hr.thecarpetbaggers-第70节

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im；　I　killed　him！　I　killed　him　like　I　killed　everyone　who　ever　loved　me。'　Then　she　began　to　scream。〃　Ilene　put　her　hands　up　over　her　ears。
　David　looked　down　at　his　glass。　It　was　empty。　Silently　he　got　up　and　refilled　it。　Sitting　down　again；　he　looked　into　the　amber　liquid　reflectively。　〃You　know；〃　he　said；　〃what　I　can't　understand　is　why　she　ever　married　him。〃
　〃That's　just　the　trouble；〃　she　said　angrily。　〃None　of　you　ever　tried　to　understand　her。　All　she　ever　meant　to　any　of　you　was　a　ticket　at　the　box　office；　money　in　the　bank。　None　of　you　cared　what　she　was　really　like。　I'll　tell　you　why　she　married　him。　Because　she　was　sorry　for　him；　because　she　wanted　to　make　a　man　of　him。　That's　why　she　married　him。　And　that's　why　she's　lying　there　in　her　bedroom；　crying　even　though　she's　asleep。　She's　crying　because　she　failed。〃
　The　telephone　rang。　It　rang　again。　David　looked　at　her。　〃I'll　get　it；〃　he　said。
　〃Hello。〃
　〃Who　is　this？〃
　〃David　Woolf；〃　he　said　automatically。
　〃Jonas　Cord；〃　the　voice　replied。
　〃Mr。　Cord；〃　David　said。　〃I'm　with　Norman…　〃
　〃I　know；〃　Cord　interrupted。　〃I　remember　you。　You're　the　young　man　who　does　all　the　trouble…shooting　for　Bernie。　I　just　heard　over　the　radio　about　the　accident。　How's　Rina？〃
　〃She's　asleep　right　now。　The　doctor　knocked　her　out。〃
　There　was　a　long；　empty　silence　on　the　line　and　David　thought　they　might　have　been　cut　off。　Then　Cord's　voice　came　back　on　the　line。　〃Everything　under　control？〃
　〃I　think　so；〃　David　said。
　〃Good。　Keep　it　like　that。　If　there's　anything　you　need；　let　me　know。〃
　〃I　will。〃
　〃I　won't　forget　what　you're　doing；〃　Cord　said。
　There　was　a　click　and　the　line　was　dead。　Slowly　David　put　down　the　telephone。　〃That　was　Jonas　Cord；〃　he　said。
　Ilene　didn't　raise　her　face　from　her　hands。
　He　turned　and　looked　back　at　the　telephone。　It　didn't　make　sense。　From　what　he'd　heard　about　Cord；　he　wasn't　the　kind　of　man　who　spent　his　time　making　sympathy　calls。　If　anything；　he　was　exactly　the　opposite。
　Unconsciously　he　glanced　at　the　closed　door　to　Rina's　bedroom。　There　had　to　be　more　to　it　than　that；　he　thought。
　It　was　four　months　before　he　saw　Rina　again。　He　looked　up　from　the　couch　in　his　uncle's　office　as　she　swept　into　the　room。
　〃Rina；　darling！〃　Bernie　Norman　said；　getting　up　from　his　desk　and　throwing　his　arms　around　her　enthusiastically。
　The　producer　stepped　back　and　looked　at　her；　walking　around　her　as　if　she　were　a　prize　heifer　in　a　cattle　show。　〃Slimmer　and　more　beautiful　than　ever。〃
　Rina　looked　over。　〃Hello；　David；〃　she　said　quietly。
　〃Hello；　Rina。〃　He　got　to　his　feet。　〃How　are　you？〃
　〃I'm　fine；〃　she　answered。　〃Who　wouldn't　be　after　three　months　on　a　health　farm？〃
　He　laughed。　〃And　your　next　picture　will　be　another　vacation；〃　Norman　interrupted。
　Rina　turned　back　to　him；　a　faint　smile　ing　over　her　face。　〃Go　ahead；　you　old　bastard；〃　she　said。　〃Con　me　into　it。〃
　Norman　laughed　happily。　〃For　a　minute；　I　was　wondering　if　it　was　my　old　girl　who　was　ing　into　the　office；　so　nice　she　was！〃
　Rina　laughed；　too。　〃What's　the　vacation？〃　she　asked。
