Big Easy Bonanza

joke, right?”
    “It’s great, I know, Sandy. It’s such a good deal I can’t believe it either. But you have to be there, Sandy. You have to run out of your house and catch a cab to the courthouse right now. Am I connecting, Sandy?”
    “Yeah, Tubby, sure. I’ll catch a taxi. I’ll be right there. Tubby, I’m putting on my pants while I’m talking to you.”
    “Okay, see you.” Tubby hung up.
    “I’m going to run an errand, then go to the courthouse,” he called at Cherrylynn as he rushed out the door. She just waved and kept on typing. The airline ticket office was right around the corner.
    Sandy was already pacing in the hall outside the courtroom, a morning shadow covering his chin and cheeks, unconcealed by the light powder and rouge he must have applied in the cab. He was wearing patriotic pants, striped red, white, and blue, held up by suspenders with stars on them. He had on a Barcelona Olympics T-shirt commemorating the Lithuanian basketball team. It showed a skeleton making a dunk. He ran at Tubby and gasped in a whisper, “This is so incredible. It’s not really happening, right?”
    “We’ll see. I think it will. Let’s go into the courtroom and find out what’s going on.”
    It was motion day, and the courtroom was filling up with lawyers. Up front, Mrs. Maselli was shuffling papers, with a line of attorneys in front of her waiting to sign in. Despite the fact that everyone was wearing a suit, the atmosphere was informal. Lawyers were reading the newspaper, swapping stories, and fixing their makeup. Some were studying their files. A couple of women sat in the jury box, huddled in conversation. Tubby put Sandy on the back row, and tried not to notice that the other occupants of the bench automatically slid a few feet away from him, almost unconsciously. Sandy seemed oblivious.
    Guyoz was on the front row writing on a yellow pad braced on his square briefcase. Tubby sat down beside him. They said good morning.
    “I’ve written out the release we’ll need,” he said.
    “I’m sure it’s fine.” Tubby closed his eyes to rest a minute.
    The door to Judge Maselli’s chambers opened, and the judge came in fast, in his black robe, and stepped up behind the bench.
    “All rise. Oyez, Oyez, the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana, Division Y, is now in session, the Honorable Dominic Maselli presiding. All quiet in the courtroom,” commanded the bailiff.
    Papers dropped, conversations stopped, briefcases closed. Tubby jumped up and moved half the distance to the bench, where he stood, politely, waiting for the judge to peer at him over the docket sheet. Finally the eyes came up, and the judge acknowledged Tubby.
    “Yes. First we have a settlement to put into the record. Is that right, Mr. Dubonnet?”
    “Yes, sir, Judge,” Tubby said. He moved to the counsel table, and Guyoz came and stood beside him. Tubby looked to the back and waved up Sandy, who stumbled into the aisle, collected himself, then nimbly pranced to the front to stand behind Tubby.
    “Everybody ready?” the judge asked. They nodded. “This is 94-07642. We need the court reporter to take this down.”
    “Good morning, Judge. I’m Tubby Dubonnet, representing Sandy Shandell, plaintiff, and this is Mr. George Guyoz, representing Dr. Martin Feingold and the Goodhealth Insurance Company. We have a settlement today of this matter, and we wish to read it into the record, Judge, as follows.”
    Tubby picked up Guyoz’s yellow pad and began to read. “The plaintiff agrees to release and forever discharge the defendants from any and all claims he has or may have against either of them arising out of or relating to the medical procedure performed upon him by Dr. Feingold and described in plaintiff’s petition, and any and all alleged damages caused to him by the medical procedure. Goodhealth Insurance Company agrees to pay the sum of one hundred thousand dollars within thirty days of this date by check payable jointly to me and to Sandy Shandell.
    “Goodhealth also releases any claims for subrogation or recovery of any deductible in connection with its insurance coverage of Dr. Feingold. Dr. Feingold agrees to pay the sum of nine hundred and five thousand dollars to Mr. Shandell.”
    Guyoz sat up straight like he had been poked from below, but before he could speak the judge asked, “Is that a total judgment of one million and five thousand dollars, Mr. Dubonnet?”
    “Yes,