Trio by William Boyd

Author:William Boyd [Boyd, William]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241979839
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2020-10-08T00:00:00+00:00

SURRENDER

* * *

1

‘What’s going on, Talbot? It’s outrageous,’ Reggie said, plaintively. Faux-plaintively, Talbot thought, this sort of thing happened all the time in the wonderful world of movie-making.

‘It’s no mystery,’ Talbot said. ‘We need to create a cameo role for Dorian Villiers.’

‘Why the fuck?’

‘Because it will help the film in its film life. Having his name attached – you know: “with Dorian Villiers” – will help sell the film to the world. The sales people are excited, over the moon,’ he lied.

‘What does Yorgos say?’

‘He’s delighted, couldn’t be happier.’ That much was true. Talbot had phoned him and put the suggestion to him and he instantly agreed – agreed to Dorian’s hefty fee, also. ‘Cheap at the price,’ he said. In fact Talbot had floated the idea precisely to gauge Yorgos’s response knowing that the nature of the response would confirm or cancel his suspicions. The speed of Yorgos’s acquiescence duly provided the sign, and it did indeed increase his suspicions. Something was going on, Yorgos wanted to keep Talbot happy. And they still had to survive their face-to-face regarding the contract for Burning Leaves. Talbot now had the feeling he could ask for anything and Yorgos would accommodate him – anything to keep him sweet. It was worrying.

He and Reggie were sitting in Talbot’s office at the end of the day’s shooting. Talbot fetched his bottle of whisky and poured them both a glass.

‘Well, you’re the boss,’ Reggie said a little sulkily. ‘What kind of a role could Dorian have?’

‘I don’t know. He could be some kind of fantasy figure, an apparition, some creature of Emily Bracegirdle’s imagination.’ He suddenly had an idea. ‘Why don’t we ask Janet to dream up something? We’re talking two or three pages, a couple of days’ filming, maximum. Janet writes it, we shoot it, if it’s no good we might not use it. Dorian only wants to be paid for work done.’

‘Tax?’ Reggie asked, knowingly.

‘It could be anything.’

‘Well, you can ask Janet,’ Reggie said. ‘I refuse. It’s your idea.’

‘All right, I will. With pleasure. By the way, it’s not an “idea”, it’s a scheme, a tactic. This way we get a movie giant in our film. Nothing to lose, everything to win.’

Reggie didn’t look convinced.

‘I’ll swing by Janet’s this evening,’ Talbot continued. ‘She can dash something off. We’re paying her all this money, she might as well earn it.’

‘Janet Headstone has already saved this film.’

‘Then writing a couple of extra pages for Dorian Villiers will be like …’ He searched for a simile. ‘Like falling off a log.’

Reggie was thinking. ‘I suppose “with Dorian Villiers” does add a certain cachet.’

‘Exactly. Worth every penny.’

‘Just how many pennies are we paying the old bastard?’

‘Still negotiating,’ Talbot lied again. ‘Will you call Janet and tell her to expect me around seven?’

Talbot was late when he arrived at Janet Headstone’s house in Kemp Town – it was closer to eight o’clock so he told the driver not to wait. He rang the doorbell and Janet answered, wearing a red and black kimono above bare feet.

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