As far as my memory serves, you have never been shot by a high-caliber revolver at dose range.”
“The lord help me.” I threw up my hands. “Is that going to be the tune?
Are you actually going to have the nerve to brag about that little scratch?
Now, if Hombert’s foot hadn’t jostled his chair and he had hit what he aimed at …”
“But he didn’t.” Wolfe moved to the fifteen-foot mark.
He looked me over. “Archie. If you would care to join me at this …”
I shook my head positively.
“Nothing doing.
You’ll keep beefing about your bullet wound, and anyway I can’t afford it. You’ll probably be luckier than ever.”
He put a dignified stare on me.
“A dime a game.”
“No.”
“A nickel.”
“No. Not even for matches.”
He stood silent, and after a minute of that heaved a deep sigh.
“Your salary is raised ten dollars a week, beginning last Monday.”
I lifted the brows.
“Fifteen.”
“Ten is enough.”
I shook my head.
“Fifteen.”
He sighed again.
“Confound you!
All right.
Fifteen.”
I arose and went to the desk to get the red darts.