hr.thecarpetbaggers-第67部分

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　〃What's　your　father's　name？〃　he　asked；　moving　the　instrument　to　the　other　eye。
　〃Harrison　Marlowe。　See；　I　know　that；　too。〃
　〃What's　your　name？〃　he　asked　again；　the　light　making　a　half　circle　in　the　upper　corner　of　her　eye。
　〃Rina　Marlowe；〃　she　answered。　She　laughed　aloud。　〃You　can't　trick　me；　doctor。〃
　He　turned　off　the　light　and　straightened　up。　〃No；　I　can't；〃　he　said；　smiling　down　at　her。
　There　was　a　movement　at　the　door　and　two　attendants　wheeled　in　a　large；　square　machine。　They　pushed　it　over　to　the　side　of　the　bed　next　to　the　doctor。
　〃This　is　an　electroencephalograph；〃　the　doctor　explained　quietly。　〃It's　used　to　measure　the　electrical　impulses　emanating　from　the　brain。　It's　very　helpful　sometimes　in　locating　the　source　of　headaches　so　we　can　treat　them。〃
　〃It　looks　very　plicated；〃　Rina　said。
　〃It's　not；〃　he　answered。　〃It's　very　simple；　really。　I'll　explain　it　to　you　as　we　go　along。〃
　〃And　I　thought　all　you　had　to　do　was　take　a　few　aspirins　for　a　headache。〃
　He　laughed　with　her。　〃Well；　you　know　how　we　doctors　are；〃　he　said。　〃How　can　we　ever　justify　our　fees　if　all　we　do　is　remend　a　few　pills？〃
　She　laughed　again　and　the　doctor　turned　toward　Ilene。　He　nodded　silently　at　her；　his　eyes　gesturing　to　the　door。　He　had　already　turned　back　to　Rina　by　the　time　she　had　opened　it。
　〃You'll　e　back　later；　won't　you？〃　Rina　asked。
　Ilene　turned　around。　The　attendants　were　already　plugging　in　the　machine　and　the　nurse　was　helping　the　doctor　prepare　Rina。　〃I'll　be　back；〃　Ilene　promised。　She　walked　out　and　closed　the　door　gently　behind　her。
　It　was　almost　an　hour　later　when　the　doctor　came　out　of　the　room。　He　dropped　into　a　chair　opposite　Ilene；　his　hand　fishing　in　his　pocket。　It　came　out　with　a　crumpled　package　of　cigarettes；　which　he　held　out　to　her。　She　took　one　and　he　struck　a　match；　holding　it　first　for　her；　then　for　himself。　
　'Well？〃　she　asked　through　stiff　lips。
　〃We'll　be　able　to　tell　more　when　we　study　the　electroencephalogram；〃　he　said；　dragging　on　his　cigarette。　〃But　there　are　already　definite　signs　of　deterioration　in　certain　neural　areas。〃
　〃Please；　doctor；〃　she　said。　〃In　words　that　I　can　understand。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　he　said。　He　took　a　deep　breath。　〃The　brain　already　shows　signs　of　damage　in　certain　nerve　areas。　It　is　this　damage　that　makes　it　difficult　for　her　to　remember　things　…　simple；　everyday　things　like　names；　places；　time。　Everything　in　her　memory　is　present；　there　is　no　past；　perhaps　no　today。　It　is　an　unconscious　effort　to　recall　these　little　things　that　causes　the　strain　and　brings　on　the　headache。〃
　〃But　isn't　that　a　good　sign？〃　she　asked　hopefully。　〃This　is　the　first　time　in　almost　a　week　that　she　seems　partly　normal。〃
　〃I　know　how　concerned　you　are；〃　he　said　cautiously。　〃And　I　don't　want　to　appear　unduly　pessimistic；　but　the　human　mechanism　is　a　peculiar　machine。　It　is　a　tribute　to　her　physical　stamina　that　she's　holding　up　as　well　as　she　is。　She's　going　through　recurrent　waves　of　extremely　high　fever；　a　fever　that　destroys　everything　in　its　path。　It's　almost　a　miracle　that　when　it　abates　slightly；　even　for　a　moment；　as　it　just　has；　she　can　return　to　a　semblance　of　lucidity。〃
　〃You　mean　she's　slipping　back　into　delirium？〃
　〃I　mean　that　her　temperature　is　beginning　to　climb　again；〃　he　answered。
　Ilene　got　to　her　feet　quickly　and　crossed　to　the　door。　〃Do　you　think　I　can　speak　to　her　again　before　she　slips　back？〃
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　he　said；　shaking　his　head。　He　got　to　his　feet。　〃Her　temperature　began　to　rise　about　twenty　minutes　after　you　left　the　room。　I　put　her　in　sedation　to　ease　the　pain。〃
　She　stared　at　the　doctor。　〃Oh；　my　God！〃　she　said　in　a　low　voice。　〃How　long；　doctor？　How　long　must　she　suffer　like　this？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　he　said　slowly。　He　took　her　arm。　〃Why　don't　you　let　me　drive　you　home？　There's　nothing　you　can　do　tonight；　believe　me。　She's　asleep。〃
　〃I'd…　I'd　like　to　look　in　on　her　just　for　a　moment；〃　she　said　hesitantly。
　〃It's　all　right；　but　let　me　warn　you。　Do　not　be　upset　by　her　appearance。　We　had　to　cut　off　most　of　her　hair　to　make　the　electroencephalogram。〃
