sidneysheldon.astrangerinthemirror-第19节

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n　the　leather　couch　in　his　office　and　daintily　crossed　her　long；　shapely　legs。　When　she　spoke；　her　voice　sounded　a　trifle　husky；　but　that　may　have　been　because　Sam　was　looking　for　some　kind　of　sign。　She　studied　him　with　soft　gray　eyes　and　said；　
　〃I　seem　to　be　in　a　terrible　spot；　Mr。　Winters。　I　had　no　intention　of　putting　anyone　out　of　work。　And　yet〃　　she　raised　her　hands　helplessly　　〃Miss　Brand　says　she　simply　won't　make　the　picture　unless　I　produce　it。　What　do　you　think　I　should　do？〃　
　For　an　instant；　Sam　was　tempted　to　tell　her。　Instead；　he　said；　
　〃Have　you　had　any　experience　with　show　business　besides　being　a　costume　designer？〃　
　〃I've　ushered；　and　I've　seen　lots　of　movies。〃　
　Terrific！　〃What　makes　Miss　Brand　think　you　can　produce　a　motion　picture？〃　It　was　as　though　Sam　had　touched　a　hidden　spring。　Barbara　Carter　was　suddenly　full　of　animation。　
　〃Tessie　and　I　have　talked　a　lot　about　this　picture。〃　
　No　more　〃Miss　Brand〃；　Sam　noticed。　
　〃I　feel　there　are　a　lot　of　things　wrong　with　the　script；　and　when　I　pointed　them　out　to　her；　she　agreed　with　me。〃　
　〃Do　you　think　you　know　more　about　writing　a　script　than　an　Academy　Award…winning　writer　who's　done　half　a　dozen　successful　pictures　and　Broadway　plays？〃　
　〃Oh；　no；　Mr。　Winters！　I　just　think　I　know　more　about　women。〃　The　gray　eyes　were　harder　now；　the　tone　a　little　tougher。　〃Don't　you　think　it's　ridiculous　for　men　to　always　be　writing　women's　parts？　Only　we　really　know　how　we　feel。　Doesn't　that　make　sense　to　you？〃　
　Sam　was　tired　of　the　game。　He　knew　he　was　going　to　hire　her；　and　he　hated　himself　for　it；　but　he　was　running　a　studio；　and　his　job　was　to　see　that　pictures　got　made。　If　Tessie　Brand　wanted　her　pet　squirrel　to　produce　this　picture；　Sam　would　start　ordering　nuts。　A　Tessie　Brand　picture　could　easily　mean　a　profit　of　from　twenty　to　thirty　million　dollars。　Besides；　Barbara　Carter　couldn't　do　anything　to　really　hurt　the　picture。　Not　now。　It　was　too　close　to　shooting　for　any　major　changes　to　be　made。　
　〃You've　convinced　me；〃　Sam　said；　with　irony。　〃You've　got　the　job。　Congratulations。〃　
　
　The　following　morning；　the　Hollywood　Reporter　and　Variety　announced　on　their　front　pages　that　Barbara　Carter　was　producing　the　new　Tessie　Brand　movie。　As　Sam　started　to　throw　the　papers　in　his　wastebasket；　a　small　item　at　the　bottom　of　the　page　caught　his　eye：　〃Toby　Temple　signed　for　lounge　at　tahoe　hotel。〃　Toby　Temple。　Sam　remembered　the　eager　young　ic　in　uniform；　and　the　memory　brought　a　smile　to　Sam's　face。　Sam　made　a　mental　note　to　see　his　act　if　Temple　ever　played　in　town。　He　wondered　why　Toby　Temple　had　never　gotten　in　touch　with　him。　
　
