hr.thecarpetbaggers-第42部分
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The picture was clear now。 The whole thing had been a sucker play from the start。 I looked at Nevada。 I didn't understand it。 He was a better poker player than that。
Nevada read me again。 〃I know what you're thinkin'； boy；〃 he said quickly。 〃But I wanted to make this picture。 It said something that none of the other phonies I'd been in even came close to。〃
〃What about Norman？〃 I asked。 〃How e they won't advance you the money to shoot it over？〃
〃They've run out of credit；〃 Nevada said。 〃That's why the bank is calling the loan。〃
〃That's a lot of crap！〃 Pierce exploded again。 〃We're caught in a squeeze play。 Bernie Norman makes the bank call our loan and the bank turns the picture back to him。 He gets it for peanuts … about a third what it would have cost him to make it。〃
〃How much would it take to make the picture over？〃 I asked。
Nevada looked at me。 〃About a million bucks。〃
〃Plus the loan the bank is calling；〃 Pierce added quickly。
I turned to him。 〃Would you still have Norman release the picture？〃
He nodded。 〃Sure。 They've got ten thousand contracts on it an' if it's a talkie； not a theater will cancel out。〃
〃If it's silent？〃
〃We'll be lucky to get fifteen hundred；〃 he said。 〃They all want talkies。〃
〃What do you think I should do？〃
Nevada hesitated a moment； then his eyes came squarely on mine。 〃I wouldn't do it if I was you；〃 he said frankly。 〃You could blow the whole bundle。〃
I saw the look that Pierce threw him。 It was filled with anger but also with a peculiar sort of respect。 To Pierce I was just another sucker。 But to his credit； he recognized that I was something more to Nevada。
I stared at him for a moment； then turned and looked down at Rina； sitting on the couch。 Her face was impassive。 Only her eyes were pleading。
I turned back to Nevada。 〃I'll take the shot；〃 I said。 〃But only on one condition。 I'll buy you out and it will be my picture。 And when we make it again； we'll make it the way I want it。 There'll be no arguments； everybody will do as they're told。 You included。 If I'm going to lose the hand； at least I want to deal the cards。〃
Nevada nodded。 He'd heard my father say the same words often enough。 And he'd been the one who taught me always to reach for the deal when the stakes were high。
〃But what do you know about making pictures？〃 Pierce asked。
〃Nothing；〃 I said。 〃But how many people do you know who have made a talking picture？〃
That stopped him。 I could see the prehension e into his eyes。 What I had said was true。 It was a new business。 There were no veterans any more。 I turned back to Nevada。 〃Well？〃
〃I don't know；〃 he said slowly。 〃I'm lettin' you take the whole risk。 I can't lose anything。〃
〃You're wrong！〃 Pierce said quickly。 〃If it's a stinker； your career is shot！〃
Nevada smiled at him。 〃I got along pretty good before；〃 he said。 〃I'm a little old to worry about anything I fell into by accident。〃
〃Well； Nevada？〃
He stuck out his hand and the worry lines around his eyes lifted suddenly and he was young again。 〃It's a deal； Junior。〃
I took his hand and then went over to the telephone。 I called Moroni at the bank。 〃Make arrangements to transfer the loan to Cord Explosives；〃 I said。
〃Good luck； Jonas；〃 he said with a chuckle。 〃I had the feeling you were going to do it。〃
〃Then you knew more than I did。〃
〃That's what makes a good banker；〃 he said。
I hung up and turned back to the others。 〃Now； the first thing I do is fire Von Elster。〃
Nevada's face was shocked。 〃But Von is one of the best in the business；〃 he protested。 〃He's directed every picture I ever made。 He discovered me。〃
〃He's a lousy little shit；〃 I said。 〃The minute he thought you were in trouble； he tried to sell you out。 He had Bernie Norman up here at seven o'clock this morning。 They wanted to give me some free advice。 I didn't talk to them。〃
〃Now maybe you'll believe me when I say Bernie was behind the squeeze；〃 Pierce said。
〃Like it or not； Nevada；〃 I said； 〃we made a deal。 It's my picture and what I say goes。〃
He nodded silently。
