Commissioner Jergen addressed the citizenry via television. He admitted
that Charles Jingle had been to see him. He admitted he was unable to
move due to a lack of tangible evidence. He would not name the parties
accused by Charles Jingle because there was no real evidence at this
date. He would further investigate the situation, using every resource
at his command.
When Charlie Jingle arrived in New York two days later the lid was off
the town. Everyone was fuming at what had been perpetrated against
him. Everyone understood why he had come into town unobtrusively.
What Charlie Jingle had sought to avoid had happened anyway. The play
was in motion. There was no stopping it.
He watched the day-to-day developments in a state of paralyzed horror.
It was a nightmare in which he was the principal, and yet, the
bystander, the spectator. He had no choice but to follow. Rabbit Markey
had shown him the truth, so that all things now had a double meaning, a
reality and an unreality, another dimension, another depth.
When the press came to question him, Charlie fought the only way
he knew. He denounced Pugs, Inc. as cheats, liars, and fixers. He
denounced Commissioner Jergen, Harry Belok, the press, the Hollywood
people, the prize-fight game, and the public in an attempt to break the
whole business wide open.
But everyone understood.
"Mister Jingle is justified in his bitterness," said a reporter.
"Of course Charlie's sore. He's got a right to be sore!" said
Commissioner Jergen.
"A horrible injustice. We were concerned over our reputation," said
Kort Gassel of Pugs, Inc.
"The guy deserves a break!" said the fight public.
And Hollywood said, "We don't understand what prompted this unwarranted
attack."
So there it was. Charlie Jingle spoke the truth, but nobody believed
him. Tanker Bell was granted a match. The fix was in.
As a last resort, Charlie Jingle refused to let the Tanker fight. An
uproar went up from the public. It was a matter of ethics. Tanker Bell
was now their champion. He was the embodiment of everyman against the
Organization, against injustice. Tanker Bell _must_ fight!
It was then that Charlie Jingle understood. This was not simply a
fight. This was part of a long-range plan to bring the public man
to heel. This was part of a scheme to break the mass-individual
spirit, because if Everyman stood with Tanker Bell as the champion
of independant justice, and Tanker Bell were beaten--so would the
public-independent spirit be.
But Charlie Jingle had his hands tied.
* * * * *
On the day of the fight, Charlie Jingle corralled the Tanker in the
workshop and ordered the amazed Tanker to lie down on the work-bench
for a "tune up". The Tanker protested.
"You crazy, Charlie? Whuffor? I never felt so good in my life!"
"Don't gimme any arguments, Tank. Stretch out and shuddup."
"But Charlie...."
"Stretch out, for God's sake!"
"What you gonna do?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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