"I see," Ray nodded, trying to control his wildly spiraling doubts and thoughts, "How much-how much time will I have, in case I could maybe make some kind of deal to buy the place?"

"That would please me very much, if you see yourself in a position to buy. Well, I hope to get down there to Florida around the first of November… so that leaves about two months. I, uh, I already had one offer, Ray, and they agreed to meet that price I mentioned. I won't say who the offer was from, but it's a big chain of discount drugstores."

As Blodgett sipped his drink and continued to unfold the story, Ray Denham felt a rising anger that blotted out caution and made calm speech impossible. "Look here, John," he pointed out, "You know I graduated at the top of my class. I had my choice of jobs and this was the lowest-paid of all, but I took it, for just one reason. I wanted to own my own business, and that's what you promised me-and I thought you'd be as good as your word!"

"Now hold on, son…" Blodgett tried to protest, but Ray plunged wildly on, raising his voice so that he could be heard throughout the store.

"Now you tell me that you've been dealing behind my back to sell the business right out from under me! Why, I don't think you ever had any intention of keeping our agreement; you just wanted to hire a cheap pharmacist!"

"That's enough, Ray," Blodgett's voice was still mild, but his pale blue eyes glittered with a cold light and his florid face had reddened to a deeper shade. He stood up. "You better simmer down before you say something you're going to regret later on. I know you're disappointed and I'm not sayin' you don't have maybe some right to be. But I had no way of knowing my health was going to fold up on me, so to speak. Why, when I brought you down here I was lookin' forward to us running the store for years to come, and I'll be very happy if you can raise the money to buy me out. You're well thought of here in Quiggville… you and your little wife… and if I was you I wouldn't want to spoil that reputation by gettin' all hotheaded. I'll be talking to you later."