Deception Page #7

behaving like the biggest fool alive.

You want to keep your husband in the dark.

So you tell me you're lying to him.

You tell me he's a nervous wreck.

You put the only weapons with which I

could attack him right into my hands.

Huh. What tactics.

And to insult me into the bargain.

Do you think I have no feelings?

Do you think Karel has no feelings?

What about last night?

- I think I behaved very handsomely.

I gave the man my composition.

I presume I have the right to

assure myself he's competent?

You deliberately made him play badly.

You were impossible last night at dinner.

Delaying him, upsetting

him, playing on his nerves.

And you think he needs no nerves

to play before 2000 people?

Let me tell you, I have a duty, not

to you, not to him, but to music.

As a matter of fact, I think his

nerves are better than his temper.

I believe at the orchestra

rehearsal he will do very well.

of course he will.

If he's there.

Alex, if I could only believe you.

That is a luxury beyond

your present means, my dear.

If you want to believe other people,

you better give up lying yourself.

You take my advice, go home to him.

Tell him the truth.

- But I can't. He'd leave me.

That's what you want, isn't it?

I'm sorry. I didn't mean that.

- Yes, you did.

But tell him.

And have him throw up the concert?

or would you rather take it away?

oh, I don't know why I should have

pity on a liar and a coward and a fool.

But lest you drive yourself

completely insane, I assure you...

...I promise you, the

concerto will be played.

If only I could believe you.

oh, I'm so frightened and so

miserable, I don't know what I'm doing.

You're doing your best to

turn a friend into an enemy.

But I know how merciless you can be.

Thank you. You'd better go.

Besides, I have somebody coming.

Alex, I'm sorry I'm such an idiot.

My dear, I have no taste for the abject.

But don't...

- I am now going to get up.

MAN:
I have an appointment for 11:00.

JIMMY:
May I take your coat, Mr.

Gribble? GRIBBLE: oh, thank you.

oh-oh. I usually carry

that myself, thank you.

JIMMY:
As you wish, sir. Please follow me.

[DOOR CLOSES]...

...oh, yes. Yes, that's right, into the study.

Jimmy, did you send that cable

to the London Philharmonic?

Yes, sir.

- Good. You can go away now.

Hello, Brunhilde.

[SQUAWKING]...

...oh, yes, yes, Mr. Gribble.

Bertram Gribble.

Yes, yes. Now, let me see, you've

been first cellist for 10 years.

Twelve and a half, if you'll

be kind enough to remember.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, tell me, how

did you like that concerto of mine?

oh, it's a masterpiece, Mr. Hollenius.

Superb. It's a work of genius.

- Huh?

It's monumental.

- oh, you liked the thing?

I thought it was absolutely wonderful.

HOLLENIUS:
I can't tell you how

anxious I am to hear you play.

GRIBBLE:
I can't tell you, how anxious...

...[DOOR CLOSES]...

...[CELLO PLAYING]

HOLLENIUS:
Never mind the beginning,

Gribble. Just start with the fugato.

Gribble. Gribble.

Good morning.

- I must talk to you.

Get in, I'll take you to rehearsal.

This is exceedingly kind of you. Most kind.

oh, I couldn't let you drown, now could I?

Well, I greatly appreciate it.

Nonsense. What would the orchestra do...

...if its principal cellist should

happen to catch pneumonia and die?

What would the public say?

- oh, Mrs. Novak.

What would Hollenius say?

oh, Hollenius? I doubt whether he'd

be more than momentarily concerned...

...over my premature demise.

oh, on the contrary, I happen to know

he has a very high opinion of you.

Has he?

Well, didn't he ask you to play his

concerto for him only last Sunday?

oh, yes, as a matter of fact he did.

Well, he liked it, didn't he?

oh, I must say he was kind enough to

congratulate me on a perfect performance.

If you're really interested I

can tell you his exact words.

May I?

- oh, please.

I noted them down in my diary.

Little tributes, it's so

pleasant to remember them.

'Perfect performance,' he said.

'Not a single mistake, no nerves, no

nonsense, no hysteria, no anything.'

No one can be more gracious than

the master. Said my phrasing...

Perhaps he was so gracious as to

promise you could play the part tonight.

Me?

- You.

You don't mean the solo part?

- Yes, the solo part.

Isn't your husband...?

- It's a trick, Gribble, to ruin my husband.

oh, no.

- oh, yes.

Gribble, it was not an accident

my picking you up this morning.

Really?

- I had to talk to you.

I've always heard you spoken

of as a man of great integrity.

Well, I hope so.

How do you know? Why

should Hollenius...?

Why should Hollenius hate my husband?

You've lived long enough in the

musical world to know the answer.

I assure you, Mrs. Novak,

I never concern myself...

What's all this got to do with the concerto?

Karel doesn't know

about Hollenius and me.

oh, I see.

Karel's life has been a tragic one.

He's suffered a good deal

in the past few years.

He's... Well, he's like a man who's

coming out of the darkness into the light.

And, well, Hollenius wants to

put him back into the darkness.

First he offers him this

wonderful opportunity.

He's gonna take it away.

- I can't believe it.

But it's true. If Hollenius

does this to Karel, he'll...

Well, he'll know why and

he'll find out about me.

And that will leave him

nothing, don't you understand?

Mrs. Novak, I'm a musician and if

the master considers me worthy...

...oh, you're not such an idiot

as to think that, are you?

I see no need to get personal.

I was under the impression I was to

understudy in case anything goes wrong.

But something will go wrong.

Hollenius will see to it.

Why didn't you tell me all this before?

- I'm telling you now.

It will happen today when Hollenius

takes over the dress rehearsal.

Now, I could hardly expect you to pass

up such a great opportunity for nothing.

I'll give you a thousand dollars if

you won't accept Hollenius' offer.

How many thousand would Mr.

Novak give up his opportunity?

But that's completely different.

Karel is a great musician.

oh, indeed. You think I'm less

of an artist than your husband?

oh, no, I didn't...

- Thank you, Mrs. Novak.

MAN:
Extra. Extra.

Extra. Extra.

Extra. Extra.

Gribble.

Gribble, I beg you. I'll give you $2000.

[ORCHESTRA PLAYING

HOLLENIUS' CONCERTo]...

...[KAREL PLAYING CELLO]

Shhh.

[TAPPING]

HOLLENIUS:
The flute is ahead.

Have you no feeling for rhythm?

once more, please, the flute passage.

Letter K, on the upbeat.

And the first bar a little slower.

[RESUMES PLAYING]...

...[FLUTE PASSAGE]...

...[CELLO PLAYING]...

...[TAPPING]

Same mistake.

[MOUTHS] Me?

HOLLENIUS:
Yes, you,

sir. once more, please.

The first bar a little faster.

[MUSIC RESUMES]...

...[TAPPING]...

...[CELLO CONTINUES PLAYING]...

...[MORE INSISTENT TAPPING]...

...[SLAMS]

I was under the impression

I had stopped the orchestra.

I was under the impression

this was a dress rehearsal.

Never in my life have I

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