hr.thecarpetbaggers-第93部分

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　I　smiled　down　at　her。　〃It's　a　nice　dolly。〃
　〃Say　good…by；　Jo…Ann。〃
　Jo…Ann　held　out　her　hand　to　me。　〃Good…by；　man；〃　she　said　seriously。　〃e　an'　see　us　again。　Sometime。　Soon。〃
　I　took　her　hand。　〃I　will；　Jo…Ann；〃　I　said。　〃Good…by。〃
　Jo…Ann　smiled　and　pulled　her　hand　back　quickly；　then　ran　out　of　the　room　again。
　I　straightened　up。　〃Good…by；　Monica；〃　I　said。　〃If　there's　anything　you　need；　give　me　a　call。〃
　〃I'll　be　all　right；　Jonas；〃　she　said；　holding　out　her　hand。　I　took　it。　She　smiled　tentatively。　〃Thank　you；　Jonas；〃　she　said。　〃And　I'm　sure　if　Jo…Ann　could　understand；　she'd　thank　you；　too。〃
　I　smiled　back。　〃She's　a　nice　little　girl。〃
　〃Good…by；　Jonas。〃　She　took　her　hand　from　mine　and　stood　in　the　open　doorway　while　I　went　down　the　walk。
　〃Jonas；〃　she　called　after　me。
　I　turned。　〃Yes；　Monica？〃
　She　hesitated　a　moment；　then　laughed。　〃Nothing；　Jonas；〃　she　said。　〃Don't　work　too　hard。〃
　I　laughed。　〃I'll　try　not　to。〃
　She　closed　the　door　quickly　and　I　continued　on　down　the　sidewalk。　Forest　Hills；　Queens；　a　hell　of　a　place　to　live。　I　had　to　walk　six　blocks　before　I　could　get　a　cab。
　
　〃But　what　are　we　going　to　do　about　the　pany？〃　Woolf　asked。
　I　looked　across　the　table　at　him；　then　picked　up　the　bottle　of　bourbon　and　refilled　my　glass。　I　went　to　the　window　and　looked　out　over　New　York。
　〃What　about　The　Sinner？〃　Dan　asked。　〃We'll　have　to　decide　what　to　do　about　that。　I'm　already　talking　to　Metro　about　getting　Jean　Harlow。〃
　I　turned　on　him　savagely。　〃I　don't　want　Harlow；〃　I　snapped。　〃That　was　Rina's　picture。〃
　〃But　my　God；　Jonas；〃　Dan　exclaimed。　〃You　can't　junk　that　script。　It'll　cost　you　half　a　million　by　the　time　you　get　through　paying　off　De　Mille。〃
　〃I　don't　care　what　it　costs！〃　I　snarled。　〃I'm　junking　it！〃
　A　silence　came　over　the　room　and　I　turned　back　to　the　window。　Over　to　my　left；　the　lights　of　Broadway　climbed　up　into　the　sky；　on　my　right；　I　could　see　the　East　River。　On　the　other　side　of　that　river　was　Forest　Hills。　I　grimaced　and　swallowed　my　drink　quickly。　Monica　had　been　right　about　one　thing。　I　was　working　too　hard。
　I　had　too　many　people　on　my　back；　too　many　businesses。　Cord　Explosives；　Cord　Plastics；　Cord　Aircraft；　Inter…Continental　Airlines。　And　now　I　owned　a　motion…picture　pany　I　didn't　even　want。
　〃Well；　Jonas；〃　McAllister　said　quietly。　〃What　are　you　going　to　do？〃
　I　walked　back　to　the　table　and　refilled　my　glass。　My　mind　was　made　up。　I　knew　just　what　I　was　going　to　do　from　now　on。　Only　what　I　wanted　to。　Let　them　earn　their　keep　and　show　me　how　good　they　really　were。
　I　stared　at　Dan　Pierce。　〃You're　always　talking　about　how　you　could　make　better　pictures　than　anyone　in　the　business；〃　I　said。　〃O。K。　You're　in　charge　of　production。〃
　Before　he　had　a　chance　to　answer；　I　turned　to　Woolf。　〃You're　worried　about　what's　going　to　happen　to　the　pany。　Now　you　can　really　worry　about　it。　You're　in　charge　of　everything　else　…　sales；　theaters；　administration。〃
　I　turned　and　walked　back　to　the　window。
　〃That's　fine；　Jonas；〃　McAllister　said。　〃But　you　haven't　told　us　who　the　officers　will　be。〃
　〃You're　chairman　of　the　board；　Mac；〃　I　said。　〃Dan；　president。　David；　executive　vice…president。〃　I　took　a　swallow　from　my　glass。　〃Any　more　questions？〃
　They　looked　at　each　other；　then　Mac　turned　back　to　me。　〃While　you　were　away；　David　had　a　study　made。　The　pany　needs　about　three　million　dollars　of　revolving　credit　to　get　through　this　year　if　we're　to　maintain　the　current　level　of　production。〃
　〃You'll　get　a　million　dollars；〃　I　said。　〃You'll　have　to　make　do　with　that。〃
　〃But　Jonas；〃　Dan　protested。　〃How　do　you　expect　me　to　make　the　kind　of　pictures　I　want　to　make　if　you　won't　let　us　have　the　money？〃
　〃If　you　can't　do　it；〃　I　snarled；　〃then　get　the　hell　out　and　I'll　get　someone　who　can。〃
　I　could　see　Dan's　face　whiten。　He　closed　his　lips　grimly　and　didn't　answer。　I　looked　from　him　to　the　others。　〃The　same　thing　goes　for　all　of　you。　From　now　on；　I'm　through　playing　wet　nurse　to　the　world。　Any　man　that　doesn't　deliver　can　get　out。　From　now　on；　nobody　bothers　me　about　anything。　If　I　want　you；　I'll　get　in　touch　with　you。　If　you　have　anything　to　report　put　it　in　writing　and　send　it　to　my　office。　That's　all；　gentlemen。　Good　night。〃
