The Big Clock Page #3

Might feature cartoons

instead of photographs.

Might work up

a weekly feature:

cartoon crimes.

Mr. Stroud, Mr. Janoth

calling on one.

Why don't we have a...

Shh! Janoth.

Yes, Mr. Janoth. Yes, sir.

Bearing right down on it.

Running off the bands now.

Green.

But, Mr. Janoth, the printer

doesn't like red ink,

says it won't match.

But you can't fire a man

because he doesn't

like red ink.

I guess you can.

Yes, sir.

All set up

for the next two weeks.

What's that?

I'll be here till

about 4:
30 this afternoon.

Why, yes, I... I'd like

to say good-bye to you too.

Come on, fellas.

Let's get to work.

Mr. Hagen wants you...

We'll get by this issue,

but I hate to think

about the next two weeks.

Stop worrying, Roy.

Everything's gonna

be all right.

Mr. Janoth is coming.

What?

Mr. Janoth is coming.

George, you whetted

my curiosity.

Nice of you to come down,

Mr. Janoth. I was tied up.

This job you've been

doing finding people...

Fleming, Cipriani,

Mrs. Dewhurst...

ahead of the police:

How do you do it?

You've heard

of our blackboard.

I suspect

it's more than that.

Well, let me show you.

We call it "the system

of the irrelevant clue."

The police look for relevant

clues. They haven't

got time for much else.

We assemble all the clues.

We recreate the man:

his character, mind, emotions.

When you have that,

it's easy to figure out

where he'll be.

Interesting.

You'd never guess what broke

the Fleming case: seashells.

He was a collector.

Paleozoic bivalves.

I checked his index

and found that he had

every variety except one.

I had the name...

Never mind

about the name, George.

Anyway, this shell

is in the conchological wing

of the Salt Lake Museum...

and it's not for sale,

so I assigned a man

to watch it constantly.

Fleming was going to steal it?

Wouldn't you steal something

if you wanted it badly enough?

I might. George,

you're an intelligent man,

and you've done a fine job.

The credit belongs

to the Crimeways staff.

They dig up the details.

That's another thing

I like about you:

You're modest.

That's why we've worked

so well together.

We've had our differences.

They've been immaterial.

Six years, isn't it?

Uh, seven.

Shoulder-to-shoulder,

comrades in arms, neither

letting the other down.

And we've forged ahead.

Now this,

uh, Fleming story,

properly followed up,

should boost circulation

Oh, 15.

That's the spirit.

I know you'll squeeze

every ounce out of it.

I'll give you

carte blanche

for the next month.

Play it for drama

and suspense.

Use anybody

in the organization.

Wait a minute.

Did you say "next month"?

Then your vacation,

all expenses paid,

South America...

West Virginia

and tonight.

George.

You really had me goin'

until I began to gag

over that soft soap.

I'll dispense

with the soap.

George, you'll see this through

with us or you're finished

with Janoth Publications.

That's okay with me.

And I'll have you, uh,

blacklisted

all over the country.

You'll never work

on another magazine

or any other publication.

It's still okay.

I'll give you six minutes

to reconsider.

I don't need them.

I don't need six seconds.

Good afternoon, Miss Adams.

How's that baby of yours?

Fine.

Splendid.

Mr. Stroud?

Yes.

There's someone on the line

for you... a woman.

What's her name?

She won't say. I think

she's selling something.

Keeps talking

about telling your fortune.

Oh, put her on.

Yes, sir.

How are ya?

Wanna make a bet?

Five-to-one your crystal ball

hasn't given ya

the latest flash.

I have been fired

as of 5:
22 this afternoon,

name inscribed in gold letters

at the head of the blacklist,

never to work

in publishing again.

- What are you going to do?

- First, I'm goin' out to get a stiff drink.

Good. I'll join you.

I'm sorry, but I have

to go on my vacation.

But this is business.

You see, he thinks he's

gonna blacklist me too,

but I know enough about

Mr. Janoth to make him change

his mind about both of us.

You'll find it to our benefit

to meet me at the Van Barth

in, say, about a half an hour?

If you think it's

that important, I'll drop by.

Another martini, please.

Pardon me, please.

Same for me.

And what

do you think she does?

She marries her sponsor.

Excuse me.

All right.

Can you imagine?

Just because a fella doesn't

like red ink, he fires him.

Earl hates green.

Oh, he does?

Bartender, bring us

two more stingers, and this time

make them with green mint.

With green mint?

Green mint.

That's what the boy said.

Oh, no.

George, at the office,

did you ever use

the confidential files?

I practically lived in 'em.

That's what

I was hoping.

You know, Earl has

a passion for obscurity.

He won't even

have his biography

in Who's Who.

Sure. He doesn't want to let

his left hand know whose pocket

the right one is picking.

I think

we can remedy that.

You mean

write his biography?

Who'd buy it?

Earl would.

You know, that's

a very interesting idea,

but not in my line.

What time is it?

You'll excuse me, but...

What?

Holy smoke.

We've missed our train.

There are other trains.

My wife will never

forgive me.

You'd better bring two more.

Make 'em triples.

With green mint.

Green.

Horrible.

She left?

I was supposed

to pick her up.

Hey, just a minute,

will ya?

She picked herself up,

Mr. Stroud,

and she said

if you weren't at the station

by train time, she was leaving.

Thanks, Daisy.

If I don't get

to that phone, I'm gonna

be in trouble at home.

Trouble?

You don't know

the meaning of the word.

If you don't mind.

Hello. Everything all right?

Wouldn't even wait a couple

of minutes for me.

I give up my job,

jeopardize my career

for her sake,

and she won't even wait

a couple of minutes.

That's the trouble

with the world:
time.

There's too much of it.

Greenwich time,

mean time,

mountain standard time,

double British

summer time.

There's

too much of it.

Down with it all.

Man against time.

Tonight we fight

behind the barricades.

Barkeep, where are

those two drinks?

Here.

Don't shilly-shally.

Let's have 'em.

Oh, I beg your pardon.

I beg your pardon.

I hope nothing's damaged.

Here, use mine.

It's bigger.

If you wish, I'll have

your handkerchief dried.

Just get us a couple

of dry drinks.

With green mint.

With green ink...

uh, mint.

Don't forget that.

Oh.

My singing lessons.

Didn't realize Hagen

was a music lover.

He just signs the checks

for Earl, who also happens

not to love music.

Well, we'll throw

clocks at him.

Green clocks.

Come on. Let's get clocks.

Hundreds of'em, all green.

You can forget

those other two drinks.

White clocks, yellow clocks,

brown clocks, blue clocks.

Ah, Miss York, where are

the green clocks

of yesteryear?

Hey, a picture!

How do they expect

to sell things like that?

If that's what I think it is,

it's gonna be worth a lot

of lettuce one of these days.

This is the object, madam?

Yes.

Where did you find it?

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