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g a smile to her lips。
Bernie Norman hurried onto the set。 A flicker of relief showed in her face and I knew the whole story。 She reached for Bernie's arm as he turned toward me。 〃Mr。 Cord；〃 he asked； 〃is anything wrong？〃
〃Yeah；〃 I said grimly。 〃Her。 Get her off the set。 She's fired！〃
〃You just can't do that； Mr。 Cord！〃 he exclaimed。 〃She has a contract for this picture！〃
〃Maybe she has；〃 I admitted； 〃but not with me。 It wasn't my pen she squeezed the last drop of ink out of。〃
Bernie stared at me； the pale ing up underneath his tan。 He knew what I was talking about。 〃This is highly irregular；〃 he protested。 〃Miss Randall is a very important star。〃
〃I don't care if she's the Mother of God；〃 I interrupted。 I held out my wrist and looked down at the watch and then back up at him。 〃You've got exactly five minutes to get her off this set or I'll close down this picture and hit you with the biggest lawsuit you ever had！〃
I sat down on the canvas chair with my name on it and looked around the now deserted set。 Only a few people hovered about； moving like disembodied ghosts at a banquet。 I looked over at the sound man hunched over his control board； his earphones still glued to his head。 I closed my eyes wearily。 It was after ten o'clock at night。
I heard footsteps approaching and opened my eyes。 It was Dan Pierce。 He'd been on the phone trying to borrow a star from one of the other studios。 〃Well？〃 I asked。
He shook his head negatively。 〃No dice。 MGM wouldn't lend us Garbo。 They're planning a talking picture for her themselves。〃
〃What about Marion Davies？〃
〃I just hung up on her。 She loves the part but it isn't the kind of thing she feels she can do。 Maybe we should've stuck with Cynthia Randall。 It's costing you thirty grand a day to sit around like this。〃
I lit the cigarette and stared up at him。 〃I'd rather drop it now than be laughed out of the theater and lose it all later。〃
〃Maybe we could bring an actress in from New York？〃
〃We haven't the time；〃 I said。 〃Ten days； three hundred grand。〃
Just then； Rina came up with some sandwiches。 〃I thought you'd be hungry；〃 she said； 〃so I sent out for these。〃
I took one and bit into it somberly。 She turned and gave one to the second man。 〃Thanks； Miss Marlowe。〃
〃You're wele；〃 she said and walked back to where she'd been sitting with Nevada。
〃Too bad you can't find one that sounds like her；〃 the sound man mumbled through a mouthful of sandwich。
I looked at him。 〃What do you mean？〃
〃She's got somethin' in her voice that gets yuh；〃 he said。 〃If it came through on the sound track like that； you'd have them falling out of the balconies。〃
I stared at him now。 〃You mean Rina？〃
He nodded and swallowed his mouthful。 〃Yeah。〃 A slow； meaningful grin came to his lips。 〃An' if I ain't crazy； she'd photograph like a roll in the hay； too。 She's all woman。〃
I turned to Dan。 〃What do you think？〃
〃It's possible；〃 he admitted cautiously。
〃Then； let's go；〃 I said； getting to my feet。 〃Thirty grand a day is a lot of money。〃
Rina took it as a big joke when I asked her to speak a few of the lines into the microphone。 She still didn't think I meant it when I called the crew back for a full…scale screen test。 I don't think she took me seriously at all until we sat in the screening room at two that morning and watched her and Nevada play one scene。
I'd never seen anything like her on the screen before。 Whatever it was she had； it was twice as strong up there on the screen。 She just plain made your mouth water。
I turned to her。 〃Go home and go to bed。 I want you in wardrobe at six o'clock tomorrow morning。 We start shooting at nine。〃
She shook her head。 〃Uh…uh； Jonas。 The joke's gone far enough。 I won't have any part of it。〃
〃You be on that set ready to shoot at nine！〃 I said grimly。 〃You're the one who called； not me； remember？〃
I looked at Nevada。 There was a puzzled expression on his face。 And something about the clear innocence in his eyes hit me wrong。 〃And you better see to it that she shows up！〃 I said angrily。
