That's what's meant by maturity, I said to myself as I sat on the bed shining my shoes. Being able to conceal your real feelings, being able to erect a mask. Being able even to fool a big man like Barrows. If you can do that, you've made it.
Otherwise, you're finished. The whole secret's there. There was a phone in the motel room. I went out and had breakfast, ham and eggs, toast, coffee, everything including juice. Then, at nine-thirty I returned to my motel room and got out the Seattle phone book. I spent a good long time examining the listings of Barrows' various enterprises, until I found the one at which I thought he would be. I then dialed.
"Northwest Electronics," the girl said brightly. "Good morning."
"Is Mr. Barrows in yet?"
"Yes sir, but he's on the other phone."
"I'll wait."
The girl said brightly, "I'll give you his secretary." A long pause and then another voice, also a woman's but much lower and older-sounding.
"Mr. Barrows' office. Who is calling, please?"
I said, "I'd like an appointment to see Mr. Barrows. This is Louis Rosen, I flew into Seattle from Boise last night; Mr. Barrows knows me."
"Just a moment." A long pause. Then the woman again. "Mr. Barrows will speak with you now; go ahead, sir."
"Hello," I said.
"Hello," Barrows' voice came in my ear. "How are you, Rosen? What can I do for you?" He sounded cheerful.
"How's Pris?" I said, taken by surprise to find myself actually speaking to him.
"Pris is fine. How're your father and brother?"
"Fine."
"That must be interesting, to have a brother whose face is on upside down; I wish I could have met him. Why don't you drop by for a moment, while you're here in Seattle? Around one this afternoon."
"Around one," I said.
"Okay. Thanks and bye-bye."
"Barrows," I said, "are you going to marry Pris?"
There was no answer.
"I'm going to shoot you," I said.
"Aw, for god's sake!"
"Sam, I've got a Japanese-made all-transistorized encephalotropic floating antipersonnel mine in my possession." That was how I was thinking of my .38 pistol. "And I'm going to release it in the Seattle area. Do you know what that means?"
"Uh, no not exactly. Encephalotropic... doesn't that have something to do with the brain?"
"Yes, Sam. _Your_ brain. Maury and I recorded your brainpattern when you were at our office in Ontario. That was a mistake on your part to go there. The mine will seek you out and detonate. Once I release it there's no holding it back; it's curtains for you."
"Awfrgawdsake!"
"Pris is in love with me," I said. "She told me one night when she drove me home. Get away from her or you're finished. You know how old she is? You want to know?"
"Eighteen."
I slammed down the phone.
I'm going to kill him, I said to myself. I really am. He's got my girl. God knows what he's doing with her and to her.
Dialing the phone once more I got the same bright-voiced switchboard operator. "Northwest Electronics, good morning."
"I was just talking to Mr. Barrows."
"Oh, were you cut off? I'll put you through again, sir; just a moment."
"Tell Mr. Barrows," I said to her, "that I'm coming to get him with my advanced technology. Will you tell him that? Goodbye." Once more I hung up.
He'll get the message, I said to myself. Maybe I should have told him to bring Pris over here, or something like that. Would he do that, to save his hide? Goddam you, Barrows!
I know he would do that, I said to myself. He'd give her up to save himself; I could get her back any time. She didn't mean that much to him; she was just another pretty young woman to him. I was the only one really in love with her for what she actually, uniquely was.
Once more I dialed.
"Northwest Electronics, good morning."
"Put me through to Mr. Barrows again, please."
A series of clicks.
"Miss Wallace, Mr. Barrows' secretary. Who is calling?"
"This is Louis Rosen. Let me talk to Sam again."
A pause. "Just a moment, Mr. Rosen."
I waited.
"Hello, Louis," Sam Barrows' voice. "Well, you're really stirring up things, aren't you?" He chuckled. "I called the Army arsenal down the Coast and there really is such a thing as an encephalotropic mine. How'd you get hold of one? I'll bet you don't have one really."
"Turn Pris over to me," I said, "and I'll spare you."
"Come on, Rosen."
"I'm not spoofing." My voice shook. "You think this is a game? I'm at the end of my rope; I'm in love with her and nothing else matters to me."
"Jesus Christ."
"Will you do that?" I yelled. "Or do I have to come and get you?" My voice broke; I was screeching. "I've got all kinds of Service weapons here with me, from when I was overseas; I mean business!" In the back of my mind a calm part of me thought, The bastard will give her up; I know what a coward he is.
Barrows said, "Calm down."
"Okay, I'm coming to get you, and with all the technological improvements at my disposal."
"Now listen, Rosen. I suppose Maury Rock egged you into this. I talked it over with Dave and he assured me that the statutory rape charge has no meaning if--"
"I'll kill you if you raped her," I screamed into the phone. And, in the back of my mind, the calm, sardonic voice was smirking and saying, That's giving it to the bastard. The calm, sardonic voice laughed delightedly; it was having a grand time. "You hear me?" I screamed.
Presently Barrows said, "You're psychotic, Rosen. I'm going to call Maury; at least he's sane. Look, I'll call him and tell him Pris is flying back to Boise."
"When?" I screamed.
"Today. But not with you. And I think you should see a Government psychiatrist, you're very ill."
"Okay," I said, more quietly. "Today. But I'm staying here until Maury calls me and says she's in Boise." I hung up, then.
Wow.
I tottered away from the phone, went into the bathroom and washed my face with cold water.
So behaving in an irrational and uncontrolled manner paid off! What a thing to learn at my age. I had gotten Pris back! I had scared him into believing I was a madman. And wasn't that actually the truth? I really was out of my head; look at my conduct. The loss of Pris had driven me insane.
After I had calmed down I returned to the phone and called Maury at the factory in Boise. "Pris is coming back. You call me as soon as she arrives. I'll stay here. I scared Barrows; I'm stronger than he is."
Maury said, "I'll believe it when I see her."
"The man's terrified of me. Petrified--he couldn't wait to get her off his hands. You don't realize what a raving maniac I was turned into by the terrible stress of the situation." I gave him the phone number of the motel.
"Did Horstowski call you last night?"
"Yes," I said, "but he's incompetent. You wasted all that money, as you said. I've got nothing but contempt for him and when I get back I'm going to tell him so."
"I admire your cool poise," Maury said.
"You're right to admire it; my cool poise, as you call it, got Pris back. Maury, I'm in love with her."
After a long silence Maury said, "Listen, she's a child."
"I mean to marry her. I'm not another Sam Barrows."
"I don't care who or what you are!" Now Maury was yelling. "You can't marry her; she's a baby. She has to go back to school. Get away from my daughter, Louis!"
"We're in love. You can't come between us. Call me as soon as she sets foot in Boise; otherwise I'm going to give it to Sam K. Barrows and maybe her and myself, if I have to."
"Louis," Maury said in a slow, careful voice, "you need Federal Bureau of Mental Health help, honest to god, you do. I wouldn't let Pris marry you for all the money on Earth or for any other reason. I wish you had let things lie. I wish you hadn't gone to Seattle. I wish she was staying with Barrows; yes, better Pris should be with Barrows than you. What can you give her? Look at all the things Sam Barrows can give a girl!"