``It's worse inside,'' Thornburg informed Andy. ``Skolman's jammed in every table he could find. Under the heading of it's an ill wind, et cetera.''

Backstage was tomb like by contrast. Andy's co-workers kept their distance, awed by the tragedy. But in his dressing room was a large bouquet and a card that read, ``We're with you all the way.'' It was signed by everyone in the troupe. Andy couldn't help but be touched. He instructed Shirl Winter to compose a note of thanks to be posted on the call board.

Bake was waiting to report that Lou DuVol had been sobered up to the point where he could function efficiently. Andy gathered that this had been no small accomplishment. Bake himself looked better; any kind of job was better than brooding.

Andy told him, ``Bake, I wish you'd talk to Skolman, see if some kind of p. a. system can be rigged up outside. It's just barely possible with this crowd that the kidnapper wasn't able to get a table. I wouldn't want him to miss the message.''

``I'll try. Skolman isn't going to like it much, though, giving away what he should be selling.''

Skolman wasn't the only one who didn't care for Andy's scheme. A short time later, Lieutenant Bonner stomped into the dressing room. ``I got a bone to pick with you, Mr. Paxton. It's those damn loudspeakers.''

Andy rolled up the revised script he had been studying. ``What about them?''

``They're going to louse me up good. My men have been here all afternoon, setting up for this thing.'' Bonner explained that, with the nightclub's cooperation, the police had occupied El Dorado like a battlefield. Motion picture cameras had been installed to film the audience, the reservation list was being checked out name by name, and a special detail was already at work in the parking lot scrutinizing automobiles for a possible lead. However, it was virtually impossible to screen the mob outside, even if Bonner had manpower available for the purpose. ``I want you to have the speakers taken out.''