hr.thecarpetbaggers-第105部分

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　〃But；　Mama；　I　don't　want　to　meet　any　girls。　I　haven't　the　time。〃
　〃Time　you　haven't　got？〃　his　mother　demanded。　〃Already　thirty　years　old。　It's　time　you　should　get　married。　To　a　nice　girl。　From　a　nice　family。　Not　to　spend　your　whole　life　running　around　in　night　clubs　with　those　shiksas。〃
　〃That's　business；　Mama。　I　have　to　go　out　with　them。〃
　〃Everything　he　wants　to　do　he　tells　me　is　business；〃　she　said　rhetorically。　〃When　he　doesn't　want　to　do；　that's　business；　too。　So　tell　me；　are　you　ing　to　dinner　or　not？〃
　He　stared　at　his　mother　for　a　moment；　then　shrugged　his　shoulders　resignedly。　〃All　right；　Mama。　I'll　e。　But　don't　forget；　I'll　have　to　leave　early。　I've　got　a　lot　of　work　to　do。〃
　She　smiled　in　satisfaction。　〃Good；〃　she　said。　〃So　don't　be　late。　By　seven　o'clock。　Sharp。〃
　There　was　a　message　to　call　Dan　Pierce　waiting　for　him　when　he　got　back　to　the　hotel。　〃What　is　it；　Dan？〃　he　asked；　when　he　got　him　on　the　telephone。
　〃Do　you　know　where　Jonas　is？〃
　David　laughed。　〃That　name　sounds　familiar。〃
　〃Quit　kidding；〃　Dan　said。　〃This　is　serious。　The　only　way　we'll　get　Nevada　to　make　those　Westerns　is　if　Jonas　talks　to　him。〃
　〃You　really　mean　he'll　go　for　the　deal？〃　David　asked。　He　hadn't　really　believed　that　Nevada　would。　He　didn't　need　the　money　and　everybody　knew　how　he　felt　about　quickies。
　〃He'll　go；〃　Dan　said；　〃after　he　talks　to　Jonas。〃
　〃I'd　like　to　talk　to　him　myself；〃　David　said。　〃The　government　is　starting　that　antitrust　business　again。〃
　〃I　know；〃　Dan　said。　〃I　got　the　unions　on　my　neck。　I　don't　know　how　long　I　can　keep　them　in　line。　You　can't　cry　poverty　to　them；　they　saw　the　last　annual　reports。　They　know　we're　breaking　even　now　and　should　show　a　profit　next　year。〃
　〃I　think　we　better　talk　to　Mac。　We'll　lay　it　on　the　line。　I　think　two　years　without　a　meeting　is　long　enough。〃
　But　McAllister　didn't　know　where　Jonas　was；　either。　As　David　put　down　the　telephone；　a　faint　feeling　of　frustration　ran　through　him。　It　was　like　working　in　a　vacuum。　Everywhere　you　turned；　there　was　nothing。　All　you　did　was　try　and　make　deals。　Deals。　Piled　one　on　top　of　the　other　like　a　pyramid　that　had　no　end。　You　traded　with　Fox；　Loew's；　RKO；　Paramount；　Warner。　You　played　their　theaters；　they　played　yours。　All　you　could　do　was　stand　on　one　foot；　then　on　the　other。
　He　wondered　why　Jonas　took　that　attitude　toward　them。　He　wasn't　like　that　with　his　other　interests。　Cord　Aircraft　was　rapidly　being　one　of　the　giants　of　the　industry。　Intercontinental　Airlines　was　already　the　largest　mercial　line　in　the　country。　And　Cord　Explosives　and　Cord　Plastics　were　successfully　peting　against　Du　Pont。
　But　when　it　came　to　the　picture　pany；　they　were　just　keeping　alive。　Sooner　or　later；　Jonas　would　have　to　face　up　to　it。　Either　he　wanted　to　stay　in　this　business　or　he'd　have　to　get　out。　You　had　to　keep　pushing　forward。　That　was　the　dynamics　of　action　in　the　picture　business。　If　you　stopped　pushing；　you　were　dead。
　And　David　had　done　all　the　pushing　he　could　on　his　own。　He'd　proved　that　the　pany　could　be　kept　alive。　But　if　they　were　ever　going　to　make　it　for　real；　they'd　have　to　e　up　with　something　really　big。　Deals　or　pictures　…　he　didn't　care　which。
　Actually；　he　preferred　deals。　They　were　safer　and　much　less　risky　than　big…budget　pictures。　Disney；　Goldwyn　and　Bonner　were　all　looking　for　new　distribution　outlets。　And　they　all　came　up　with　big　pictures；　which　grossed　big　and；　best　of　all；　were　pletely　financed　by　themselves。　He　was　still　waiting　for　replies　to　the　feelers　he'd　put　out　to　Goldwyn　and　Disney。　He'd　already　had　one　meeting　with　Maurice　Bonner。　But　the　approval　for　any　such　deal　had　to　e　from　Jonas。　It　could　e　from　no　one　else。
　Bonner　wanted　the　same　kind　of　setup　that　Hal　Wallis　had　at　Warner's；　or　Zanuck　had　over　at　Twentieth　Century…Fox　…　over…all　executive　supervision　of　the　program；　personal　production　of　his　own　four　major　projects　each　year；　stock　and　options　in　the　pany。
