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"Panoramic contact lenses," Everett said. "Would you believe they're as good as bifocals?
hard part, they told me, was dickering with my vocal chords. I'm supposed to fool a voice-pri
too."
"
In-damn-credible. Excuse my staring. You look thinner, too; what'd they do to your cheeks?"
Gina began to laugh. "Mostly kept food out of 'em," she said, as Everett strained to look al
"That was tougher than surgery, Mr. George. It still is."
Charlie darted a keen glance at Everett. "Something I keep trying to recall," he said, "about
meeting at my place. Somebody was sketching something." He seemed expectant, uneasy.
Everett sucked at a tooth. "No except for D'Este, of course."
"Go on."
Everett spread his hands, nonplussed, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Charlie, you're tes
me! You really aren't sure," he accused. "I feel more secure every minute," the comedian rep
But the concern did not leave Charlie's face until Everett passed his exam. The come-
apologized for his suspicions, to Everett's genuine delight. At the end of the ten-minute break
had banished their reserve and Gina was saying `Charlie' instead of 'Mr. George'.
The comedian's reaction underlined for Everett the success of the cosmeticians in Tuc-
Incisions at jaw and scalp had brought other subtle changes in the planes of the rugged features,
Gina's companionship accounted for much of the startling weight loss. Dental work, bleach, a
new hair style completed the pro-cess, though nothing had been done to alter Everett's fingerprin
The name was a conceit, one he had de-manded over the objections of David Engels. He
chosen the name of an obscure early Ken-tucky woodsman, from whom he could claim descent
claimed it gave him a built-in background, but with his obligatory change in clothing style, kne
was a substitute approach to his mountain-man fantasy. Gina, he found, had been wrong:
self-image could stay wholly unchanged under such an implosive as-sault.
Lunch was a set of informal choices between the NBN mobile lunch truck and a caterer's
both parked outside the mammoth sound stage. Charlie insisted on buying. "Don't worry a
fitting in today," he said around his mouthful of ham and cheese; "just get the feel of the pl
We're doing all my stuff on the bacidot these days. Find the head, the script girl, and the u
steward, and then you'll know where all the power is." He turned to Gina. "That place you ren
does it suit you?"
"Three exits, one from the patio," she nodded, "and a video monitor to check visitors. Besid
as though auditioning for Little Women, "who could possibly be interested in us?"
"Autograph hunters," Charlie said. "You two make an imposing pair. I might get you both s
walk-ons if you like, Maury."
"Sy," Everett said quickly.
"Shit," Charlie hissed. "Sy it is. Keep harping on it." He became his imbecile bumpkin: "I ain'
quickest study on the set."
"As for going in front of cameras, we'll decline with thanks," Everett said, explaining Gina's n
to maintain a low profile. "Face it, Charlie, union scale for bit players is a poor trade for the sa
she rakes in now."
Charlie studied the auburn-wigged Gina with new interest. "Somehow I thought you had,
personal motives."
Gina bit into an apple, chewed a moment before: "Mr. Kenton is, as they say, my main man
reservations on that, Charlie. But let me save you a lot of unasked questions: my client happen
be a very, very dear friend, and that's a bonus. Still, I am not independently wealthy." She aim
forefinger toward him to punctuate her next phrase: "And I intend to be. That means I must t
about other clients next year, and the next."
Charlie blinked. "You're very direct, Gina. In this business I tend to forget there are people
you.
"There isn't anybody like her," Everett chor-tled. "She'll con you with a candid serve, but
out for her backhand."
This reminded Charlie of the nearby tennis courts. Before returning to the set, he advised them
get familiar with the self-contained world of the backlot. NBN officials had assured Charlie Ge
that the vast fenced area was secure, far better than a leased location and near corporate office
well. They had not added that their own security chief disagreed and avoided mentioning
obvious: the backlot was relatively cheap. The new passes gave an added measure of security
their integral electronic ID. It was a measure that diminished geometrically with the issuance of e
new pass.
Larry Farquar toyed with his drink after work on Friday evening and assessed the
roman-nosed beauty through the bar mirror. He had spotted her the previous evening, her h [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]