　As　the　door　closed　behind　them；　I　could　feel　the　hard；　angry　knot　tightening　in　my　gut。　I　looked　out　the　window。　Forest　Hills。　I　wondered　what　kind　of　schools　they　had　out　there　that　a　kid　like　Jo…Ann　could　go　to。
　I　swallowed　the　rest　of　my　drink。　It　didn't　untie　the　knot；　it　only　pulled　it　tighter。　Suddenly　I　wanted　a　woman。
　I　picked　up　the　phone　and　called　José；　the　headwaiter　down　at　the　Rio　Club。　〃Yes；　Mr。　Cord。〃
　〃José；〃　I　said。　〃That　singer　with　the　rumba　band。　The　one　with　the　big…　〃
　〃Eyes；〃　he　interrupted；　laughing　quietly。　〃Yes；　Mr。　Cord。　I　know。　She'll　be　at　your　place　in　half　an　hour。〃
　I　put　down　the　telephone　and　walked　back　to　the　table。　I　took　the　bottle　to　the　window　with　me　while　I　filled　my　glass。　I'd　learned　something　tonight。
　People　would　pay　any　price　for　what　they　really　wanted。　Monica　would　live　in　Queens　so　she　could　keep　her　daughter。　Dan　would　swallow　my　insults　so　he　could　make　pictures。　Woolf　would　do　anything　to　prove　he　could　run　the　pany　better　than　his　uncle　Bernie。　And　Mac　kept　on　paying　the　price　for　the　security　I'd　given　him。
　When　you　got　down　to　it；　people　all　had　their　price。　The　currency　might　differ。　It　could　be　money；　power；　glory；　sex。　Anything。　All　you　needed　to　know　was　what　they　wanted。
　A　knock　came　on　the　door。　〃e　in；〃　I　called。
　She　came　into　the　room；　her　dark　eyes　bright；　her　long　black　hair　falling　down　her　back　almost　to　her　hips；　the　black　gown　cut　way　down　in　front　showing　white　almost　to　her　navel。　She　smiled　at　me。　〃Hello；　Mr。　Cord；〃　she　said；　without　the　accent　she　used　in　the　café。　〃How　nice　of　you　to　ask　me　up。〃
　〃Take　off　your　dress　and　have　a　drink；〃　I　said。
　〃I'm　not　that　kind　of　girl；〃　she　snapped；　turning　and　starting　for　the　door。
　〃I've　got　five　hundred　dollars　that　says　you　are。〃
　She　turned　back　to　me；　a　smile　on　her　lips；　her　fingers　already　busy　with　the　zipper　at　the　back　of　her　dress。　I　turned　and　looked　out　the　window　while　she　undressed。
　There　weren't　as　many　lights　in　Queens　as　there　were　in　Manhattan。　And　what　few　lights　there　were　weren't　as　bright。　Suddenly；　I　was　angry　and　I　yanked　the　cord　releasing　the　Venetian　blind。　It　came　down　the　window　with　a　crash　and　shut　out　the　city。　I　turned　back　to　the　girl。
　She　was　staring　at　me　with　wide　eyes。　All　she　had　on　was　a　pair　of　skin…tight　black　sheer　panties；　and　her　hands　were　crossed　over　her　bosom；　hiding　only　the　nipples　of　her　large　breasts。　〃What　did　you　do　that　for？〃　she　said。　〃No　one　out　there　can　see　in　here。〃
　〃I'm　tired　of　looking　at　Queens；〃　I　said　and　started　across　the　room　toward　her。
　
　The　Story　of
DAVID　WOOLF
　…
　Book　Six
　
　1
　
　DAVID　WOOLF　WALKED　INTO　THE　HOTEL　ROOM　AND　THREW　HIMSELF　DOWN　ON　THE　BED　FULLY　CLOTHED；　STARING　UP　AT　THE　DARK　CEILING。　The　night　felt　as　if　it　were　a　thousand　years　old；　even　though　he　knew　it　was　only　a　little　past　one　o'clock。　He　was　tired　and　yet　he　wasn't　tired；　he　was　elated　and　yet；　somehow；　depressed；　triumphant　and　yet　there　was　the　faint　bitter　taste　of　intangible　defeat　stirring　within　him。
　This　was　the　beginning　of　opportunity；　the　first　faint　dawn　of　his　secret　ambitions；　hopes　and　dreams。　Then　why　this　baffling　mixture　of　emotions？　It　had　never　been　like　this　before。　He'd　always　known　exactly　what　he　wanted。　It　had　been　very　simple。　A　straight　line　reaching　from　himself　to　the　ultimate。
　It　must　be　Cord；　he　thought。　It　had　to　be　Cord。　There　could　be　no　other　reason。　He　wondered　if　Cord　affected　the　others　in　the　same　way。　He　still　felt　the　shock　that　had　gone　through　him　when　he　entered　the　suite　and　saw　him　for　the　first　time　since　the　night　Cord　had　left　the　board　meeting　to　fly　to　the　Coast。
　Fifteen　days　had　passed；　two　weeks　during　which　panic　had　set　in　and　the　pany　had　begun　to　disintegrate　before　his　eyes。　The　whispering　of　the　employees　in　the　New　York　office　still　echoed　in　his　ears；　the　furtive；　frightened；　worried　glances　cast　as　he　passed　them　in　the　corridor。　And　there　had　been　nothing　he　could　do　about　it；　no