Genius Page #5

All right.

All right.

You were right,

about the cut.

Sorry about being

such a bear.

Don't you think

you should go

with Mrs. Bernstein?

Hell, she was just

being theatrical.

All right,

so we forget

about the cut.

Let's go on

to Eugene

in London.

"He thought of the huge

smoky web of London

with the same joy,

"of the suave

potent ale he could get

in one place there,

"of its squares and

ancient courts..."

Daddy!

Daddy!

Hurry up.

Hi, daddy.

Hello, duck.

Ooh!

Daddy, I caught

a rainbow trout.

Nine inches!

You go help

your sisters.

You would not

believe the amount...

Maxwell, please.

Tom.

Tom!

It's done.

Done?

Stop writing.

Gather all your papers

and bring them in tomorrow.

Can you do that?

Can you do that?

Yes.

We finish editing this month.

We go to press in April.

We publish in October.

Look at me and say yes.

Yes.

Hmm. Shoot.

Mmm-hmm.

I think I'll go rambling.

Maybe Europe.

Don't want to be around

when the reviews come out.

What?

There's one paragraph

i have to add to the book.

By god!

I have to add it.

If you start

adding paragraphs,

we're sunk.

One paragraph will lead

to two and then we'll be

here for another year.

Shall I read it

to you?

It goes

at the very front.

"This book is dedicated

to Maxwell evarts Perkins.

"A brave and honest man

"who stuck to

the writer of this book

"through times of

bitter hopelessness.

"The author hopes

"this book will

prove worthy of him."

I wish you wouldn't.

Oh.

Why?

Editors should be

anonymous.

More than that,

there's always the fear

that I deformed your book.

Who's to say

it wasn't the way

it was meant to be

when you first

brought it in?

War and peace.

Not just war.

Max.

That's what we editors

lose sleep over,

you know?

Are we really making

books better?

Or just making

them different?

Morning, Mr. Perkins.

Miss wyckoff,

where would we find

Mr. wolfe at the moment?

He's in Paris, sir.

"Magnificent reviews.

Full of praise.

"Congratulations,

you've done it again.

Max."

"I can face

blunt fact better than

damnable incertitude.

"Give me the damn

straight plain truth

right now, damn you!

"Tom."

"Talked of everywhere

as a truly important book.

"All comparisons

with greatest writers.

"Even James Joyce."

"Hell, Joyce wishes

he was so good."

"Had to rush out

five editions of the book.

"Thirty thousand copies.

"Never seen

a book so talked about.

"They're calling

you a genius again,

god help you.

"Come home soon. Max."

Mrs. Bernstein.

Mr. Perkins.

What can I do for you?

It's rather what

can I do for you,

Mr. Perkins.

I couldn't help noticing

tom dedicated his

new book to you.

He dedicated his

first book to me,

you will recall.

It was a lovely sentiment

but what he was

actually saying was,

"thank you and goodbye."

I had served my purpose.

And now,

you have served yours.

"Thank you and goodbye,

Mr. Perkins."

With respect,

Mrs. Bernstein,

you haven't

the slightest notion

of my relationship with tom.

And in view of that...

He makes you do things

you never thought you'd do.

He liberates you.

And just when

you have come

to depend upon that,

he will leave you.

And you will never

feel so alive again.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Bernstein.

I know this has

been hard on you.

Whatever pain

he's caused you,

I can only hope

he didn't mean it.

Can you give me his

address in Europe?

He asked me not to.

Can you tell me

when he's coming home?

I don't think so.

So,

I don't exist anymore.

I've been edited.

I haven't quite decided

who I'm going to shoot yet.

Tom,

myself

or you.

Have you

a suggestion?

Suicide seems

a bit extreme.

And killing tom

won't help much.

So I suppose

that leaves me.

I suppose it does.

You're overwriting

the scene, Mrs. Bernstein.

We shall see,

Mr. Perkins.

I am very sorry

for what's going

to happen to you.

Truly, I am.

Enjoy the time with tom

while you have it

because after him...

...there is a great hush.

Hey,

good to see you.

Max!

Tom!

Oh!

Wonderful

to see you, tom.

But we need to talk.

I have a taxi waiting.

Heck, no!

Taxi can take

my luggage.

No taxis or trains

or buses or automation.

I have to ambulate.

I have to feel

my country again.

You go ahead.

Thank you, sir.

You don't know how

much I missed you.

Oh, I missed you too, tom,

but this is important.

Aline came to the office

and she has a gun.

An actual gun.

Hell with her.

I've been away

so long,

we have to celebrate

my return to the greatest

of nations

with all things American.

I have to eat some wieners

and, and walk the city

and drink us

some serious liquor.

I mean,

can one man do it?

Write his whole

life story fairly?

Honestly? Like proust,

without all the upholstery.

Well, sure.

Now, of time and the river

stopped when I met aline.

I'll have to write

about that next.

She won't like it.

She'll love it!

It'll make her immortal.

Oh, Max,

look at this.

What's happening

to our country, Max?

It's so frivolous.

What?

What I do.

Writing books.

These folks

will never read.

Telling my life story

like it's important

to them.

These people

are starving.

Hey, come with me.

Come on.

You have got

to be kidding me.

It'll be worth it,

i promise.

Have I ever lied to you?

This would fall under

the general category

of breaking

and entering.

Let's have

an adventure.

Damn!

I don't believe it.

I don't believe it.

Why on earth

are we here?

This is where I first lived

when I came to New York.

This is where I wrote

look homeward, angel.

I would come here

every twilight

and look at the city

and dream of what

my life might be,

till the stars came out.

The stars in the sky.

The lights

in the buildings.

All those lights.

All the power of life.

You're not

frivolous, tom.

I think back in

the caveman days,

our ancestors would

huddle around

the fire at night

and wolves would be

howling in the dark,

just beyond the light.

And one person

would start talking.

And he would

tell a story,

so we wouldn't be so

scared in the dark.

I guess I'll have

to look at the proofs

when I get back.

Is that all right?

How long?

Well, if I don't get shot,

a couple of months.

I'm telling you,

Spain is where

the action's going to be.

You've already done

a bullfighting book.

Nah, it's not

bullfighting this time.

World's gone

beyond that, I'm afraid.

It's war that's coming.

And you need

to be there?

Well, I need

to be somewhere.

I need to feel the old

lucha por la vida,

you know?

The struggle for life.

What else is there?

Hoist her up, boys.

We want to take

a photograph.

All right,

you heard him.

So,

how's the muse

from greater

asheville doing?

He's writing

a new book,

god help me.

Did you read

of time and the river?

Crap.

The boy has

serious delusions

of importance.

And he's been mouthing off

to the press too much.

Tell him to shut the hell up

and stick to his pencil.

Well, you know tom,

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