Sheldon nodded. “That’s entirely correct. Want some coffee? Juice? Anything?”
Gabriel was prowling around the room, still scowling. “I thought Brenda was going to be here. She was in on the beginning of this idea....”
“Brenda,” said Sheldon patiently, “is B.F.’s assistant. She does not get involved in preproduction planning for a specific show.”
“Lemme use your phone,” Gabriel said, heading for the desk.
Sheldon quickly swivelled the phone around so that Gabriel could see the screen without coming around the desk and noticing Murray’s recording eye. Gabriel sat on a corner of the desk and started punching numbers on the phone’s keyboard.
Sheldon had to push his chair over a bit and lean sidewise to see Morgan.
“You and Les settled all the financial matters?” he asked, while Gabriel was saying:
“Brenda Impanema... whattaya mean she’s not at this number? What number is she at? Screw information! You look it up, why dontcha?”
Morgan seemed to be taking it all in stride, the eye of Gabriel’s hurricane. “There are a few minor matters that we’re not happy with, but I’ll straighten those out once the contracts are drawn up. Nothing to worry about. It’s not as much money as we expected, though.”
Sheldon shrugged. “Money’s tight all over.”
“Brenda! How the hell are you? Where’ve you been keeping yourself?”
“If money’s so tight, how will this affect the production values on ‘The Starcrossed?’” Morgan asked.
“That’s what I wanted to discuss with you. I know Ron thinks big and I agree with him, I really do—but.”
“Whattaya mean you think it’s best if we don’t see each other? Is this Finger’s idea of getting even with me?”
“You know,” Morgan said, “I’ve seen a lot of shows with great potential fold up because the producers didn’t put enough backing into them.”
“Yes, I know. But I think I’ve worked out a way to get the best production values and still keep the costs down....”
“I don’t care if Finger cancels the whole season!” Gabriel yelled at the phone. “I don’t want you pussyfooting around because you think it’ll make him sore if you see me. He can stick it....”
“How are you going to do that, Sheldon?”
“Well, after an exhaustive computer analysis of the situation....”
“I know you’re doing it for me,” Gabriel was shouting now, “but I’d rather see you than win an Emmy. Yah, that’s exactly what I said.”
“You were saying?”
“Our analysis shows that the optimum choice for producing the show....”
“This is just a stall, isn’t it? What you’re really saying is that you can’t stand the sight of me! Right?”
“...would be outside the U.S., away from the high rates that all the unions here charge.”
“Okay, kid. Maybe you’re protecting me. But I think it’s a Pearl Harbor job and I don’t like it!”
“And where do you want to put it?”
“Goodbye!”
“In Canada.”
“Canada?”
“Canada!” Gabriel leaped off the desk corner. “Who the hell’s going to Canada?”
“We are.”
“You are?”
“No, you are.”
Morgan said calmly, “He wants to shoot the show in Canada.”
Gabriel looked as if he was ready to lead a bayonet attack. “Canada! I can’t go to Canada! What in hell is there that you don’t have more of here? And better?”
Sheldon sank back in his chair. It was going to be just as rough as he had feared. Only the friendly stare of Uncle Murray’s steady blue eye gave him the courage to go on.
Two hours later, Sheldon was still in his desk chair. His jacket was crumpled on the floor and had Gabriel’s boot-prints all over it. His suppshirt was soaked with sweat. Morgan hadn’t moved at all during that time, nor hardly spoken; he still looked calm, relaxed, almost asleep.
But the walls were still ringing with Gabriel’s rhetoric. Two chairs were overturned. Both couches had been kicked out of shape. One of the holographic pictures was sputtering badly, for reasons unknown. The Bay Bridge kept winking and shimmering... or maybe, thought Sheldon, it was merely cringing.
“This is the dumbest asshole trick I’ve ever heard of!” Gabriel was screaming. “I don’t want to go to Canada! There’s nothing and nobody in Canada! All the good Canadian directors and actors are here, in California, for Chrissakes! We’ve got everything we need right here. Going to Canada is crazy! With a capital K!”
