Part 51 (1/2)

”How are you going to do it, Mark?” she asked.

He looked at her stupidly. ”Do what?” he asked her.

She tossed her blond head impatiently. ”Make the picture without them knowing about it,” she said sharply, restraining an impulse to ridicule him.

He shook his head slowly. ”I didn't say I was going to do it,” he said, a look of cunning coming into his face, ”I only said I would think about doing it.”

She watched him take another drink. ”I thought you were going to do it,” she pouted. ”I didn't think you were afraid.”

He got to his feet dizzily. The fumes of the alcohol were running around in his brain. He drew himself up proudly. ”Who's afraid?” he asked drunkenly. ”I'm not afraid of n.o.body.”

She looked up at him and smiled. ”Then you are going to show them?”

He looked down at her. He weaved gently in front of her. Doubt came back into his face. ”I thure would like to,” he lisped. ”But the work reportsth we thend to New York would show it up.”

”You could always say it's a t.i.tle change. They'd never know the difference until it was all finished,” she suggested sagaciously.

He stood there a moment thoughtfully, then his face broke into a wide smile. ”Thay, Dulthie!” he exclaimed. ”That'th a good idea!”

She got up and stood very close to him. ”Of course it's a good idea, Mark.” She pressed against him and kissed him.

He put his arms around her and buried his face against her throat. She let him kiss her until she could feel the tenseness of his body against her, his lips more demanding; then she broke loose from his grip. ”Mark, don't!” she said sharply.

He looked at her bewildered. ”Why, Dulcie?” he asked in an anguished voice. ”I thought you liked me.”

She smiled dazzlingly at him. ”I do like you, darling,” she said softly, coming close to him and kissing him lightly on the lips. ”But I have to work tomorrow and you know what those cameras can see.”

He tried to hold her, but she grabbed his hands and gently steered him toward the door. He went docilely with her. At the door he turned and kissed her again.

His cry of pain was like a strange music to her ears. ”Dulcie, I want you so much I hurt!” His eyes were wild and glazed with a drunken pa.s.sion.

She opened the door and pushed him through it gently. ”I know, darling,” she said softly. Her eyes were filled with many promises. ”Later, maybe.”

She closed the door behind him and leaned against it smiling. Absently she rearranged the front of her parted gown, then she slowly crossed the room and lit a cigarette. She stared at the closed door, still smiling softly. There were many ways....

3.

Peter sat quietly in the chair, appraising the man who sat opposite him. He s.h.i.+fted his position slightly. These British had no idea of what comfort meant. If a man's behind was comfortable, he could work better, think better. He looked quickly around the office. It was dark and dull and looked exactly like what it was, the British sales manager's office.

He turned his face back to the man, Philippe X. Danvere. A month ago he had never even heard of him but, concurrently with his arrival in London, the trade papers were filled with that name.

Philippe X. Danvere, one of the richest men in Europe, had gone into the picture business. How the man had got the idea no one seemed to know. Born in Switzerland, he had been sent to England to complete his education before the World War. The war had come along while he was still at Oxford and he had enlisted in the British army. His father, head of the world-famous Danvere Textile Company, had objected to this with typical hard-headed Swiss neutrality, to no avail. His father died when the war ended, and Philippe, then a captain, returned to his native land to take over as t.i.tular head of his father's company. He had remained quietly in that position until a month ago.

The announcement that he had purchased controlling interest in several theater circuits on the Continent and finally that he had acquired the Martin Theaters Circuit, the largest in the British Isles, had startled the film world. Speculation was rife about his motives but Mr. Danvere kept his own counsel. He was a tall man with dark, wide eyes, a prominent nose, and a firm mouth and chin. His speech and mannerisms were more English than those of many a home-grown Briton.

Peter had immediately dispatched Charley Rosenberg, his London office manager, to see Mr. Danvere and try to secure the Martin circuit account for Magnum. It would be a great thing for Magnum to have four hundred guaranteed outlets for their product in the British Isles inasmuch as Great Britain represented one half of the foreign market for American pictures.

Mr. Danvere had been most polite to Rosenberg. He had also been most cautious. He explained to Mr. Rosenberg that as far as the picture business was concerned he was still a beginner and would not consider entering into any agreement with an American company for their product until he had a.s.sured himself of their complete reliability.

Mr. Rosenberg had pointed out to him that Magnum had been in the picture business since 1910 and was from the standpoint of age one of the oldest names in the business.