I turned and stormed out of the projection room； leaving them staring after me with shocked faces。
8
I OPENED ONE EYE SLOWLY AND PEERED AT my wrist watch。 Two o'clock！ I sat up quickly and the pain almost split my skull。 I groaned out loud and the door opened。
It was Dan； already dressed in cream…colored slacks and a loud sports shirt。 He held a glass of what looked like tomato juice。 〃Here；〃 he said。 〃Drink it down； pal。 It'll wash the fuzz away。〃
I lifted the glass to my lips。 It tasted awful going down but he was right。 A moment later； my head began to clear。 I looked around the bedroom。 It was a shambles。 〃Where are the girls？〃 I asked。
〃I paid them off an' sent them home。〃
〃Good。〃 I got to my feet woozily。 〃I gotta get down to the studio。 They were going to start shooting at nine。〃
Dan smiled。 〃I called and told them you were tied up but would get down there this afternoon。 I figured it was better if you got some sleep。 That was a hectic night。〃
I grinned at him。 It sure was。
Dan and I had really tied one on the night before。 I'd met him ing off the set and offered to give him a lift downtown。 But on the way we'd decided to stop and eat。 I was wound up tighter than a dollar watch and he'd offered to help me unwind。 Steaks at a spot he knew； which ought to have been closed but wasn't； along with bourbon and later the works。 The works came out of his little black book； which all agents seem to carry。 I'd unwound all right but now I wondered if they'd ever be able to wind me up again。
His Jap houseboy had shirred eggs and sausages ready when I came out of the shower。 I was starved。 I ate six eggs and about a dozen of the little bangers。 When I put down my fourth cup of coffee Dan smiled and asked； 〃How are yuh feeling now？〃
I grinned back at him。 〃I never felt better in my life。〃 It was true。 For once I felt relaxed and loose。 There wasn't the usual tightening in my gut as I thought about the day。 〃You said something about getting down to business？〃
We'd talked the night before； more than I usually did with a stranger。 But Dan Pierce was different。 He was a type I hadn't encountered before and he fascinated me。 He was tough； shrewd and knew what he wanted。 I was in over my head and I knew it。 I wouldn't be for long； but until I got the hang of it I could use someone like Dan Pierce。
〃I sold my agency this morning to MCA。〃
〃What for？〃
〃Because I'm ing in with you。〃
〃Aren't you jumping the gun a little？〃 I asked。 〃I'm only in for this one picture。 What'll you do after that？〃
Dan smiled。 〃That's what you say。 It even might be what you really believe； right now。 But I know different。 You got a feel for this business … a natural feel for it that not many people have。 And there's a challenge that you can't resist。 You just found another gambling game。 You'll stick。〃
I sipped at the coffee。 It was strong and black； just the way I liked it。 〃And just how do you figure you can help？〃 I asked。
〃Because I know all the angles in this business； all the dirty tricks it would take you a long time to find out about。 You're a busy man and time's the most valuable thing you've got。 I wouldn't be worth half as much if motion pictures were your only business。 But it's not。 And it never will be。 It's just another game of craps。〃
I stared at him。 〃Give me a free sample。〃
〃For one thing；〃 he said quickly； 〃I wouldn't have started the picture until I'd had a sound test on everyone。〃
〃That's something I already learned。 I want a sample of what I don't know。〃
He reached around behind him for a blue…covered script。 〃If Rina es off on the screen like that test indicates； we can make a few changes in this and save ourselves four hundred thousand dollars。〃
〃How？〃
〃By building up her story and confining more of the picture to the New Orleans episode。 It'll save five weeks of exteriors and nobody knows yet how good those microphones work outside。〃
I reached for a cigarette。 〃If we did that；〃 I said slowly； 〃what happens to Nevada？ His part would be cut way down。〃
Dan's eyes met mine steadily。 〃Nevada's not my problem any more； he's MGA's。 I