Ruthless Page #7

My wife.

How do you do, Mrs Mansfield.

How do you do.

I never would have barged in like this if

I knew we had a visitor from the north.

I'm very flattered.

Mr Mansfield has had the

visitor since before lunch.

Then we must both have you for dinner.

You make us sound like cannibals.

Mr Vendig means to take an early train.

Yes, I'm sorry. Please ask me again.

I will .. right now.

Do stay for dinner, Mr Vendig. Please.

I may suggest that as she represents

another 48% of Delta stock ..

Christa can outvote you.

If I may try your telephone again.

Good .. they may have

repaired the line by this time.

How do you like this one, Buck?

Darling, it is exquisite.

I love to see your little feet.

The line is still dead.

Oh, I am extremely sorry, my boy.

I feel personally responsible.

Meridian Telephone is one

of our Delta enterprises.

But Christ and I will endeavour

to make it up to you at dinner.

Won't we, Christa?

Meanwhile, you've had a long journey.

Perhaps you'd like to relax

and freshen up a little?

Philip will show you to your room.

Thank you.

Ring for anything you want.

You are very kind.

Well, my pet.

What do you think of our

handsome young visitor?

Oh, I don't know, Buck.

What's he here for anyway?

When you and I are so happy all alone.

Are you married, Mr Vendig?

Not yet.

Then I'm sure you must have the

pick of all the beauties in the north.

I'm afraid not.

Perhaps because I'm too

much interested in business.

I'm sure one of them

will change your mind.

I might like that.

To sum up, Mr Vendig.

Let me see if I remember.

For your two options,

you want 20% of Palmetto back.

Presidency in that company.

And a seat on the board

of directors of Delta.

Your memory is perfect, Mr Mansfield.

And if I decline to yield?

What grim alternative

do Christa and I face?

Poverty? Despair?

The most I can threaten you is,

that you'll have some concern.

I've analyzed Palmetto's prospects.

After another year of operation it will

be eligible for additional franchising.

Admirable, Vendig. I wish my own

engineers had been as thorough.

What do you think, Christa?

Oh, you know how little I

know about these things.

I am prepared to make

a counter offer, Vendig.

A cash settlement for your options.

My options cost me $800,000.

You can go ahead from there.

Ahead, Mr Vendig. Ahead.

Oddly enough, I was retreating.

I'm standing fast.

My figure is a million and a half.

This is mine.

300,000?

Full payment.

That is wanton, Mr Vendig. Wanton.

Besides, it is not yet yours.

Not until you endorse it.

If I weren't your guest, Mr Mansfield,

I'd consider this an insult.

But since I am, let me congratulate

you on your sense of humour.

I may not repeat the offer.

I should hope not.

$300,000, Vendig, is a lot

of money .. to some people.

Not to me. My nuisance

value alone, is higher than that.

As your host, I will be glad to recall

that it was you who used that term.

I can't picture you as a nuisance,

Mr Vendig, under any circumstances.

Mr Mansfield's residence.

It's Mr Hilton calling from Atlanta.

Yes, Hilton?

Yes .. what?

A raid?

A raid, you said?

Yes.

Good.

All this old business.

And I wanted so much to talk to you

about New York, Mr Vendig.

I go up there next week for shopping.

Of course, there is

nothing I'd like better.

Good. Thank you, Hilton.

Oh yes, and my compliments to Mr Haskew.

Meridian Telephone .. goodnight.

What are you doing?

Reducing a nuisance to

what it is actually worth.

A rimless zero.

How can you talk that way to Mr Vendig?

That's very neat.

A dead telephone. A dinner party.

I .. I regret to tell you, Vendig.

Some sudden pool of

Stock Market gamblers ..

Raided Palmetto stock and tore

in a few gaps in Delta as well.

So you rigged more than the telephone?

They've hammered Palmetto

down to two, and Delta to sixteen.

You don't seriously mean

to pick up your option?

Three million dollars on stock that has

a market value of one million, six.

I see I have a great deal to learn.

Yes .. this is an expensive

academy you've come to.

For your first lesson.

About you, I mean.

May I use the telephone?

Mr Haskew arranged it that it

operates only on incoming calls.

Are the trains still running north,

or did you rig that too?

No.

Robert is waiting to

take you to the station.

But you must send a telegram of ..

Let us say, condolence.

Are you sure you don't own the

telegraph company as well?

Now let me see.

Oh, no. I don't.

I made a present of

that to Mrs Mansfield.

Remember, my boy ..

The next time you go hunting big game.

Don't use a cap-pistol.

Fetch up the heavy artillery.

Or, try some ambush.

Thank you.

I'll remember that.

Goodnight.

You were wonderful.

The man knows everything about us.

He has sources of information that are

like bulletins from a ticker-tape.

There is no doubt he has us in a corner.

But Mr Vendig, let us hope

this is only the first round.

He's left us without a

move. I feel trapped.

Is it not a case of nerves, Mr Vendig?

Certainly not. It's just that

I can't see an opening.

We have one. We can

exercise our options.

Where would we get that much

money? Montgomery Trust?

It will be a little difficult, but ..

Since I'm an important stock holder,

they'll probably listen to me.

You mean that?

Yes.

Mr McDonald, there is only one

way I can justify your confidence.

And that is, to bring off

my part of the scheme.

I've a couple of surprises for Mansfield

should delight both you and the bank.

You are going to be

a smart operator, Vendig.

How about another outing next week?

I'd like that.

Oh, I have a friend who

is coming into town.

And like them, my time will be

pretty much taken up. But I'll try.

I'll give you a ring, Mr McDonald.

Good evening, Mr Vendig.

Good evening.

The lady is waiting for you.

The third table on the left.

Thank you, Sam.

Good evening, Mr Vendig.

Good evening.

Good evening, darling.

The usual?

Two champagne cocktails.

Sorry I was so late.

Keep you waiting long?

One minute is too long.

That's another thing I like about you.

You make me feel so important.

You are .. so important, I can't

wait to be with you always.

Darling.

It was a little difficult

getting away this time.

There have been too many

of these shopping trips.

Buck doesn't guess?

No.

It's just that he's so possessive,

he wants me with him all the time.

I don't blame him.

I hate going home to him.

I hate the thought

that he might find out.

But darling, you mustn't

be afraid of him.

I'm not afraid.

I feel so guilty.

Darling, that's ridiculous.

He can't hold on to you as though you

were a piece of property he had bought.

But I am. That's just it. I am.

You're going to forget your whole

life with him after we're married.

Darling.

I knew your strength

from the first moment.

That's what I hate.

These speakeasies.

Hiding in corners.

So do I.

But we have to slowly .. darling,

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