Mr. Danvere had indicated he was well aware of Magnum's position, since his accountants had already made a study of the more prominent companies. He also indicated he would be most interested in coming to some kind of agreement with Magnum under the proper terms and auspices.

Mr. Rosenberg had inquired what he meant and had been told that as a textile merchant, mind you, not speaking as a member of the motion-picture industry, Mr. Danvere had found the most profitable sort of arrangement where the retailer had some close connection with the manufacturer.

Mr. Rosenberg then mentioned the fact that Mr. Kessler, the president of Magnum Pictures, happened to be in London at the moment and would welcome an opportunity to meet him, and a meeting was arranged to take place in Magnum's London offices the following week.

The meeting had been delayed two weeks by the unexpected illness of Mr. Danvere, who had inconveniently taken cold, and Peter stayed in London until Mr. Danvere had recovered. Now they sat opposite each other, with Mr. Rosenberg hovering solicitously over them.

Mr. Danvere was speaking. ”I must confess to a certain interest in your company, Mr. Kessler, ever since the war. I was an officer in His Majesty's armed services then, and I can remember the motion pictures you supplied the armed services without charge with a great deal of personal gratification.”

Peter smiled slowly. Free motion pictures to the armies of the Allies had been one of his most treasured projects. He had realized that supplying entertainment for the soldiers would create a great deal of good will for motion pictures. ”That's something I felt very grateful for being able to do, Mr. Danvere.”

Mr. Danvere smiled, revealing his rather large teeth. ”That's why I suggested to Mr. Rosenberg when he came to see me that a meeting might be in order between us. I should like to be able to speak to you frankly and confidentially if I may.”

Peter looked at Charley Rosenberg, who immediately excused himself and left the room. Then he turned to Mr. Danvere inquiringly.

Mr. Danvere settled comfortably in his chair. ”As I understand it, Mr. Kessler, and please correct me if I am wrong in my a.s.sumption, you are the sole owner of your company.”

”For the most part you are correct, Mr. Danvere,” Peter explained. ”That is, I own all but ten percent of the stock. That ten percent is owned by a Mr. Edge, who helped me found the company and is at present executive vice-president.”

”I see,” said Mr. Danvere, nodding his head. He paused for a moment, then continued. ”I believe Mr. Rosenberg made my viewpoint clear to you in connection with the showing of your pictures in the Martin theaters?”

”Not exactly,” Peter replied cagily. ”I would appreciate it if you would go over the idea with me.”

Mr. Danvere leaned forward in his chair. His manner was still elaborately casual. ”You see, Mr. Kessler,” he said ingenuously, ”basically I am nothing but a simple textile merchant. As such I have developed certain primary rules, which I endeavor to follow since they served me most successfully in the past. One of these rules applies to the sale of merchandise. I have found out by experience that an article is more successfully retailed when the retailer has an interest in the manufacture of the product itself. I believe that this same rule can be applied to the sale of motion pictures. For example, the Martin theaters would be more interested in securing the greatest grosses possible for Magnum pictures if they had an interest in the pictures themselves and could see the rewards for that additional effort being gainful in two ways. From the production as well as the exhibition of the pictures.”

Peter looked at him steadily. What Danvere meant in plain talk was ”You cut me in and I'll see that you do all right.” Back in the states they called it protection. ”I take it then, Mr. Danvere,” he said gently, ”you are interested in acquiring an interest in the Magnum company.”

Danvere smiled slowly. ”Something of the sort, Mr. Kessler,” he admitted.

Peter rubbed the side of his face reflectively. ”About how much of an interest are you considering, Mr. Danvere?”

Mr. Danvere cleared his throat. ”Harumph,” he coughed. He looked at Peter appraisingly. ”About twenty-five percent, I should say.”

”And for how much?” Peter asked.

Mr. Danvere looked around the office. He hesitated for a moment before he answered. ”Five hundred thousand pounds,” he replied.

Peter converted the money into dollars mentally. It came to almost two and a half million dollars. That would solve a lot of problems. He was curious as to how Danvere had arrived at that figure. ”Why that particular amount, Mr. Danvere?”

Danvere's eyes met his levelly across the desk. ”I make it a point never to go into any business venture half blind, Mr. Kessler. Before I purchased the Martin theaters my accountants had thoroughly investigated the entire company. When I decided to purchase them I realized that an a.s.sociation with an American motion-picture company would prove most beneficial to both parties. The record of your company was the most interesting one to me personally. You have a record of independence that commands my respect. You see, sir, my family fortunes, too, were founded on a principle of continually fighting the vested interests in its field. It was only natural that I should think of you in that light.”