sidneysheldon.astrangerinthemirror-第28节

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　〃My　tough　luck；〃　Sam　said；　ruefully。　Now；　as　they　sat　in　Chasen's；　Sam　turned　to　Clifton　Lawrence。　
　〃If　you　don't　take　an　arm　and　a　leg；　I'd　like　to　make　a　new　three…picture　deal　for　Toby。〃　
　〃Just　an　arm。　I'll　give　you　a　call　in　the　morning；〃　the　agent　said　to　Sam。　He　looked　at　his　watch。　〃I　have　to　run　along。〃　
　〃Where　you　going？〃　Toby　asked。　〃I'm　meeting　another　client。　I　do　have　other　clients；　dear　boy。〃　
　Toby　looked　at　him　oddly；　then　said；　〃Sure。〃　
　
　The　reviews　the　next　morning　were　raves。　Every　critic　predicted　that　Toby　Temple　was　going　to　be　as　big　a　star　in　movies　as　he　was　in　television。　Toby　read　all　the　reviews；　then　got　Clifton　Lawrence　on　the　phone。　
　〃Congratulations；　dear　boy；〃　the　agent　said。　〃Did　you　see　the　Reporter　and　Variety？　Those　reviews　were　love　letters。〃　
　〃Yeah。　It's　a　green…cheese　world；　and　I'm　a　big　fat　rat。　Can　I　have　any　more　fun　than　that？〃　
　〃I　told　you　you'd　own　the　world　one　day；　Toby；　and　now　you　do。　It's　all　yours。〃　There　was　a　deep　satisfaction　in　the　agent's　voice。　
　〃Cliff；　I'd　like　to　talk　to　you。　Can　you　e　over？〃　
　〃Certainly。　I'll　be　free　at　five　o'clock　and　〃　
　〃I　meant　now。〃　
　There　was　a　brief　hesitation；　then　Clifton　said；　〃I　have　appointments　until　〃　
　〃Oh；　if　you're　too　busy；　forget　it。〃　And　Toby　hung　up。　
　One　minute　later；　Clifton　Lawrence's　secretary　called　and　said；　〃Mr。　Lawrence　is　on　his　way　to　see　you；　Mr。　Temple。〃　
　Clifton　Lawrence　was　seated　on　Toby's　couch。　
　〃For　God's　sake；　Toby；　you　know　I'm　never　too　busy　for　you。　I　had　no　idea　you　would　want　to　see　me　today；　or　I　wouldn't　have　made　other　appointments。〃　
　Toby　sat　there　staring　at　him；　letting　him　sweat　it　out。　Clifton　cleared　his　throat　and　said；　〃e　on！　You're　my　favorite　client。　Didn't　you　know　that？〃　And　it　was　true；　Clifton　thought。　I　made　him。　He's　my　creation。　I'm　enjoying　his　success　as　much　as　he　is。　Toby　smiled。　
　〃Am　I　really。　Cliff？〃　He　could　see　the　tension　easing　out　of　the　dapper　little　agent's　body。　〃I　was　beginning　to　wonder。〃　
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　〃You've　got　so　many　clients　that　sometimes　I　think　you　don't　pay　enough　attention　to　me。〃　
　〃That's　not　true。　I　spend　more　time　〃　
　〃I'd　like　you　to　handle　just　me；　Cliff。〃　
　Clifton　smiled。　〃You're　joking。〃　
　〃No。　I'm　serious。〃　He　watched　the　smile　leave　Clifton's　face。　〃I　think　I'm　important　enough　to　have　my　own　agent　　and　when　I　say　my　own　agent；　I　don't　mean　someone　who's　too　busy　for　me　because　he　has　a　dozen　other　people　to　take　care　of。　It's　like　a　group　fuck；　Cliff。　Somebody　always　gets　left　with　a　hard…on。〃　
　Clifton　studied　him　a　moment；　then　said；　〃Fix　us　a　drink。〃　
　While　Toby　went　over　to　the　bar；　Clifton　sat　there；　thinking。　He　knew　what　the　real　problem　was；　and　it　was　not　Toby's　ego；　or　his　sense　of　importance。　It　had　to　do　with　Toby's　loneliness。　Toby　was　the　loneliest　man　Clifton　had　ever　known。　Clifton　had　watched　Toby　buy　women　by　the　dozens　and　try　to　buy　friends　with　lavish　gifts。　No　one　could　ever　pick　up　a　check　when　Toby　was　around。　Clifton　once　heard　a　musician　say　to　Toby；　
