hr.thecarpetbaggers-第71节

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onally；　can　attest　to　his　legal　right　to　make　them。〃
　It　was　then　that　Norman　remembered　the　name　…　McAllister　…　Jonas　Cord's　attorney。　He　calmed　down　immediately。　〃I　suppose　you　can　prove　you're　stockholders？〃　he　asked　cannily。
　McAllister　smiled。　〃Of　course。〃
　〃Let　me　see　your　proof。　I　got　a　right　to　demand　that！〃
　〃Of　course　you　have；〃　McAllister　said。　He　walked　up　to　the　podium　and　handed　up　a　stock　certificate。
　Norman　looked　down　at　it。　It　was　a　stock　certificate　for　ten　shares　properly　issued　in　the　name　of　Daniel　Pierce；　〃Is　this　all　the　stock　you　got？〃　he　asked　innocently。
　McAllister　smiled　again。　〃It's　all　the　proof　I　need；〃　he　said；　evading　the　producer's　attempt　to　find　out　just　how　much　stock　he　represented。　〃May　I　proceed　with　the　nominations？〃
　Norman　nodded　silently　and　Pierce　got　to　his　feet　and　presented　six　names　for　the　nine…man　board。　Just　enough　to　assure　clear…cut　control。　Outside　of　his　own　and　McAllister's；　all　the　names　were　strange　to　Norman。
　When　the　votes　were　ready　to　be　counted；　McAllister　presented　to　the　meeting　proxies　representing　forty…one　per　cent　of　the　pany　…　twenty…six　per　cent　in　the　name　of　Jonas　Cord　and　fifteen　held　by　various　brokerage　houses。　All　six　of　his　nominees　were　elected。
　Norman　turned　to　his　executives。　He　studied　them　silently　for　a　moment；　then　withdrew　six　of　his　nominees；　leaving　only　himself；　David　and　the　vice…president　and　treasurer　on　the　board。　The　meeting　over；　he　called　for　a　directors'　meeting　at　the　pany　offices　that　afternoon；　for　the　election　of　officers。
　Silently　he　started　out　of　the　room；　his　usually　ruddy　face　pale　and　white。　Pierce　stopped　him　at　the　door。　〃Bernie；〃　Pierce　said；　〃I'd　like　a　minute　with　you　before　the　directors'　meeting。〃
　Norman　stared　at　him。　〃Traitors　to　their　own　kind　I　don't　talk　to；〃　he　said　coldly。　〃Go　talk　to　Hitler！〃　He　stamped　out　of　the　room。
　Dan　Pierce　turned　to　David。　〃David；　make　him　listen　to　reason；〃　he　said。　〃Cord　authorized　me　to　offer　three　million　bucks　for　the　old　man's　shares。　That's　twice　what　they're　worth。　If　he　doesn't　sell；　Cord　says　he'll　put　the　pany　in　receivership　and　all　the　shares　will　be　good　for　then　is　wall…paper。〃
　〃I'll　see　what　I　can　do；〃　David　said；　hurrying　after　his　uncle。
　Now　Norman　was　yelling　again；　pacing　up　and　down　the　room　and　threatening　a　proxy　fight。　He'd　show　that　crazy　Cord　that　Bernie　Norman　was　no　fool；　that　he　hadn't　built　a　business　up　from　nothing　with　his　bare　hands　without　having　something　in　his　kopf。
　〃Wait　a　minute！〃　David　said　sharply。　He　had　taken　more　than　enough　nonsense　from　his　uncle。　It　was　time　somebody　taught　the　old　man　the　facts　of　life。　〃You're　talking　about　a　proxy　fight？〃　he　shouted。　〃With　what　are　you　going　to　fight　him？　Spitballs　instead　of　money？　And　if　you　fight；　do　you　honestly　believe　that　anybody　will　go　along　with　you？　For　the　last　four　years；　this　pany　has　been　steadily　losing　money。　The　biggest　picture　we　had　during　that　time　was　The　Renegade　…　Cord's　picture；　not　ours。　And　the　biggest　picture　on　the　market　today　is　Devils　in　the　Sky　…　Cord's　picture；　too。　The　one　you　wouldn't　distribute　for　him　because　there　wasn't　enough　koom…shaw　in　it　for　you！　Do　you　think　anybody　in　his　right　mind　is　going　to　pick　you　over　Cord？〃