　In　a　strange　way；　it　was　Millie　who　was　responsible　for　Toby　Temple's　rise　to　stardom。　Before　their　marriage；　he　had　been　just　another　up…and…ing　ic；　one　of　dozens。　Since　the　wedding；　a　new　ingredient　had　been　added　hatred。　Toby　had　been　forced　into　a　marriage　with　a　girl　he　despised；　and　there　was　such　rage　in　him　that　he　could　have　killed　her　with　his　bare　hands。　Although　Toby　did　not　realize　it；　Millie　was　a　wonderful；　devoted　wife。　She　adored　him　and　did　everything　she　could　to　please　him。　She　decorated　the　house　in　Benedict　Canyon；　and　did　it　beautifully。　But　the　more　Millie　tried　to　please　Toby；　the　more　he　loathed　her。　He　was　always　meticulously　polite　to　her；　careful　never　to　do　or　say　anything　that　might　upset　her　enough　to　call　Al　Caruso。　As　long　as　he　lived；　Toby　would　not　forget　the　awful　agony　of　that　tire　iron　smashing　into　his　arm；　the　look　on　Al　Caruso's　face　when　he　said；　〃If　you　ever　hurt　Millie。。。〃　
　Because　Toby　could　not　take　out　his　aggressions　on　his　wife；　he　turned　his　fury　on　his　audiences。　Anyone　who　rattled　dish；　or　rose　to　go　to　the　washroom　or　dared　to　talk　while　Toby　was　on　stage　was　the　instant　object　of　a　savage　tirade。　Toby　dealt　it　with　such　wide…eyed；　naive　charm　that　the　audiences　adored　it；　and　when　Toby　ripped　apart　some　hapless　victim；　people　laughed　until　they　cried。　The　bination　of　his　innocent；　guileless　face　and　his　wicked；　funny　tongue　made　him　irresistible。　He　could　say　the　most　outrageous　things　and　get　away　with　them。　It　became　a　mark　of　distinction　to　be　singled　out　for　a　tongue　lashing　by　Toby　Temple。　It　never　even　occurred　to　his　victims　that　Toby　meant　every　word　he　said。　Where　before　Toby　had　been　just　another　promising　young　edian；　now　he　became　the　talk　of　the　entertainment　circuit。　When　Clifton　Lawrence　returned　from　Europe；　he　was　amazed　to　learn　that　Toby　had　married　a　showgirl。　It　had　seemed　out　of　character；　but　when　he　asked　Toby　about　it；　Toby　looked　him　in　the　eye　and　said；　
　〃What's　there　to　tell；　Cliff？　I　met　Millie；　fell　in　love　with　her　and　that　was　that。〃　
　Somehow；　it　had　not　rung　true。　And　there　was　something　else　that　puzzled　the　agent。　One　day　in　his　office；　Clifton　told　Toby；　
　〃You're　really　getting　hot。　I've　booked　you　into　the　Thunderbird　for　a　four…week　gig。　Two　thousand　a　week。〃　
　〃What　about　that　tour？〃　
　〃Forget　it。　Las　Vegas　pays　ten　times　as　much；　and　everybody　will　see　your　act。〃　
　〃Cancel　Vegas。　Get　me　the　tour。〃　
　Clifton　looked　at　him　in　surprise。　〃But　Las　Vegas　is　〃　
　〃Get　me　the　tour。〃　
　There　was　a　note　in　Toby's　voice　that　Clifton　Lawrence　had　never　heard　before。　It　was　not　arrogance　or　temperament；　it　was　something　beyond　that；　a　deep；　controlled　rage。　What　made　it　frightening　was　that　it　emanated　from　a　face　that　had　grown　more　genial　and　boyish　than　ever。　
　From　that　time　on；　Toby　was　on　the　road　constantly。　It　was　his　only　escape　from　his　prison。　He　played　nightclubs　and　theaters　and　auditoriums；　and　when　those　bookings　ran　out；　he　badgered　Clifton　Lawrence　to　book　him　into　colleges。　Anywhere；　to　get　away　from　Millie。　The　opportunities　to　go　to　bed　with　eager；　attractive　women　were　limitless。　It　was　the　same　in　every　town。　They　waited　in　Toby's　dressing　room　before　and　after　the　show　and　waylaid　him　in　his　hotel　lobby。　Toby　went　to　bed　with　none　of　them。　He　thought　of　the　man's　penis　being　hacked　off　and　set　on　fire　and　Al　Caruso　saying　to　Toby；　You're　really　hung。。。　I　wouldn't　hurt　you。　You're　my　friend。　As　long　as　you're　good　to　Millie　。。。　And　Toby　turned　all　the　women　away。　
