Page 61 - The Myth and the Moment

Afternoon

here. Which half? Oh, doesn’t matter. How about every other
paragraph? Or cut the page in half, like the infant under Solomon’s
sword? Aargh! Nightmare! Can’t do it, can’t. Got to get The Myth and
the Moment back in one piece. No deals, no bargaining; this is not a
bazaar transaction.
“Do you want to talk out here, Nate?”
“All the same to me.”
“Okay. I’ll pull up a chair. Sorry about this little scene. And thanks
for helping to clean up. Now, what is this all about? You think I
robbed you?”
“That’s right, Phil. It was my bad luck to run into you again this
morning. I had a feeling you’d try to get something out of me. In
fact, I felt so certain that I headed straight for home after I left here.”
“I thought you had other jobs.”
“No. You didn’t count on my making up an excuse to get away
from you.”
“Oh, that’s preposterous. Now, listen here, Nate—”
“No, you get this straight, Phil. You and your charming wife
caught me off guard, and got my address. But I came to my senses
once I left. I hadn’t forgotten how you stole my material twenty-five
years ago, so I was going to go home and move my files to a safer
place. Unfortunately I got a flat tire and was delayed. When I finally
did get home, I found my worst fears confirmed. The odds are about
ten million to one against you; I don’t need a smoking gun to know
who did it.”
“Aestheria was right. You really believe this nonsense.”
“Damn right I do.”
No problem looking him in the eye.
“Now, look, Nate. I’m going to be patient with you. We go back a
long way. I don’t know what your problem is. I didn’t steal anything
of yours, then or now. You ran away from a very good deal at the
Blue Dharma; I had to carry on with all the commitments single-
handed. I was pretty pissed-off at the time, as I remember, and I
didn’t want to see you again, but I cooled off over the years, and now
I look back on that experience with a kind of satisfaction. We did a
good job together.”
“You put on two or three more plays based on my rough drafts
without my permission and without giving me a penny.”

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