JR (78 page)

—Yes just, Carol wait listen this woman this, this Miss Flesch, is she here? I mean, she's been hired?

—Yes didn't you meet her Mister Eigen? When she first…

—Yes I met her, I … he'd paused at an opened door, —where's Mister Davidoff.

—I don't know he didn't come in today Mister Eigen, like he didn't come in almost since you left, oh and Miss Flesch wants to see you but there's somebody in there with her now, this same man that got mugged in the…

—Yes all right Carol, thanks… He'd reached his own door and paused outside it, staring at the dirt rowed in conical heaps the length of the desk there. —Good morning Florence, what…

—Oh good morning Mister Eigen, are you back? She half turned, over a shoulder —Miss Flesch just wanted me to repot these plants … she wiped her hands on a cloth and reached over the dirt heaps for the ringing phone —I think she wants to see you when you come in but, hello… ? Yes he is, just a minute…

He got in to his own cleared desk, got the phone, —Hello? Jack … ? No by the dishrack in the kitchen, I put two tens right there by the dishrack, listen… Yes I know you do but listen, Schepperman's off again, that big painting here of his I told you about, he came in here while I was away and… No the one I told you about last night, the mural size thing of his they had out here in the lobby, they took it down and … I did tell you about it last night but look that's not the point, he came in here and really raised hell when he didn't see it and this place here is like an armed camp, if he shows up here again they … No just to find him and keep him out of trouble, I'm going to tour the White Roses as soon as I can get out of here and, just a second, Carol?

—I just brought you some coffee Mister Eigen, you looked like you can use it.

—Thanks just, yes just put it there, Jack? I thought you could look for him in some of those places down … no I know it but the first race isn't till one o'clock is it? You can … what? What idea you had last night, all you talked about was … No all you talked about last night were these two horses look if… no but look Jack if you'd had an idea last night that would make a million dollars I'd remember the, just a second, what's all this Florence?

—The pictures and captions for the Annual Report Mister Eigen, Miss Flesch wants to know if …

—Yes just a second Florence, Jack… ? What do you mean something to do with Baby Jeeter, just a second, Carol?

—Mister Eigen there's this young man waiting to see you Mister Gall, he says Miss Flesch said that you'd…

—Just tell him to wait a minute, I … what? No what about what suitcase … ? No look never mind it whatever it is, I have to get off

the… Yes by the dishrack, I told you I'd left two tens by the … no in the kitchen where the hell else would the … the dishrack in the kitchen yes

… Yes if I remember your idea I'll write it down, yes … No I told you there were clean shirts in that suitcase in by the bed look Jack I have to get off, call me later … he hung up. —Who's this waiting Carol?

—This Mister Gall Mister Eigen, he's this writer friend of this man that's in with Miss Flesch and he says she said Mister Davidoff said he had some project he …

—Yes all right send him in, now what's all this again Florence?

—The pictures for the Annual Report Mister Eigen, Mister Davidoff had some airbrush work done on them and had a set sent out to those schoolchildren but Miss…

—Just tell her I'm still working on the captions, Mister Gall? Come in and, Carol where's my other chair.

—Oh I'm sorry Mister Eigen I think Miss Flesch borrowed it to put some plants…

—Well see if there's another one out there someplace will you? Sorry

… he reached across to shake hands, —things seem to be …

—No that's all right that's all right I, but are you, you're not the Thomas Eigen? Because I, I mean there was no picture of you on the jacket of your book so I …

—I didn't want one I, I'm just surprised that you…

—No I always wanted to meet you but I guess I, I mean I'm just surprised to suddenly meet you in an office like this, oh thank you … he pulled the chair through the door, bent to brush the dirt off the seat. —I wrote to you the first time I read it, in care of the publisher I

guess you never got it but I think it's the most important book I, one of the most important books in American literature and I, since I'm a writer I mean trying to be a writer I …

—Well it's nice of you to say that… he tipped his own chair back, caught the edge of the file drawer with the sole of his shoe and pulled it out far enough to prop his feet up on it, —A million more like you and I'd be …

—But you must have known when you were writing it, you must have known you were writing it for a very small audience, I …

—Small audience! his feet dropped, —do you think I would have worked on it for seven years just for, do you know what my last royalty check was Mister…

—Gall, I …

—Mister Gall? Fifty-three dollars and fifty-two cents, the publisher dropped it cold the day it came out he must think I wrote it for a very small audience too.

