Page 24 - Extraterrestrials, Foreign and Domestic

The Hermits

“That’s the gist of my proposition. And once we come to an
agreement, my safety will be totally in your hands. I won’t be able
to stop you from running out of here and calling the law or a lynch
mob down upon my head. So you must understand that it’s much
more worthwhile to keep me alive and in your debt. If I were to
disappear, all the prosperity would go with me.”
“What prosperity? This ain’t the home of a rich man.”
“Yes, Al, I know it. And it never will look like one, because you
must never draw attention to us. But where it counts, in liquid
assets, you will be quite comfortable, if not wealthy.”
“Prove it.”
“Gladly. How much is in your savings account?”
“How the hell do I know? About $350, I guess. I’m not going to
go searching through old statements just to tell you.”
Ricky pointed at the telephone. “Call and find out.”
“Eh? What do you mean, call? Call what?”
“You don’t know about the 24-hour, toll-free number your
bank makes available to its clients?”
“Nah. What use would I have for that?”
“Go on. Punch 1-800-BANKING and follow instructions. It’s
all automated.”
Al, hands trembling, called the number. A metallic voice
instructed him to enter his account number and his password.
Ricky prompted him with both strings of digits. “Now it wants me
to choose some kind of transaction,” he said nervously.
“Just punch number two for current balance,” purred Ricky.
Al did so, and waited, drumming his fingers on the chipped
Formica table-top. “$342.78,” he finally announced, and put the
handset back on the hook. “That’s about what I figured. So
what?”
Ricky said nothing, but picked up the phone and held it over his
cranial members. He brought the pointiest of his jointed limbs up
to the telephone keypad and started tapping. He tapped and
waited, tapped and waited; the old man fidgeted.
At last, the alien hung up. “Try it again.”
Al repeated the sequence of numbers, assisted by Ricky.
“What!” he shouted, when his balance was recited. “Must be a
mistake!”

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