　It　was　a　stiff　price　to　pay　but　that　was　what　you　paid　if　you　wanted　the　best。　Skouras　hadn't　hesitated　when　he　wanted　Zanuck。　One　man　like　that　could　add　twenty　million　to　your　gross。　It　was　the　difference　between　existing　and　reaching　for　the　brass　ring。
　But　meanwhile；　where　was　Jonas？　Jonas　held　the　one　key　that　could　unlock　the　golden　door。
　
　〃There's　a　Mr。　Irving　Schwartz　calling；〃　his　secretary　said　on　the　inter。
　David　frowned。　〃What　does　he　want？　I　don't　know　any　Irving　Schwartz。〃
　〃He　says　he　knows　you；　Mr。　Woolf。　He　told　me　to　say　Needlenose。〃
　〃Needlenose！〃　David　exclaimed。　He　laughed。　〃Why　didn't　he　say　so　the　first　time？　Put　him　on。〃
　The　switch　clicked　as　the　girl　transferred　the　call。　〃Needlenose！〃　David　said。　〃How　the　hell　are　you？〃
　Needlenose　laughed　softly。　〃O。K。　And　you；　Davy？〃
　〃Fine。　I've　been　working　like　a　dog；　though。〃
　〃I　know；〃　Needlenose　said。　〃I　been　hearin'　lots　of　good　things　about　you。　Makes　a　guy　feel　good　when　he　sees　one　of　his　friends　from　the　old　neighborhood　make　it　big。〃
　〃Not　so　big。　It's　still　nothing　but　a　job。〃　This　was　beginning　to　sound　like　a　touch。　He　figured　rapidly　how　much　old　friends　were　worth。　Fifty　or　a　hundred？
　〃It's　an　important　job；　though。〃
　〃Enough　about　me；〃　David　said；　eager　to　change　the　subject。　〃What　about　you？　What　are　you　doing　out　here？〃
　〃I'm　doin'　O。K。　I'm　livin'　out　here　now。　I　got　a　house　up　in　Coldwater　Canyon。〃
　David　almost　whistled。　His　old　friend　was　doing　all　right。　Houses　up　there　started　at　seventy…five　grand。　At　least　it　wasn't　a　touch。　〃That's　great；〃　he　said。　〃But　it's　a　hell　of　a　long　way　from　Rivington　Street。〃
　〃It　sure　is。　I'd　like　to　see　you；　Davy　boy。〃
　〃I'd　like　to　see　you；　too；〃　David　said。　〃But　I'm　so　god…damned　tied　up　here。〃
　Needlenose's　voice　was　still　quiet；　but　insistent。　〃I　know　you　are；　Davy；〃　he　said。　〃If　I　didn't　think　it　was　important；　I　wouldn't　bother　you。〃
　David　thought　for　a　moment。　Now　that　it　wasn't　a　touch；　what　could　it　be　that　was　so　important？　〃Tell　you　what；〃　he　said。　〃Why　don't　you　e　out　to　the　studio？　We　can　have　lunch　here；　then　I'll　show　you　around。〃
　〃That's　no　good；　Davy。　We　got　to　meet　someplace　where　nobody'd　see　us。〃
　〃What　about　your　house；　then？〃
　〃No　good；〃　Needlenose　replied。　〃I　don't　trust　the　servants。　No　restaurants；　either。　Someone　might　snoop　us　out。〃
　〃Can't　we　talk　on　the　telephone？〃
　Needlenose　laughed。　〃I　don't　trust　telephones　much；　either。〃
　'〃Wait　a　minute；〃　David　said；　remembering　suddenly。　〃I'm　having　dinner　at　my　mother's　tonight。　e　and　eat　with　us。　She's　at　the　Park　Apartments　in　Westwood。〃
　〃That　sounds　O。K。　She　still　make　those　knaidlach　in　soup　swimming　with　chicken　fat？〃
　David　laughed。　〃Sure。　The　matzo　balls　hit　your　stomach　like　a　ton　of　bricks。　You'll　think　you　never　left　home。〃
　〃O。K。；〃　Needlenose　said；　〃What　time？〃
　〃Seven　o'clock。〃
　〃I'll　be　there。〃
　David　put　down　the　telephone；　still　curious　about　what　Needlenose　wanted。　He　didn't　have　long　to　wonder；　for　Dan　came　into　his　office；　his　face　flushed　and　excited；　his　heavy　jowls　glistening　with　sweat。　〃You　just　get　a　call　from　a　guy　named　Schwartz？〃
　〃Yeah；〃　David　said；　surprised。
　〃You　going　to　see　him？〃
　〃Tonight。〃
　〃Thank　God！〃　Dan　said；　sinking　into　a　chair　in　front　of　the　desk。　He　took　out　a　handkerchief　and　mopped　at　his　face。
　David　looked　at　him　curiously。　〃What's　so　important　about　my　seeing　a　guy　I　grew　up　with？〃
　Dan　stared　at　him。　〃Don't　you　know　who　he　is？〃
　〃Sure；〃　David　said。　〃He　lived　in　the　house　next　to　me　on　Rivington　Street。　We　went　to　school　together。〃
　Dan　laughed　shortly。　〃Your　friend　from　the　East　Side　has　e　a　long　way。　They　sent　him　out　here　six　months　ago　when　Bioff　and　Brown　got　into　trouble。　He's　union　officially；　but　he's　also　top　man　for　the　Syndicate　on　the　West　Coast。〃
　David　stared　at　him；　speechless。
　〃I　hope　you　can　get　to　him；〃　Dan　added。　〃Because；　God　knows；　I　tried　and　I　couldn't。　If　you　don't；　we'll　be　out　of　business　in　a　week。　We're　going　to　have　the　biggest；　god…damnedest　strike　you　ever　saw。　They'll　close　down　everything。　Studio；　theaters；　the　whole　works。〃
　
　10
　
　DAVID　LOOKED　AT　THE　DINING…ROOM　TABLE　AS　HE　FOLLOWED　HIS　MOTHER　INTO　THE　KITCHEN。　Places　were　set　for　five　people。　〃You　didn't　tell　me　you　were　ha