—Yes I know I …

—I get letters from college kids who have it assigned in their courses, they must be passing one copy around. If he'd let me have the rights back do you think I'd be sitting here now?

—Yes I know, I mean I've been working on a Western I can finish if I can get an advance on this book about cobalt or whatever it is for your company, then with the final payment on the Western I'll be able to get far enough on the cobalt book to collect the second payment and settle things with this Foundation where they're handing out grants to novelists who want to write plays and I …

—Yes I've been working on a play myself… he tilted back, got his feet up on the file drawer again —I think I …

—Yes well to get a grant you have to be a novelist not a playwright but you have to be writing a play not a novel, I've applied for that under the name Jim Blake because that's the name I wrote another Western novel under called Guns of God and if I can change the novel I'm working on now into a play for just long enough to get a grant I …

—It's good discipline yes, the play I'm working on now in fact, it started as a novel, sent the first chapter and an outline in to this publisher and got back a fatuous five page…

—Yes well before I knew about these fourteen thousand dollar grants I'd already taken a job from another part of the same Foundation to write a book on school television for a lousy five thousand dollars. I worked on that while I was living on the advance I

got for this Western and when I took it in half finished I thought I'd use that payment to go back and finish the Western, and then the Foundation just canceled the whole thing. I've been trying to reach the man in charge of it there ever since but it's like trying to reach Klamm in The Castle, he's always busy, always out, never returns a call and

now their comptroller's after me for a five hundred dollar expense advance, I told him I'll settle it when they settle with me on the book but he says it's a different kind of money and I…

—Like to meet just one of them who'd come right out and say he's really in it for the money, this publisher of mine names himself a six- figure salary I've heard he's written three novels himself, finally hid them in a drawer when his own poor God damn editors read them and had to plead with him not to publish them so Christ awful they were afraid he'd embarrass the whole, yes Carol?

—Mister Eigen Miss Flesch wants to know if you…

—Look just tell her I'm talking to Mister Gall about this book project, she…

—Yes well this friend of mine who's in there talking to her now is taking over the old publishing house he's been working for, if he gets the contract for this book about cobalt and I can get an advance from him on it and get back to this play I …

—Yes just a second, Florence?

—Mister Eigen, Miss Flesch wants to know where the…

—Look just, never mind damn it… his feet came down, —can't get a damn thing done here…

—I've already written the first act, came on behind him toward the door, —but somebody who read it said the trouble with it is my main character … pursued him to the dirt heaps, stopped short by the voice from the half opened door ahead.

—It's teachers that make the problems the kids have a ball, all the a v equipment tapes films textbooks slides all that stuff and junk, Carol?

Will somebody out there pick up my phone? So when they called I told them what he told me once this product integration followthrough

from cable to closed-circuit broadcast with the packaged a v software to go with it Florence did Carol pick up my phone? You have public relations whether you want them or not and I told him PRwise it can't hurt the company imagewise the medium and the message and all that bla bla bla but he said we couldn't get corporate support for all this publishing stuff and junk without support from the company and all they're talking about now is budgets and all that bla bla bla, Carol?

Was that the Times calling back Florence?

—It's Mister Beaton's office Miss Flesch, they want…

—Omigosh is Mister Eigen out there Florence? Will you see what they want?

—They want copies of any news releases on the educational…

—Florence is Mister Eigen out there? ask him where's that news release on all this educational stuff and, Carol? Is Carol out there Florence?

—Mister Eigen Miss Flesch wants to know if you…

—Look Florence I'm standing right here, I'll get a copy.