　〃Africa！〃　Norman　said　triumphantly。　〃The　greatest　jungle　script　I　read　since　Trader　Horn。〃
　〃I　knew　it；〃　Rina　said；　turning　to　David。　〃I　knew　the　next　thing　he'd　have　me　do　would　be　a　female　Tarzan！〃
　After　she　was　gone；　David　looked　across　the　room　at　his　uncle。　〃Rina　seems　quieter；　more　subdued；　somehow。〃
　Norman　looked　at　him　shrewdly。　〃So　what？〃　he　said。　〃Maybe　she's　growing　up　a　bissel　and　settling　down。　It's　about　time。〃　He　got　up　from　his　desk　and　walked　over　to　David。　〃Only　six　months　we　got　to　the　stockholders'　meeting　next　March。〃
　〃You　still　don't　know　who's　selling　us　short？〃
　〃No。〃　Norman　shook　his　head。　〃I　tried　everyplace。　The　brokers；　the　underwriters；　the　banks。　They　tried。　Nobody　knows。　But　every　day；　the　stock　goes　down。〃　He　chewed　on　his　unlit　cigar。　〃I　bought　up　every　share　I　could　but　enough　money　I　ain't　got　to　stop　it。　All　the　cash　I　could　beg　or　borrow　is　gone。〃
　〃Maybe　the　stock　will　go　up　when　we　announce　Rina's　new　picture。　Everyone　knows　she's　a　sure　money…maker。〃
　〃I　hope　so；〃　Norman　said。　〃Everywhere　we're　losing　money。　Even　the　theaters。〃　He　walked　back　to　his　chair　and　slumped　down　into　it。　〃That　was　the　mistake　I　made。　I　should　never　have　bought　them。　For　them　I　had　to　float　the　stock；　borrow　all　that　money　from　the　banks。　Pictures　I　know；　real　estate；　phooey！　I　should　never　have　listened　to　those　chazairem　on　Wall　Street；　ten　years　ago。　Now　I　sold　my　pany；　the　money　I　ain't　got　no　more。　And　I　don't　even　know　who　owns　it！〃
　David　got　to　his　feet。　〃Well；　there's　no　use　in　worrying　about　it。　There's　still　six　months　till　the　meeting。　And　a　lot　can　happen　in　six　months。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　Norman　said　discouragingly。　〃It　can　get　worse！〃
　David　closed　the　door　of　his　office　behind　him。　He　sat　down　at　his　desk　and　ran　down　the　list　of　enemies　his　uncle　had　made　in　the　course　of　his　life。　It　was　a　long　list　but　there　wasn't　anyone　who　had　the　kind　of　money　this　operation　required。　Besides；　most　of　them　were　in　the　picture　business　and　they　had　done　as　much　to　his　uncle　as　he　had　done　to　them。　It　was　a　kind　of　game　among　members　of　a　club。　They　screamed　and　hollered　a　lot　but　none　ever　took　it　seriously　enough　to　carry　a　grudge　like　this。
　Suddenly；　he　remembered　something　…　Rina。　He　glanced　at　the　door；　his　hand　going　automatically　to　the　telephone。　He　pulled　his　hand　back　sharply。　There　was　no　sense　in　making　a　fool　of　himself。
　But　he　had　a　hunch。　How　right　he　was　he　wasn't　to　know　until　he　had　Ilene　sign　Rina　into　the　hospital　under　a　phony　name　six　months　later。　She　was　just　back　from　Africa　after　shooting　The　Jungle　Queen；　and　suddenly　took　very　sick。　He　hadn't　wanted　the　press　to　find　out　until　after　the　picture　was　released。
　
　21
　
　〃JONAS　CORD；〃　NORMAN　SAID　BITTERLY。　〃Jonas　Cord　it　was　the　whole　time。　Why　didn't　you　tell　me？〃
　David　turned　from　the　hotel　window　looking　out　over　Central　Park。　〃I　didn't　know。　I　was　only　guessing。〃
　〃Know；　not　know；〃　the　producer　said；　chewing　on　his　dead　cigar。　〃You　should　have　told　me；　anyway。〃