　〃I'm　in　love　with　my　wife；〃　he　would　say　shyly。　And　they　believed　him　and　admired　him　for　it；　and　the　word　spread；　as　Toby　meant　it　to　spread：　Toby　Temple　did　not　fool　around；　he　was　a　real　family　man。　But　the　lovely；　nubile　young　girls　kept　ing　after　him；　and　the　more　Toby　refused；　the　more　they　wanted　him。　And　Toby　was　so　hungry　for　a　woman　that　he　was　in　constant　physical　pain。　His　groin　ached　so　much　that　sometimes　it　was　difficult　for　him　to　work。　He　started　to　masturbate　again。　Each　time　he　did；　he　thought　of　all　the　beautiful　girls　waiting　to　go　to　bed　with　him；　and　he　cursed　and　raged　against　fate。　Because　Toby　could　not　have　it；　sex　was　on　his　mind　all　the　time。　Whenever　he　returned　home　after　a　tour；　Millie　was　waiting　for　him；　eager　and　loving　and　ready。　And　the　moment　Toby　saw　her；　all　his　sexual　desire　drained　away。　She　was　the　enemy；　and　Toby　despised　her　for　what　she　was　doing　to　him。　He　forced　himself　to　go　to　bed　with　her；　but　it　was　Al　Caruso　he　was　satisfying。　Whenever　Toby　took　Millie；　it　was　with　a　savage　brutality　that　forced　gasps　of　pain　from　her。　He　pretended　that　he　thought　they　were　sounds　of　pleasure；　and　he　pounded　into　her　harder　and　harder；　until　finally　he　came　in　an　explosion　of　fury　that　poured　his　venomous　semen　into　her。　He　was　not　making　love。　He　was　making　hate。　
　
　In　June；　1950；　the　North　Koreans　moved　across　the　38th　Parallel　and　attacked　the　South　Koreans；　and　President　Truman　ordered　United　States　troops　in。　No　matter　what　the　rest　of　the　world　thought　about　it；　to　Toby　the　Korean　War　was　the　best　thing　that　ever　happened。　In　early　December；　there　was　an　announcement　in　Daily　Variety　that　Bob　Hope　was　getting　ready　to　make　a　Christmas　tour　to　entertain　the　troops　in　Seoul。　Thirty　seconds　after　he　
　〃What　for？　You're　almost　thirty　years　old。　Believe　me；　dear　boy；　those　tours　are　no　fun。　I　〃　
　〃I　don't　give　a　damn　whether　they're　fun　or　not；〃　Toby　shouted　into　the　phone。　〃Those　soldiers　are　out　there　risking　their　lives。　The　least　I　can　do　is　give　them　a　few　laughs。〃　
　It　was　a　side　of　Toby　Temple　that　Clifton　had　not　seen　before。　He　was　touched　and　pleased。　
　〃Okay。　If　you　feel　that　strongly　about　it；　I'll　see　what　I　can　do；〃　Clifton　promised。　
　An　hour　later　he　called　Toby　back。　
　〃I　talked　to　Bob。　He'd　be　happy　to　have　you。　But　if　you　should　change　your　mind　〃　
　〃No　chance；〃　Toby　said；　hanging　up。　
　Clifton　Lawrence　sat　there　a　long　time；　thinking　about　Toby。　He　was　very　proud　of　him。　Toby　was　a　wonderful　human　being；　and　Clifton　Lawrence　was　delighted　to　be　his　agent；　delighted　to　be　the　man　helping　to　shape　his　growing　career。　
　Toby　played　Taegu　and　Pusan　and　Chonju；　and　he　found　solace　in　the　laughter　of　the　soldiers。　Millie　faded　into　the　background　of　his　mind。　Then　Christmas　was　over。　Instead　of　returning　home；　Toby　went　to　Guam。　The　boys　there　loved　him。　He　went　to　Tokyo　and　entertained　the　wounded　in　the　army　hospital。　But　finally；　it　was　time　to　return　home。　
　In　April；　when　Toby　came　back　from　a　ten…week　tour　in　the　Midwest；　Millie　was　waiting　at　the　airpo