Topaze Page #9

Clients pick up and leave.

So Rebizoulet asked me

- to remove it.

- Understandable.

I said I had no time,

that he should address Mr. Topaze,

and it would surely disappear.

Thus, he will come.

And you will receive him.

You'll tell him

that you will take care of it,

but you have expenses,

and that before taking a step,

you need 100,000 francs.

With what pretext

should I color this request?

You don't need to color it.

You ask for 100,000 francs

and he'll give it to you.

I'll have the urinal taken down

and moved across the street

- in front of the Bertillon caf.

- And Mr. Bertillon?

He'll do the same.

He'll give you 100,000 francs

and we'll move on.

Before this urinal is finished,

we'll have made 3 million.

It's a surefire,

practical and amusing deal.

We could do 5-6 cafs a year,

on a regular basis.

Doesn't it sound like fun?

Then laugh, old boy!

Is it necessary

that I receive Mr. Rebizoulet?

Necessary?

You've been here five months,

it's time to get active.

Your signature suffices,

but I don't want you to be idle.

I want to train you,

make you an active collaborator,

shrewd and knowledgeable.

I might be deputy one day,

there's money to be made.

We could do big things together.

Yes, why not.

Speaking of which,

did a certain Dumas-Montessian call?

Dumas-Montessian?

Yes... is he insane?

Oh, not at all.

He's our middleman.

He likes to joke.

Here is what he said to me:

"Your two twins are in the drawer,

ready to pass under the table.

"Though they're perfectly black,

"I'd rather you came

to pick them up."

And you didn't go?

Pick up what?

Two stacks of a million in cash

which will never be accounted for.

Grab your hat and hurry over there.

Ground floor on the left.

- Shouldn't you go?

- No.

I've dealt with Montessian,

but never seen him.

I want to keep it that way.

Whereas me, I've sunk so low,

I should be glad to meet him.

Does he have stamped paper

or should I bring some?

What for?

For the receipt he'll need.

Does he do it on purpose?

You'll have nothing to sign.

Or say.

I'll phone him.

If I never return, don't worry.

Even under torture, I'll never talk.

Farewell.

Even if you're expecting it,

it comes as a shock.

- You had time to go to Auteuil?

- Auteuil, no.

To a penal colony, perhaps.

I was tailed, tracked!

There were two of them.

With mustaches.

Luckily I caught on.

I went around the block

and came in the back.

A shrewd reaction for an honest man.

If not, Montessian, the twins and l

would've been in handcuffs.

Why would they tail you?

Because the police

have been watching us.

Madam, you don't know all.

I've hidden from you

the glaring symptoms

of imminent catastrophe.

Why did you hide such symptoms?

I felt it wasn't my place

to warn you or Castel-Vernac.

Here, madam,

is a letter I received last week.

"Topaze, there's trouble in the air.

"The eyes of the police see all.

"Drop the bone or you're done for.

"A friend."

It's absurd! An anonymous letter.

I forbid you to frighten me

with such silliness.

And this?

"The lnformation Service

of the Public Conscience

"has discovered a serious affair.

"Corroborating information

shows that

"a town councilor voted

a sizeable loan to buy vehicles,

"which he supplied

at an exorbitant price.

"The frontman in this affair

is an unfortunate supervisor

"dismissed for a sex case.

"Soon we will have the figures

and guilty parties."

- Have you spoken to Rgis?

- No.

May his destiny unfold,

I shall not flee mine.

Another thing, madam.

Yesterday morning,

in front of the copper plaque,

people stopped.

A group gathered,

it was soon a crowd.

They shouted and waved their fists.

- Did you see them?

- Yes, madam.

When I approached the window,

the boos increased.

It was not a hallucination,

I saw and heard them.

They were shouting:

"Topaze, shame on you!

"Get the police!"

Get the police!

- Give me a few minutes.

- Yes, sir.

Though it is rather urgent.

He's very kind.

This outcome was inevitable.

Because society is well designed.

Crime inexorably

leads to punishment.

Flee!

If you have the chance

to start anew,

remember there's only one path,

the right path!

What is it?

It's your employee,

she stands at the window and shouts.

It started yesterday morning,

I was passing by as usual,

when I saw at the window

a woman showing her bosom.

Not all, just one breast.

One tit, you could say.

With all due respect.

Naturally, several people stopped,

some even applauded. Mainly men.

I told the captain

and he said:

"Don't mess up, you hear?

"Mr. Topaze, he's an engineer,

he designed the street sweepers.

"The woman at the window,

maybe it's American advertising."

This morning, I see her again.

But this time she had a bottle

in her hand. So I understood,

she's a woman who drinks,

so I came to tell you.

I'm very grateful, sir.

Considering the state she's in now,

may I accompany her home?

Yes, of course.

Come on, little girl.

Come on, let's go, little girl.

There. Easy does it.

There'll be no follow-up?

Follow-up? Don't say such things,

I'm a married man.

I came in without being announced,

thanks to this disorder,

which is an ominous sign.

Do I have the pleasure

of addressing Mr. Topaze?

Yes, that's me.

- How can I help you?

- You can't.

It's not for your help

that I came here today,

but to offer mine.

Thank you very much.

But I'd like to know, who are you?

Who am l?

An old philosopher

with a weakness for others.

You must have read an article

the day before yesterday

which clearly alluded

to certain affairs of yours?

In effect, it might seem

that the suspect supervisor

could be myself.

But I was never dismissed

for a sex case.

I know, you must allow journalists

a bit of fantasy.

It is nonetheless true

that you supplied the City

street sweeping machines

called "Topazes".

The newspaper director

led a serious investigation

and tomorrow's issue will reveal

the entire scheme to its readers.

It's this issue I brought you.

Thank you.

"Scandal at City Hall."

Four columns of irrefutable proof,

500,000 prints in the street.

With my photograph.

But why do these people

want my ruin?

The first duty of the press

is to survey morality

and denounce abuses.

It's their sole reason to be.

In any case, you've been forewarned.

Thank you

for your spontaneous visit,

but I don't see how it helps.

You've nothing else to say?

No.

Like what?

I know the director, Vernickel,

very well.

You don't have a message for him?

Tell him that he's right

to do his duty.

You're going to just wait

for a scandal to break?

Think about it, honor

is what's most precious,

it's worth any sacrifice.

Vernickel isn't a monster.

Certain gestures touch him.

Come now,

you know what you must do.

I don't dare understand your words.

Dare, sir, dare.

If I do it, the issue won't appear.

I give you my word,

it'll be a first-rate burial.

First-rate.

Show a bit of good will, come on.

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