna let it destroy me as a person.

Just what did you do

last night?

I stopped that book from

being published. [Laughs]

No, you didn't.

No, no, that was my problem.

Shep, I didn't say that I

stopped you from publishing it.

I stopped anyone from publishing it.

Just how did you do that?

I...

You'll say it's absurd.

I put on a spell. I used Pyewacket.

You mean you spoke

to the cat about it?

You sent him around to the publishers

and had him talk them out of it?

Is Pyewacket a witch too?

All right, don't believe it.

Don't believe

I brought Redlitch to you.

And don't believe that- Oh. Oh, just a second.

Let's get our stories straight.

- Nicky says that he brought Redlitch.

- He's lying, 'cause I did.

With luminous paint, I suppose.

Yes.

What about your telephone?

Who do you think put it out of order?

- Providence!

- No!

- Who?

- Oh, never mind!

Gil, for Pete's sake, why would anyone

want to put my telephone out of order?

As a prank, a trick.

Like turning all the traffic lights

on 57th Street green.

That's what Nicky uses it for.

That and his love life.

His love life?

Gee, that's kind of useful, isn't it?

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