"Livin' is elation and elation's syncopation. We'll turn yuh cool, Cabbage." Still moving gently against the beat of the band, with his arm around Gabby's waist, Norman grinned at Lennox. "Where's that bull fiddle, man? Yuh welchin' on the bet? No, honey. Yuh zaggin' when you should be ziggin'." "A one and a two and a zig-zag-zig." Gabby frowned and moved her feet. "What bet?" "You came up here with Mr. Norman," Gabby explained, "And you bet him you could get a bass violin into a taxi on the first try." "I did? Not for even money!" Lennox protested. "You didn't sucker a drunk and disorderly man, did you?" "They wouldn't let you use the one in the orchestra so you went out to rent a bass violin. That's the last anybody saw of you." "So it's a dead-end, is it? What about Knott?" Norman shook his head. "Uh-uh. The Chick asked already, Clarence. Yuh gettin it now, honey. We didn't rub up against any Knotts while we was togethuh. That's it! Cool, Cabbage! Livin' is elation and elation's syncopation." He swung Gabby around deftly, chanting in off-beats. A hand pinched Jake's ear, and a falsetto voice whispered: "Want to dance, Beulah?" "Will you leave me alone," Lennox growled at the blonde. "Get lost, for Christ's sake!" "Oh come on girl, get gay." The blonde entwined himself around Lennox who struggled angrily, and then stopped aghast as he saw Gabby and Norman whirl in a circle and collide with Roy Audibon and the Egyptian girl. Audibon stared at Gabby and his face turned red. He let go of his girl so sharply that she at once disappeared into the crowd. "What the hell is this?" he said. "Hello, Roy. This is Mr. Norman. He says that living is elation and elation's syncopation." "Cool, pal," Norman said genially and extended his hand. Audibon ignored it. "I'm cutting in," he said. "Not yet," Gabby laughed. "Not until I've got the zig-zag-zig." "I'm cutting in," Audibon repeated. Without looking at Norman he said: "Get lost." Gabby turned pale. "Are you trying to insult my friend?" "He heard me," Audibon snapped. "Let him dance with his own kind." Lennox blew. "Look out!" he roared. "Here it comes." He shook off the blonde and belted him across the jaw. He took two steps, shouldered Norman aside and belted Audibon across the jaw. The blond shrieked and clawed at the nearest man who swung on him and knocked his wig off. Audibon got to his feet and came boring in on Lennox. Eugene Norman dropped him again with a solid chop behind the ear. The Egyptian girl appeared and kicked Audibon. The blond's friend appeared and swung on Gabby. Lennox knocked him down. In five seconds that spark of violence ignited all the violent hostilities in The Midnight Sun.