194 ALBACORA 



"Thanks, Mario," I said. 



"What's made him such a fan of yours?" Walt said. 



"I don't know," I said. "My manner, perhaps. The 

 way I walk. It could be any number of things." 



"Except," Lou pointed out, "it isn't any of them." 



"What do you mean?" 



"Mario is no fan of yours," Lou said. "He just likes 

 money. Dinero, Right, Mario?" 



Mario grinned. 



"Remember that deal we made to save Mario's 

 house?" Lou said. 



"Oh," I said, "that." 



"With all we've been pulling in," Walt said, "Mario 

 must own two houses by now. A development, prob- 

 ably." 



"Cuanto dinero?'^ Lou asked. "How much have you 

 saved, Mario, from all the fish you've been selling?" 



Mario took out his wallet. It was brimming with 

 paper money. 



"Let's have a celebration," Lou said. "Hey, Mario, 

 how about throwing us a party?" 



Again Mario missed a few words and answered with 

 a flat grin. Lou patted him on the back. "Let's get 

 back on the Explorer/' he said. "I'll throw a party 

 for you, Mario." 



In the dinette, Mario spread his money out on tlie 

 table and Lou counted it aloud. There were big bills 

 and small bills, forty thousand pesos in all. 



