"Oh, I think John could come up with somebody," Eppick said, and grinned at Dortmunder. "Your friend Andy, maybe."
"Well," Dortmunder said, "he'd probably have to look in his appointment book, but I could check, yeah." To Mr. Hemlow he said, "So it looks to me like there's only two questions left."
"Yes?" Mr. Hemlow cocked that puffy head. "Which questions are those?"
"Well, the first is, where is it."
"Yes, of course," said Mr. Hemlow, a little impatiently. "And the second?"
"Well, you might not think it to look at me," Dortmunder told him, "but I got a family crest."
"Have you?"
"Yeah. And it's got a motto on it."
"I am anxious to hear this motto."
"Quid lucrum istic mihi est."
Mr. Hemlow squinted; the red-headed hawk in flight. "I'm afraid my Latin is insufficient for that."
"What's in it for me," Dortmunder translated.
5
MR. HEMLOW ROARED with laughter, or at least tried to, with various noises emanating from his head area that might, with redubbing, have added up to a roar. Then he said, "Well, what would be in it for you might be millions, I suppose, if you were to manage to elude Johnny here. A rather more modest sum if you do your part like a good boy."
"Plus continued life in the free world," Eppick added.
So they were cheapskates, these two, it had all the earmarks. Dortmunder had seen it before, guys with big ideas who just needed a little bit of his help, his knowledge, his experience, but didn't want to pay for it. Or didn't want to pay enough.
On the other hand, if he announced he wasn't going along with these birds, that alley photo could very well come back to bite him on the hind parts. So, at least for now, he would follow Mr. Hemlow's advice and do his part like a good boy. Therefore, he said, "Without knowing where this thing is, or how it's guarded, or anything about it, I don't know how much trouble I'm gonna have to get my hands on it, or what expenses I'm gonna run up, or if it's maybe more than two people needed for the thing, or whatever.