　
　Ilene　closed　the　door　of　her　office　and　crossed　to　her　desk。　There　were　some　preliminary　sketches　of　the　costumes　for　a　new　picture　waiting　for　her　approval。　She　flicked　on　the　light　and　walked　over　to　the　built…in　bar。
　She　took　down　a　bottle　of　Scotch　and　filled　a　glass　with　ice　cubes。　Covering　the　ice　with　the　whisky；　she　went　back　to　her　desk；　sat　down　and　picked　up　the　sketches。　She　sipped　at　the　drink　as　she　studied　them。
　She　pressed　a　button　in　the　arm　of　her　chair　and　an　overhead　spotlight　set　in　the　ceiling　shone　down　onto　the　drawings。　She　turned　her　chair　toward　the　pedestal　on　her　left；　trying　to　imagine　the　dress　on　the　model。
　But　her　eyes　kept　misting　over　with　tears。　The　sketches　seemed　to　disappear　and　all　she　could　see　was　Rina　standing　there　on　the　pedestal；　the　white　light　shining　down　on　her　long　blond　hair　…　the　white…blond　hair　that　still　hung　in　angry　clinging　tufts　to　the　pillow　under　her　shorn　head。
　〃Why　did　you　have　to　do　it；　God？〃　she　cried　aloud　angrily　at　the　ceiling。　〃Why　do　you　always　have　to　destroy　the　beautiful　things？　Isn't　there　enough　ugliness　in　the　world？〃
　The　tears　kept　blurring　in　her　eyes；　but　through　them；　she　could　still　see　Rina　as　she　stood　on　the　pedestal　for　the　first　time；　the　white　silk　shimmering　down　over　her　body。
　It　wasn't　long　ago。　Five　years。　And　the　white　silk　was　for　a　wedding　gown。　It　was　just　before　Rina's　marriage　to　Nevada　Smith。
　
　15
　
　IT　STARTED　OUT　AS　A　QUIET　WEDDING　BUT　IT　TURNED　INTO　A　CIRCUS；　THE　BIGGEST　PUBLICITY　STUNT　EVER　TO　E　OUT　OF　HOLLYWOOD。　And　all　because　David　Woolf　had　finally　made　it　into　the　bed　of　the　redheaded　extra　who　had　a　bit…role　in　The　Renegade。
　Though　he　was　a　junior　publicist；　just　one　step　above　the　lowest　clerk　in　the　department；　and　made　only　thirty…five　a　week；　David　was　a　very　big　man　with　the　girls。　This　could　be　explained　in　one　word。　Nepotism。　Bernie　Norman　was　his　uncle。
　Not　that　it　did　him　much　good。　But　the　girls　didn't　know　that。　How　could　they　know　that　Norman　could　scarcely　stand　the　sight　of　his　sister's　son　and　had　only　given　him　the　job　to　shut　her　up？　Now；　in　order　to　keep　his　nephew　from　annoying　him；　he　had　given　his　three　secretaries　orders　to　bar　David　from　his　office；　no　matter　what　the　emergency。
　This　annoyed　David；　but　right　now　it　was　far　from　his　mind。　He　was　twenty…three　and　there　were　more　important　considerations　at　hand。　What　a　difference　between　the　broads　out　here　and　those　back　home。　He　thought　of　the　usherettes　back　at　the　Bijou　Theater　in　New　York；　the　frightened　little　Italian　girls　and　the　big　brassy　Irish；　and　the　quickies　that　took　place　in　the　deserted　second　balcony　or　out　on　the　empty　stage　in　back　of　the　big　screen　while　the　picture　unfurled　itself　over　their　nervous　heads。　Even　back　there；　Bernie　Norman's　name　had　been　a　help　to　him。　Why　else　would　they　take　an　eighteen…year…old　kid　off　a　junk　wagon　and　make　him　an　assistant　manager？
　The　girl　was　talking。　At　first　David　didn't　hear　her。　〃What　did　you　say？〃　he　asked。
　〃I'd　like　to　go　to　the　Nevada　Smith　wedding。〃
　Her　position　may　have　been　oblique　but　her　approach　wasn't。　He　recognized　it。　〃It's　going　to　be　a　small　affair；〃　he　said。
　Her　voice　was　clearer　now　as　she　looked　up　at　him。　〃There'll　still　be　a　lot　of　important　people　there　who'd　never　see　me　any　other　way。〃
　〃I'll　see　what　I　can　do；〃　he　said。
　It　was　a　little　while　later；　when　he　was　making　his　third　greedy　attempt　to　grab　the　brass　ring；　that　the　idea　came　to　him。　〃Yeow！〃　he　yelled　suddenly　as　the　far…reaching　implications　unfurled　in　his　mind。
　Startled；　the　girl　looked　up　at　him　and　saw　a　blindly　rapt　expression　on　his　face。　〃Take　it　easy；　honey。　You'll　wake　the　neighbors；〃　she　whispered　softly；　thinking　he　had　reached　his　climax。
　And；　in　a　manner　of　speaking；　he　had。
　
　Bernie　Norman　prided　himself　on　being　the　first　executive　in　the　studio　each　day。　Every　morning　at　seven　o'clock；　his　long　black　chauffeur…driven　limousine　would　swirl　through　the　massive　steel　gates　of　the　executive　entrance　and　draw　to　a　stop　in　front　of　his　office　building。　He　liked　to　get　in　early；　he　always　said；　becau