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ew； and a beautiful blond Swedish girl。 The three subwaymotormen； all Puerto Rican； were talking about whether or not there werealligators in the subway tunnels。 They were shouting back and forth at the top oftheir voices； not because they were mad at each other…though they were…butbecause their jobs had got them used to talking at that volume。 〃It's in thesewers you got the alligators；〃 one of them shouted。
〃Them scum tunnels we got； you don't call them sewers？〃
〃People bring up alligators from Florida；〃 the first one yelled； 〃little alligatorsfor pets； they get tired of them； they flush them down the toilet。 But in the sewer；not in the tunnels。 You don't flush toilets into subway tunnels。〃
〃Not much； you don't。〃
The third one； the gloomiest of them； shouted； 〃I run over a rat the other day；down by Kingston…Throop； this big。〃 And knocked over his beer。
Dortmunder strolled on down to the end of the bar while Rollo sopped up thespilled beer and drew a new one。 The motormen started shouting about otheranimals that were or weren't in the subway tunnels； and Rollo came heavilyalong the bar toward Dortmunder。 He was a tall； meaty； balding； blue…jawedgent in a dirty white shirt and dirty white apron； and； when he reached Dortmunder he said； 〃Long time no see。
〃You know how it is；〃 Dortmunder said。 〃I been living with a woman。〃
Rollo nodded sympathetically。 〃That's death on the bar business；〃 he said。〃What you want to do is get married； then you'll start ing out at night。〃
Dortmunder nodded his head toward the back room。 〃Anybody there？〃
〃Your friend； the other bourbon；〃 Rollo said。 〃Along with a no…proof…of…ageginger ale。 They got your glass。〃
〃Thanks。〃
Dortmunder left the bar and headed for the rear； past the two doors with thedog silhouettes on them and the sign on one door POINTERS and on the otherdoor SETTERS and past the phone booth and through the green door at theback and into a small square room with a concrete floor。 None of the walls werevisible because practically the whole room was taken up floor to ceiling withbeer cases and liquor cases； leaving only a small opening in the middle bigenough for a battered old table with a green felt top； half a dozen chairs and onebare bulb with a round tin reflector hanging low over the table on a long blackwire。
Kelp and Victor were seated at the table side by side； as though waiting for abig…stakes poker game to start。 A bottle of bourbon and a half…empty glassstood in front of Kelp； and a glass with ice cubes and something sparkly andamber stood in front of Victor。
Kelp； cheerful and optimistic； said； 〃Hi！ Murch isn't here yet。〃
〃So I see。〃 Dortmunder sat down in front of the other glass on the table；which was still empty。
〃Hello； Mr。 Dortmunder。〃
Dortmunder looked across the table。 Victor's smile made him squint； like toomuch sunlight。 〃Hello； Victor；〃 he said。
〃I'm glad we'll be working together。〃
Dortmunder's mouth twitched in what might have been a smile； and he gazeddown at his big…knuckled hands on the green felt of the table。
Kelp pushed the bottle toward him。 〃Have one。〃 The bottle claimed to beAmsterdam Liquor Store Bourbon…〃Our Own Brand。〃 Dortmunder splashedsome in his glass； sipped； made a face and said； 〃Stan's late。 That isn't like him。〃
Kelp said； 〃While we wait； why don't we work out some of the details on thisthing？〃
〃Just like it was really going to happen；〃 Dortmunder said。
〃Of course it's going to happen；〃 Kelp said。
Victor managed to look worried while still smiling。 〃Don't you think it'llhappen； Mr。 Dortmunder？〃
Kelp said； 〃Of course it'll happen。〃 To Dortmunder he said； 〃What about thestring？〃
Victor said； 〃String？〃
〃The crew；〃 Kelp told him。 〃The group engaged in the Operation〃
〃We don't have the job planned out yet；〃 Dortmunder said。
〃What plan？〃 Kelp asked。 〃We back up a truck； hook on； drive the thingaway。 Dump the guards at our leisure； take it someplace else； bust into the safe；go on about our business。〃
〃I think you skipped over a few spots；〃 Dortmunder said。
〃Oh； well；〃 Kelp said airily； 〃there's details to be worked out。〃
〃One or two；〃 Dortmunder said。
〃But we have the general outline。 And what I figure； we here can handle it；plus Stan to do the driving and a good lockman to get into the safe。〃
〃We here？〃 Dortmunder asked。 He gave Kelp a meaningful look； glanced atVictor； looked back at Kelp again。
Kelp patted the air in a secretive way； hiding it from Victor。 〃We can talkabout all that；〃 he said。 〃The question now is the lockman。 We know we'll needone。〃
〃How about Chefwick？ The model…train nut。〃
Kelp shook his head。 〃No；〃 he said； 〃he isn't around any more。 He hijacked asubway car to Cuba。〃
Dortmunder looked at him。 〃Don't start；〃 he said。
〃Start what？ I didn't do anything； Chefwick did。 He got to run that lootivein that job with us； and he must've flipped out or something。〃
〃All right；〃 Dortmunder said。
〃So he and his wife went to Mexico on vacation； and at Vera Cruz there werethese used subway cars that were going on a boat to Cuba； and Chefwick…〃
〃I said all right。〃
〃Don't blame me；〃 Kelp said。 〃I'm just telling you what happened。〃 He brightened suddenly； saying； 〃That reminds me； did you hear what happened to Greenwood？〃
〃Leave me alone；〃 Dortmunder said。
〃He got his own television series。〃
〃I said leave me alone！〃
Victor said； 〃You know someone with his own television series。
〃Sure；〃 Kelp said。 〃He was on a job with Dortmunder and me one time。〃
〃You wanted to talk about a lockman；〃 Dortmunder said。 Somehow his glass was empty。 He splashed in some more of the Amsterdam Liquor Store's Own Brand of bourbon。
〃I have a suggestion；〃 Kelp said。 He sounded doubtful。 〃He's a good man； but I don't know。。。〃
〃Who is it？〃 Dortmunder asked。
〃I don't think you know him。〃
〃What's his name？〃 When dealing with Kelp； Dortmunder just got more andmore patient as time went along。
〃Herman X。〃
〃Herman X？〃
〃The only thing；〃 Kelp said； 〃he's a spade。 I don't know if you're prejudiced or not。〃
〃Herman X？〃
Victor said primly； 〃Sounds like a Black Muslim。〃
〃Not exactly；〃 Kelp said。 〃He's like in an offshoot。 I don't know what theycall themselves。 His bunch is mad at the people that were mad at the people that were mad at the people that went off with Malcolm X。 I think that's right。〃
Victor frowned into space。 〃I haven't kept up with that area of subversion；〃 he said。 〃It wouldn't be the Pan…African Panthers； would it？〃
〃Doesn't ring a bell。〃
〃The Sons Of Marcus Garvey？〃
〃No； that's not right。〃
〃The Black Barons？〃
〃The Sam Spades？〃
Kelp frowned for a second； then shook his head。 〃No。〃
〃Probably a new splinter；〃 Victor said。 〃They keep fractionalizing； makes it extremely difficult to maintain proper surveillance。 No cooperation at all。 I can remember how upset the agents used to get about that。〃
A little silence fell。 Dortmunder sat there holding the glass and looking at Kelp； who was mooning away at the opposite wall。 Dortmunder's expression was patient； but not pleased。 Eventually； Kelp sighed and shifted and glanced at Dortmunder and then frowned； obviously trying to figure out