　The　producer　stared　at　him。　〃To　think；〃　he　cried　out；　〃that　from　my　own　flesh　and　blood　should　e　such　words！〃
　〃e　off　it；　Uncle　Bernie；〃　David　said。　〃Family's　got　nothing　to　do　with　it。　I'm　just　looking　at　the　facts。〃
　〃Facts？〃　Norman　shouted。　〃Facts　is　it　you　want？　Well；　look　at　them。　Who　was　it　went　out　and　bought　Sunspots；　a　picture　that　won　almost　every　award？　Who？　Nobody　but　me。〃
　〃It　also　lost　a　million　dollars。〃
　That's　my　fault？〃　his　uncle　replied　bitterly。　〃I　didn't　tell　them　before　I　did　it？　No；　prestige　they　wanted；　and　prestige　they　got。〃
　〃That's　over　the　dam；　Uncle　Bernie；〃　David　said。　〃It　has　nothing　to　do　with　today。　Nobody　cares　about　that　any　more。〃
　〃I　care　about　it；〃　Norman　retorted。　〃It's　my　blood　they're　spilling。　I'm　the　sacrifice　they're　making　to　the　Golem。　But　not　yet　am　I　dead。　When　I　tell　them　about　the　pictures　I'm　making　with　Rina　Marlowe；　I'll　get　all　the　proxies　I　want。〃
　David　stared　at　his　uncle　for　a　moment；　then　went　to　the　telephone。　〃Long　distance；　please；〃　he　said。　〃I　want　to　place　a　call　to　the　Colton　Hospital；　Santa　Monica；　California；　room　three…o…nine；　please。〃
　He　glanced　at　his　uncle；　who　was　looking　out　the　window。　〃Ilene？　This　is　David。　How　is　she？〃
　〃Not　good；〃　Ilene　said；　her　voice　so　low　he　could　scarcely　hear　her。
　〃What　does　the　doctor　say？〃
　David　heard　her　begin　to　sob　into　the　telephone。　〃Hold　on；〃　he　said。　〃This　is　no　time　to　start　breaking　down。〃
　〃He　said　…　she's　dying。　That　it's　a　miracle　she's　lasted　this　long。　He　doesn't　know　what's　keeping　her　alive。〃
　There　was　a　click　and　the　phone　went　dead　in　his　hand。　David　turned　to　his　uncle。　〃Rina　won't　make　another　picture　for　you　or　anybody　else；〃　he　said。　〃She's　dying。〃
　The　producer　stared　at　him；　his　face　going　white。　He　sank　back　into　a　chair。　〃My　God！　Then　what　will　happen　to　the　pany？　She　was　the　one　chance　we　had　to　stay　alive。　Without　her；　the　bottom　will　drop　out　of　the　stock；　we're　finished。〃　He　wiped　at　his　face　with　a　handkerchief。　〃Now　even　Cord　won't　bother　with　us。〃
　David　stared　at　his　uncle。　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Schmuck！〃　Norman　snapped。　〃Don't　you　see　it　yet？　Do　I　got　to　draw　for　you　diagrams？〃
　〃See？〃　David　asked；　bewildered。　〃See　what？〃
　〃That　Cord　really　don't　give　a　damn　about　the　pany；〃　the　old　man　said。　〃That　all　he　wants　is　the　girl。〃
　〃The　girl？〃
　〃Sure；〃　Norman　said。　〃Rina　Marlowe。　Remember　that　meeting　I　had　with　him　in　the　toilet　at　the　Waldorf？　Remember　I　told　you　what　he　said？　How　he　wouldn't　tell　me　the　courvehs'　names　because　I　stole　the　Marlowe　girl　from　under　his　nose？〃
　The　light　came　on　suddenly　inside　David's　head。　Why　hadn't　he　thought　of　it？　It　tied　up　with　the　phone　call　from　Cord　the　night　Dunbar　killed　himself。　He　looked　at　his　uncle　with　a　new　respect。　〃What　are　we　going　to　do？〃
