"You stole my graduation Waterman?"
"Da."
"What are you, some kind of klepto?"
"Da. I am klepto. This is why I was sent to America by KGB. To steal. I steal much technology for KGB. And other things for myself, which I send to cousin in Soviet Georgia for black market. All lost now."
"Okay," Rumpp said impatiently. "Now that I know your work history, let's get down to cases. I wanna buy the suit."
"What about job?"
"I changed my mind. How much do you want for it?"
"I keep suit, all the same to you. Very valuable."
"Don't be coy. Everybody's got their price. Name it."
"I want job."
"And I want that suit. Five million."
"Dollars?"
"Yeah."
"Hokay."
"Take a check?" Rumpp asked.
"No."
"Look, I'm Randal Rumpp, the greatest financial genius since Rockefeller. You know I'm good for it."
"I know you are not," the other snapped. "I have been trapped in your telephone system, and overhear every phone conversation. You are pauper."
"The hell I am."
At that moment, the lights came on.
Randall Rumpp looked up at the lights. "Oh, shit. Does that mean what I think it means?"
"If you mean, is building normal again, lights mean that, da."
"Damn. Okay. Forget my buying the suit, I want you to fax yourself over to my hotel."
"Why?"
"The IRS just seized it."
"Ah. The IRS. I have heard of them. They are more vicious that KGB."
"You're pretty smart for a guy without a face."
"Have face under helmet. Is for protection of eyes for when walking through walls."
"Right, right. Listen, if we can pull off spectralizing the Rumpp Regis, the IRS can't do anything."
"What about Rumpp Tower II?"
"On the back burner, until we get this straightened out. How about it?"
"I do not know if this will work. It is dangerous. Also, I do not trust you. You tricked me once already."
"Let me make you an offer you can't refuse."
"There is no such thing."
"When word gets out that the Rumpp Tower is back on line-so to speak-the mob is going to try to bust down my door and tear me limb from limb."
"Da?"
"If you're here when that happens, you get the same medicine," Rumpp pointed out.
The faceless Russian tilted his head, as if thinking. "You make excellent offer. I will telephone myself wherever you wish."
"Great. There's just one last thing."
"What is that?"
"Any way I can hitch a ride with you? I wasn't kidding about that mob."
"Nyet."
"That's Russian for no, isn't it?"
"Da. "
"Damn."
"Sorry. Technology brand-new."
"Okay," Randal Rumpp said, offering the celluar unit, "I'll be in a better bargaining position when the Regis thing is taken care of. Let's give it our best shot."
Randal Rumpp repeated a number and the thing dialed it.
Then the Russian turned on the suit.