The Influence Peddler, John Krajci

Pass that box of Cuban cigars and the brandy, too, please. Help yourself, if you like.

As I was saying, in my pocket and under my thumb one of each. One fellow’s weak and callow. I paid cash for him. Other one’s mine by virtue of an ominous kind. He’s sly and slips into transgression easily as an eel through mud.

Now and then, they will display an independent streak just to show it’s the voters who sit in the saddle, not you. Once they’re yours, you’ll need to keep their leashes tight until they acquire a sensitivity to what you require.

They do what I say and, you have my word, you’ll like it that way. The price is steep but your money’s back in a matter of weeks.

Is it a deal?