"I'll give you about an hour to get ready." Mop departed, leaving Clint and Mick alone.
Loneshark handed Clint his new suit, which was on a hanger and covered with plastic. Mick also gave Mr. Indigence a shoe box and a bag of accessories containing socks, a handkerchief, belt, tie, etc. Mick sat in the outer area, smoking cigarettes under the No Smoking sign while Clint showered and dressed. "Whoa!" Mick heard Clint exclaim. "These are the finest duds I've ever seen. What's this label on the shirt and suit say . . . Arm Annie? And what kind of shoes are these . . . Goosie? Wow, Mick, when you pay Isaac I hope you won't be blowing a whole week's paycheck on this garish get-up." Loneshark's face twisted with the wryest of grins. He silently shook his head at Clint's antics. Mr. Indigence stepped around the barrier. Mick was stricken dumb with astonishment. The transformation was absolutely astounding. Sara had neatly trimmed Clint's beard and arranged his hair in a brushed-back, breeze-swept style before they left Pinewhittle. The clothes completed the executive exterior.
Mick found his voice. "I'll take a quick shower and change into Bold's bargain basement suit." Loneshark rapidly returned. His own remake was certainly diminished in comparison.
Mop returned and issued a low whistle when his rheumy eyes saw Clint's appearance. "I guess my fancy uniform ain't squat after all. Clint, in that suit, you could walk through any area in this tower, and no one would question you except maybe to respectfully inquire if you would prefer a coffee or a cappuccino!"
As should be expected, The King Midas Bank had a contract with the largest security company in the world to guard its tower. A normal human couldn't stroll down the sidewalk, step across the threshold of the monolith's main entrance, and take an elevator to reach the king. Even if such a person could cleverly circumvent the security checkpoints, none of the elevators would raise him to the penthouse office levels without a special key to unlock their access, but there was a service elevator to those levels. As the tower's most senior maintenance man, Mr. Sweeper had been entrusted with its key. Mop took Clint and Mick to the floor where King's massive office resided. When the elevator's doors opened they stepped out of the controlled conveyance and nodded their thanks to Mr. Sweeper.
Following the concise verbal directions their inside ally had provided, Mick and Clint proceeded down the hallowed hall. They passed a line of little lit alcoves containing original miniature sculptures and then continued their trek around two corners. Misters Indigence and Loneshark arrived at the antechamber and confidently stepped to Miss Heelclicker's ornate desk. King's personal secretary had no reason for alarm. Nounauthorized person had ever penetrated her protected paradise except Dr.Barker, and Brad had still possessed his executive identification badge and elevatorkey.
"Mick Loneshark to see King Midas," Clint announced.