　〃You　don't　have　to　buy　love；　Toby。　Everybody　loves　you；　anyway。〃　Toby　winked　and　said；　
　〃Why　take　a　chance？〃　
　The　musician　never　worked　on　Toby's　show　again。　Toby　wanted　all　of　everybody。　He　had　a　need；　and　the　more　he　acquired　the　bigger　his　need　grew。　Clifton　had　heard　that　Toby　went　to　bed　with　as　many　as　half　a　dozen　girls　at　a　time；　trying　to　appease　the　hunger　in　him。　But　of　course；　it　did　not　work。　What　Toby　needed　was　one　girl；　and　he　had　not　found　her。　So　he　went　on　playing　the　numbers　game。　He　had　a　desperate　need　to　have　people　around　him　all　the　time。　Loneliness。　The　only　time　it　was　not　there　was　when　Toby　was　in　front　of　an　audience；　when　he　could　hear　the　applause　and　feel　the　love。　It　was　all　really　very　simple；　Clifton　thought。　When　Toby　was　not　on　stage；　he　carried　his　audience　with　him。　He　was　always　surrounded　by　musicians　and　stooges　and　writers　and　showgirls　and　down…and…out　ics；　and　everyone　else　he　could　gather　into　his　orbit。　And　now　he　wanted　Clifton　Lawrence。　All　of　him。　Clifton　handled　a　dozen　clients；　but　their　total　ine　was　not　a　great　deal　more　than　Toby's　ine　from　nightclubs；　television　and　motion　pictures；　for　the　deals　Clifton　had　been　able　to　make　for　Toby　were　phenomenal。　Nevertheless；　Clifton　did　not　make　his　decision　on　the　basis　of　money。　He　made　it　because　he　loved　Toby　Temple；　and　Toby　needed　him。　Just　as　he　needed　Toby。　Clifton　remembered　how　flat　his　life　had　been　before　Toby　came　into　it。　There　had　been　no　new　challenges　for　years。　He　had　been　coasting　on　old　successes。　And　he　thought　now　of　the　electric　excitement　around　Toby；　the　fun　and　laughter　and　the　deep　camaraderie　the　two　of　them　shared。　When　Toby　came　back　to　Clifton　and　handed　him　his　drink；　Clifton　raised　his　glass　in　a　toast　and　said；　〃To　the　two　of　us；　dear　boy。〃　
　
　It　was　the　season　of　successes　and　fun　and　parties；　and　Toby　was　always　〃on〃。　People　expected　him　to　be　funny。　An　actor　could　hide　behind　the　words　of　Shakespeare　or　Shaw　or　Moliere；　and　a　singer　could　count　on　the　help　of　Gershwin　or　Rodgers　and　Hart　or　Cole　Porter。　But　a　edian　was　naked。　His　only　weapon　was　his　wit。　Toby　Temple's　ad　libs　quickly　became　famous　around　Hollywood。　At　a　party　for　the　elderly　founder　of　a　studio；　someone　asked　Toby；　
　〃Is　he　really　ninety…one　years　old？〃　
　Toby　replied；　〃Yep。　When　he　reaches　one　hundred；　they're　going　to　split　him　two…for…one。〃　
　At　dinner　one　evening；　a　famous　physician　who　took　care　of　many　of　the　stars　told　a　long　and　labored　joke　to　a　group　of　edians。　
　〃Doc；〃　Toby　pleaded；　〃don't　amuse　us　　save　us！〃　
　One　day　the　studio　was　using　lions　in　a　movie；　and　as　Toby　saw　them　being　trucked　by；　he　yelled；　〃Christians　ten　minutes！〃　
　Toby's　practical　jokes　became　legend。　A　Catholic　friend　of　his　went　to　the　hospital　for　a　minor　operation。　While　he　was　recuperating；　a　beautiful　young　nun　stopped　by　his　bed。　She　stroked　his　forehead。　
　〃You　feel　nice　and　cool。　Such　soft　skin。〃　
　〃Thank　you；　Sister。〃　
