The Silent Speaker by Rex Stout Page B

permit an official of the NIA to listen to confidential dictation of the Director of the BPR, even after the Director has been murdered. Besides, you're inconsistent again. A while ago you said you didn't trust me. That could only have been because you considered me untrustworthy. Now you profess to be shocked to find that I am untrustworthy. Utterly inconsistent.' The finger wiggled again. 'Well, sir'Do you prefer to be self-propelled?'
    'I'm not leaving this room.'
    'Archie?'
    I moved to him. This time he didn't budge. From the look on his face, if he had had anything at all useful on him he would have used it. I took him by the arm and said, 'Come on, come with Archie. You must weigh a hundred and eighty. I don't want to carry you.'
    He started a right for my jaw, or at least it seemed that that was what he thought he was doing, but it was too slow to hit anything that wasn't nailed down. Ignoring it, I started to spin him to attack from the rear, and the son of a gun hauled off and kicked me. He tried to kick high and got my knee. I am not claiming that it hurt much, but I do not like kickers. So I plugged him, with my left because it was handiest, on his soft neck just below the ear, and he teetered over against the bookshelves. I supposed that would explain things to him, but he teetered right back and tried another kick, so I used the right with more in it, also to the neck for the sake of knuckles, and he teetered again and tumbled.
    I told Wolfe to buzz Fritz to open the door, saw that Fritz was already there, took my fallen foe by the ankles, and dragged him across to the hall, down the hall to the door, and on out to the stoop. Fritz handed me his coat and hat and I dropped them on him, re-entered the hall, and shut the door.
    In the office I asked Wolfe, 'Is he on the Executive Committee too, or was he just Chairman of the Dinner Committee'I was trying to remember while I was dragging him.'
    'I dislike commotion,' Wolfe said peevishly. 'I didn't tell you to hit him.'
    'He tried to kick me. He did kick me. Next time you do it.'
    Wolfe shuddered. 'Start that machine going.'

Nero Wolfe 11 - The Silent Speaker
    Chapter 15
    IT TOOK MORE THAN an hour altogether to run off the ten cylinders, not counting time out for lunch.
    I started the first one at the speed recommended by our instructor, but it had been going only a few seconds when Wolfe told me to slow it down. Having heard Cheney Boone on the radio I had expected him to sound about the same, but although there was enough similarity to recognize his voice, this seemed to be pitched higher and the words were more distinct. The first one began:
    'Six-seventy-nine. Personal. Dear Mr. Pritchard. Thank you very much for your letter but I have decided not to get a Chesapeake retriever but to try an Irish setter. I have nothing against Chesapeakes and there is no good reason for my decision except the unpredictable vagary of the human mind. Sincerely. Six-eighty. Dear. Mrs. Ambruster. I do indeed remember that pleasant day and evening in St. Louis last fall and I deeply regret my inability to be present at the spring meeting of your fine organization. The next time I get to St. Louis I shall certainly get in touch with you. The material you request will be sent you without delay, and if it fails to arrive promptly be sure to let me know. With best regards and best wishes for the success of your meeting. Sincerely. Six-eighty-one. Memo-no, make it a letter to all regional directors. By name to each. Please return to this office immediately the advance copies of the press release for March 25th regarding household appliances. That release has been canceled and will not be sent out. Paragraph. The premature disclosure of some of the contents of that release by a press association has again raised the question whether advance copies of releases should be sent to regional offices. You are requested to investigate without delay, in your office, the handling of the advance