　〃Do？〃　the　old　man　said。　〃Do？　We're　going　to　keep　our　mouths　shut　and　go　down　to　that　meeting。　My　heart　may　be　breaking　but　if　he　offered　three　million　for　my　stock；　he'll　go　to　five！〃
　
　The　dream　didn't　slip　away　this　time　when　Rina　opened　her　eyes。　If　anything；　it　seemed　more　real　than　it　had　ever　been。　She　lay　very　still　for　a　moment；　looking　up　at　the　clear　plastic　tent　covering　her　head　and　chest。　She　turned　her　head　slowly。
　Ilene　was　sitting　in　the　chair；　watching　her。　She　wished　she　could　tell　Ilene　not　to　worry；　there　really　wasn't　anything　to　be　afraid　of。　She　had　gone　through　this　so　many　times　before　in　the　dream。　〃Ilene！〃　she　whispered。
　Ilene　started　and　got　up　out　of　her　chair。　Rina　smiled　up　at　her。　〃It's　really　me；　Ilene；〃　she　whispered。　〃I'm　not　out　of　my　head。〃
　〃Rina！〃　She　felt　Ilene's　hand　take　her　own　under　the　sheet。　〃Rina！〃
　〃Don't　cry；　Ilene；〃　she　whispered。　She　turned　her　head　to　try　and　see　the　calendar　on　the　wall　but　it　was　too　far　away。　〃What　day　is　it？〃
　〃It's　Friday。〃
　〃The　thirteenth？〃　Rina　tried　to　smile。　She　saw　the　smile　e　to　Ilene's　face；　despite　the　tears　that　were　rolling　down　her　cheeks。　〃Call　Jonas；〃　Rina　said　weakly。　〃I　want　to　see　him。〃
　She　closed　her　eyes　for　a　moment　and　opened　them　when　Ilene　came　back　to　the　bed。　〃Did　you　get　him？〃
　Ilene　shook　her　head。　〃His　office　says　he's　in　New　York；　but　they　don't　know　where　to　reach　him。〃
　〃You　get　him；　wherever　he　is！〃　Rina　smiled。　〃You　can't　fool　me　any　more；〃　she　said。　〃I've　played　this　scene　too　many　times。　You　call　him。　I　won't　die　until　he　gets　here。〃　A　faint；　ironic　smile　came　over　her　face。　〃Anyway；　nobody　dies　out　here　on　the　weekend。　The　weekend　columns　have　already　gone　to　press。〃
　
　JONAS　…　1935　
　
　Book　Five
　
　1
　
　I　PULLED　THE　STICK　BACK　INTO　MY　BELLY　WITH　A　LITTLE　LEFT　RUDDER。　At　the　same　time；　I　opened　the　throttle　and　the　CA…4　leaped　upward　into　the　sky　in　a　half　loop；　like　an　arrow　shot　from　a　bow。　I　felt　the　G　force　hold　me　flat　against　my　seat　and　bubble　the　blood　racing　in　my　arms。　I　leveled　her　off　at　the　top　of　the　loop　and　when　I　checked　the　panel；　we　were　doing　three　hundred；　racing　out　over　the　Atlantic　with　Long　Island　already　far　behind　us。
　I　reached　forward　and　tapped　the　shoulder　of　the　Army　flier　seated　in　front　of　me。　〃How　about　that；　Colonel？〃　I　shouted　over　the　roar　of　the　twin　engines　and　the　shriek　of　the　wind　against　the　plastic　bubble　over　our　heads。
　I　saw　him　bob　his　head　in　answer　to　my　question　but　he　didn't　turn　around。　I　knew　what　he　was　doing。　He　was　checking　out　the　panel　in　front　of　him。　Lieutenant　Colonel　Forrester　was　one　of　the　real　fly　boys。　He　went　all　the　way　back　to　Eddie　Rickenbacker　and　the　old　Hat　in　the　Ring　squadron。　Not　at　all　like　the　old　General　we'd　left　on　the　ground　back　at　Roosevelt　Field；　that　the　Army　had　sent　out　to　check　over　our　plane。
　The　General　flew　an　armchair　back　in　Purchasing　and　Procurement　in　Washington。　The　closest　he　ever　came　to　an　airplane　was　when　he　sat　on　the　trial　board　at　Billy　Mitchell's　court…martial。　But　he　was　the　guy　who　had　the　O。K。　We　were　lucky　that　at　least　he　had　one　Air　Corps　officer　on　his　staff。
　I　had　tabbed