　She　leaned　over　him　and　began　straightening　his　pillows；　her　breasts　brushing　against　his　face。　In　spite　of　himself；　the　poor　man　began　to　get　an　erection。　As　the　Sister　started　to　straighten　the　blankets；　her　hand　brushed　against　him。　He　was　in　an　agony　of　mortification。　
　〃Good　Lord；〃　the　nun　said。　〃What　have　we　here？〃　And　she　pulled　the　covers　back；　revealing　his　rock…hard　penis。　
　〃II'm　terribly　sorry。　Sister；〃　he　stammered。　〃I〃　
　〃Don't　be　sorry。　It's　a　great　cock；〃　the　nun　said；　and　began　to　go　down　on　him。　It　was　six　months　before　he　learned　that　it　was　Toby　who　had　sent　the　hooker　in　to　him。　
　As　Toby　was　stepping　out　of　an　elevator　one　day；　he　turned　to　a　pompous　network　executive　and　said；　〃By　the　way；　Will；　how　did　you　ever　e　out　on　that　morals　charge？〃　The　elevator　door　closed　and　the　executive　was　left　with　half　a　dozen　people　eyeing　him　warily。　
　When　it　came　time　to　negotiate　a　new　contract；　Toby　arranged　for　a　trained　panther　to　be　delivered　to　him　at　the　studio。　Toby　opened　Sam　Winters's　office　door　while　Sam　was　in　the　middle　of　a　meeting。　
　〃My　agent　wants　to　talk　to　you；〃　Toby　said。　He　shoved　the　panther　inside　the　office　and　closed　the　door。　When　Toby　told　the　story　later；　he　said；　
　〃Three　of　the　guys　in　that　office　almost　had　heart　attacks。　It　took　them　a　month　to　get　the　smell　of　panther　piss　out　of　that　room。〃　
　Toby　had　a　staff　of　ten　writers　working　for　him；　headed　by　O'Hanlon　and　Rainger。　Toby　plained　constantly　about　the　material　his　writers　gave　him。　Once　Toby　made　a　whore　a　member　of　the　writing　team。　When　Toby　learned　that　his　writers　were　spending　most　of　their　time　in　the　bedroom；　he　had　to　fire　her。　Another　time；　Toby　brought　an　organ　grinder　and　his　monkey　to　a　story　conference。　It　was　humiliating　and　demeaning；　but　O'Hanlon　and　Rainger　and　the　other　writers　took　it　because　Toby　turned　their　material　into　pure　gold。　He　was　the　best　in　the　business。　Toby's　generosity　was　profligate。　He　gave　his　employees　and　his　friends　gold　watches　and　cigarette　lighters　and　plete　wardrobes　and　trips　to　Europe。　He　carried　an　enormous　amount　of　money　with　him　and　paid　for　everything　in　cash；　including　two　Rolls…Royces。　He　was　a　soft　touch。　Every　Friday　a　dozen　hangers…on　in　the　Business　would　line　up　for　a　handout。　Once　Toby　said　to　one　of　the　regulars；　
　〃Hey；　what　are　you　doing　here　today？　I　read　in　Variety　that　you　got　a　job　in　a　picture。〃　
　The　man　looked　at　Toby　and　said；　〃Hell；　don't　I　get　two　weeks'　notice？〃　
　There　were　myriad　stories　about　Toby；　and　nearly　all　of　them　were　true。　One　day；　during　a　story　conference　a　writer　walked　in　late；　an　unforgivable　sin。　
　〃I'm　sorry　I'm　late；〃　he　apologized。　〃My　kid　was　run　over　by　a　car　this　morning。〃
　Toby　looked　at　him　and　said；　〃Did　you　bring　the　jokes？〃
　Everyone　in　the　room　was　shocked。　After　the　meeting；　one　of　the　writers　said　to　O'Hanlon；　〃That's　the　coldest　son　of　bitch　in　the　world。　If　you　were　on　fire；　he'd　sell　you　water。〃　
　Toby　flew　in　a　top　brain　surgeon　to　operate　on　the　injured　boy　and　paid　all　the　hospital　bills。　He　said　to　the　father；　〃If　you　ever　mention　this　to　anyone；　you're　out　on　your　ass。〃　
　Work　was　the　only　thing　that　made　Toby　forget　his　loneliness