　〃What　good　would　it　have　done？〃　David　asked。　〃I　couldn't　have　proved　it　and　even　if　I　had；　you　didn't　have　the　money　to　fight　him。〃
　Norman　took　the　cigar　out　of　his　mouth　and　looked　at　it　glumly。　With　an　angry　gesture；　he　threw　it　on　the　rug。　〃What　did　I　ever　do　to　him　he　should　want　to　ruin　me？〃　he　asked　angrily。
　David　didn't　answer。
　〃Nothing！　That's　what　I　did。　Only　made　money　for　him。　More　money　that　he　should　use　to　cut　my　throat　with！〃　Bernie　took　a　fresh　cigar　from　his　pocket　and　waved　it　in　front　of　David's　face。　〃That　should　be　a　lesson　to　you。　Never　do　a　favor　for　anybody；　never　make　money　for　anybody；　only　yourself。　Otherwise；　you'll　find　a　knife　in　your　back　made　of　your　own　silver！〃
　David　looked　at　his　uncle's　angry　purple　face；　remembering　the　scene　that　had　taken　place　at　the　stockholders'　meeting。
　Norman　had　gone　into　it；　feeling　more　confident　than　he　had　at　any　time　during　the　past　few　months。　The　percentage　of　proxies　that　had　been　returned　was　about　what　they　got　every　year。　Only　about　twenty…five　per　cent　of　the　stockholders　ever　bothered　to　send　in　their　proxy　forms。　All　they　were　interested　in　was　when　they'd　begin　receiving　dividends　again。　But　those　proxies；　plus　the　eight　per　cent　of　stock　that　Norman　had　in　his　own　name；　gave　him　a　fortable　thirty…three　per　cent　of　the　stock　to　vote。
　The　attendance　at　the　meeting　was　the　same　as　usual。　A　few　retired　businessmen　and　some　women　who　wandered　in　off　the　street　because　they　owned　ten　shares　and　it　gave　them　something　to　do；　those　directors　of　the　pany　who　happened　to　be　in　town　and　the　pany　officers　from　the　New　York　office。
　It　was　only　after　the　formalities　of　the　meeting　were　over　and　Norman　was　asking　for　nominations　for　the　board　of　directors　that　he　sensed　there　was　something　wrong。　As　he　was　speaking；　Dan　Pierce；　the　agent；　and　another　man；　whose　face　was　familiar　but　whose　name　Norman　couldn't　remember；　came　into　the　room　and　sat　down　in　the　front　row　of　the　small　auditorium。
　A　vice…president　in　charge　of　sales　dutifully　read　off　Norman's　approved　list　of　nominations　for　directorships。　Another　vice…president；　in　charge　of　theater　operations；　dutifully　seconded　the　nominations。　A　third　vice…president；　in　charge　of　foreign　operations；　then　dutifully　moved　that　the　nominations　be　closed。
　At　that　moment；　Pierce　got　to　his　feet。　〃Mr。　President；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　several　more　nominations　to　make　for　directors　of　the　corporation。〃
　〃You　got　no　right；〃　Norman　yelled　from　the　podium。
　〃According　to　the　bylaws　of　the　pany；〃　Dan　Pierce　retorted；　〃any　stockholder　of　record　may　nominate　as　many　persons　for　directors　as　there　are　directors　in　the　corporation！〃
　Norman　turned　to　his　vice…president　and　general　counsel。　〃Is　that　true？〃
　The　attorney　nervously　nodded。　〃You're　fired；　you　dumb　bastard；　you！〃　Norman　whispered。
　He　turned　back　to　Pierce。　〃It's　illegal！〃　he　shouted。　〃A　trick　to　upset　the　pany。〃
　The　man　seated　alongside　Pierce　got　to　his　feet。　〃Mr。　Pierce's　nominations　are　perfectly　in　order　and　I；　personally；　can　attest　to　his　legal　right　to　make　them。〃
　It　was　then　that　Norman　remembered　the　name