—Hello Miss Bulcke? Yes Carol will bring it right in …

—Anyway he said the trouble's my main character coming right on stage and telling all about himself before anybody in the audience is interested in him at all and I …

—Thank you Mister Eigen… and he straightened from his file drawer to watch her out the door, out of sight up the corridor where the shock of her heels alerted passing glances till blue carpeting stilled them, a door closed behind her and she rounded a corner. —Oh excuse me Governor! Gee sir I'm sorry… !

—All right, 'ts all right … he listed, gathered way again.

—Gee I'm sorry sir… she backed off, backed as far as the sentry desk

—Miss Bulcke here's this news release you just…

—Yes thank you Carol, good morning Governor we didn't expect the pleasure of seeing you out of the hospital today, is …

—Won't be a pleasure for some people, anybody here yet?

—Mrs Selk is right here in Mister Beaton's office sir and…

—Blaufinger here yet?

—No sir … she got ahead of him for the door, —General Blaufinger called to say he …

—When he shows up let him wait in the board room, Stamper gets here bring him right in.

—Yes sir. Excuse me, Mister Beaton… ?

—But he didn't hit me ma'am he simply shook me by the lapels and, excuse me…

—Excuse me Mister Beaton the news releases you wanted and Governor Cates is here…

—I said I wanted him arrested and put in prison.

—Usual gracious self Zona, what poor bastard you putting in prison now.

—What poor bastard, the poor bastard who's been sneaking around

selling paintings to ninnies to hang in office lobbies while he lives on my money and Beaton sits here with his thumb in his ass and blubbers about a lawsuit.

—Excuse me sir you can sit right here when I, move this… he'd parted his paired shoes and got round his desk to struggle the folds of fur into an armload and start across the room with it.

—Beaton if you can't carry it don't drag it.

—Not a damn carnival worker Zona, expect him to carry a tent like that Beaton just sit down and…

—If he wasn't such a little pissant he would have charged this ape with assault and put him in prison where he belongs. You just said he grabbed your lapels and shook you Beaton, isn't that assault?

—Legally yes ma'am with competent witnesses but it seemed more prudent… he'd reached his desk again and paused to get breath, —in light of the unpleasant publicity that could result it seems more prudent simply to start an action rising from your original agreement, with private detectives on the lookout for him if he should appear in this vicinity and attempt to …

—I'll teü you where he is right now, he's breaking into my Saybrook house and stealing every painting of his he can lay his hands on and I want…

—Told you not to store them up there in the first place Zona, dampness ruin all the damn frames now Beaton sit down and be quiet, some things I want you to clear up before this board meeting.

—Just hold your water John, he can clear them up when he's cleared this up, I want…

—Zona don't give a damn what you want, Beaton's not your black girl he's secretary and general counsel of this company and he can't drop everything just to …

—Yes Beaton what about her, I can't be expected to get along without her this way and I want…

—Yes ma'am Deleserea, we've located her and I have a call in to Judge Ude's office to arrange bail but she refuses to cooperate regarding the diamond brooch and it appears we …

—What diamond brooch, what are you babbling about now.

—When you reported her missing ma'am, I understood you to connect her disappearance with a diamond brooch you believed she…

—Don't be ridiculous Beaton I found that in my steam cabinet weeks ago, if that's all they're holding her for I want her back by lunchtime.

—As a matter of fact ma'am she was originally arrested at a bus stop and charged with soliciting, it's that charge we intend…

—Beaton don't be ridiculous who would want to hump Deleserea, you just get the lead out of your ass and have her back by lunchtime.

—Yes ma'am in, incidentally have you notified the insurance company the brooch has been recovered…

—That's your job Beaton I don't know what makes you think…

—Yes ma'am but of course I was unaware that…

—By God Zona that's not his job his job right now's this board meeting and if you want to bring up your black girl you…

—You brought her up I didn't, and you brought me all the way in here this morning to do something about Boody's shares didn't you?