〃The next thing I want is for Pierce to arrange for me to see as many of the talkies as possible in the next three days。 Then； next weekend； I'll fly you all to New York。 We're goin' to spend three or four days goin' to the theater。 We might even pick up a stage director while we're there。 We'll see。〃 I paused to light a cigarette and saw a sudden look e over Nevada's face。 〃What are you smiling at？〃
〃Like I said； you're gettin' more like your pappy every day。〃
I grinned back at him。 Just then； the waiter came in with breakfast。 Nevada and Pierce went into the bathroom to wash up and Rina and I were left alone。
There was a gentle look on her face。 〃If you'd only let yourself go； Jonas；〃 she said softly； 〃I think you might bee a human being。〃
I looked into her eyes。 〃Don't try to con me；〃 I said。 〃We both know why I did it。 You and I made our deal last night。〃
The gentle look faded from her face。 〃Do you want me to blow you right now？〃 she asked。
I knew I had hit her from the way she spoke。 I smiled。 〃I can wait。〃
〃So can I；〃 she replied。 〃Forever； if I have to。〃
Just then the telephone rang。 〃Get it；〃 I said。
Rina picked it up and I heard a voice crackle for a moment； then she handed the phone to me。 〃Your wife。〃
〃Hello； Monica。〃
Her voice was filled with anger。 〃Business！〃 she shrieked。 〃And when I call you up； some cheap whore answers。 I suppose you're going to tell me it's your stepmother！〃
〃That's right！〃
There was an angry click and the phone went dead in my hands。 I looked down at it for a moment； then began to laugh。 Everything was so right。
And so wrong。
7
I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AT THE FIELD。 There were several planes warming up on the line； the red； white and blue ICA gleaming in the circle along their sides and under their wings。 I looked down at the planning board； then up at the designer。
Morrissey was young； even younger than I。 He had graduated from M。I。T。； where he'd majored in aeronautical engineering and design。 He wasn't a flier； he was of a new generation that walked on the sky。 What he proposed was radical。 A single…wing； two…motor plane that would outlift anything in the air。
He set his glasses lower on his nose。 〃The way I see it； Mr。 Cord；〃 he said in his precise manner； 〃is that by deepening the wings； we get all the lift we need and also increase our fuel capacity。 Plus which； we have the added advantage of keeping our pilot in direct visual control。〃
〃What I'm interested in is the payload and speed；〃 I said。
〃If my calculations are correct；〃 Morrissey said； 〃we should be able to carry twenty passengers in addition to the pilot and copilot at a cruising speed of about two fifty。 It should fly for about six hours before refueling。〃
〃You mean we could fly from here to New York with only one stopover in Chicago？〃 Buzz asked skeptically。 〃I don't believe it！〃
〃That's what my calculations show； Mr。 Dalton；〃 Morrissey said politely。
Buzz looked at me。 〃You can throw away your money on fool schemes like this；〃 he said； 〃but not me。 I've been through too many of these pipe dreams。〃
〃About how much would it take to build the first one？〃 I asked Morrissey。
〃Four hundred； maybe five hundred thousand。 After we get rid of the bugs； we can produce them for about a quarter of a million。〃
Dalton laughed raucously。 〃A half million bucks for one airplane？ That's crazy。 We'll never get our money out。〃
First…class passage coast to coast by train was over four hundred dollars。 It took almost four full days。 Plus meals； it came to more than five hundred bucks per passenger。 A plane like this would have a payload of seven grand a trip； plus the mail franchise； which would bring it up to about eighty…five hundred dollars。 Flying five trips a week； in less than twenty weeks we could get all our costs back； plus operating expenses。 From there on in； it would be gravy。 Why； we could even afford to throw in free meals on the flight。
I looked down at my watch。 It was almost nine o'clock。 I got to my feet。 〃I have to get down to the studio。 They're shooting the first scene today。〃
Dalton's face turned red with anger。 〃e of
