They went back to the mansion to have dinner. It was served by three waiters

Under the command of a butler, the table linen and ware were all gold thread and

Silver, but Hagen found the food mediocre. Woltz obviously lived alone, and just

As obviously was not a man who cared about food. Hagen waited until they had

both lit up huge Havana cigars before he asked Woltz, "Does Johnny get it or

not?"

2 "I can't," Woltz said. "I can't put Johnny into that picture even if I wanted to.

The contracts are all signed for all the performers and the cameras roll next week.

There's no way I can swing it."

3 Hagen said impatiently, "Mr. Woltz, the big advantage of dealing with a man at

the top is that such an excuse is not valid. You can do anything you want to do."

He puffed on his cigar. "Don't you believe my client can keep his promises?"

4 Woltz said dryly, "I believe that I'm going to have labor trouble. Goff called me

up on that, the son of a bitch, and the way he talked to me you'd never guess I

Pay him a hundred grand a year under the table. And I believe you can get that

fag he-man star of mine off heroin. But I don't care about that and I can finance

My own pictures. Because I hate that bastard Fontane. Tell your boss this is one

favor I can't give but that he should try me again on anything else. Anything at

all."