Excerpt
The Lawgiver andlt;link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../styles/9781451699401.css"andgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="ch01"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;andlt;a id="page_1"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;CHAPTER ONEandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;MR. GLUCKandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;(INTEROFFICE MEMO, 11:20 A.M.)andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img src="../images/line.jpg" width="100%" alt="logo"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;BSW LITERARY AGENCYandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW:andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Sorry to trouble you. That Andrea with the British accent just rang yet again. She already rang at 9 this morning on the dot. She said Mr. Warshaw would make it worth my while if I would put him through to Mr. Wouk on the phone even for a minute or two, and#8220;by mistake.and#8221; (A gross offer of a bribe?) She still wonand#8217;t say what itand#8217;s about.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img src="../images/f0001-01.jpg" width="89" height="23" alt="logo"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I ignored 3 calls from her yesterday and 2 on Friday. This will just go on and on.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img src="../images/f0001-02.jpg" width="182" height="28" alt="logo"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#160;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_2"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;(HW OFFICE PHONE RINGS, RINGS, RINGS.)andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img src="../images/line.jpg" width="100%" alt="logo"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;(Secretary on speakerphone) Look, HW, Tim Warshaw got through to me, told me what he wants to say to you, and asks for a couple of minutes, no more. I canand#8217;t take the responsibility to pass this up. I told him Iand#8217;d have to stay on the line and take notes. He laughed and said, and#8220;Why not?and#8221; Here he is.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;WARSHAW: (slow, deep voice) Mr. Wouk?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: Yes.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;WARSHAW: Sir, would one million dollars for a half-hour conference interest you?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;(Insert by HW: A jolt. These Hollywood hoodlums! He has the money, heand#8217;s riding high, Best Picture Oscar for his art-house breakout from the big disaster films. A million!and#160;.and#160;.and#160;.and#160;Family foundation, charitiesand#160;.and#160;.and#160;.and#160;sonand#8217;s divorceand#160;.and#160;.and#160;.)andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: Mr. Warshaw, Iand#8217;m ninety-six years old, trying to get one more book done while I last. Thank you, butand#8212;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;WARSHAW: Sir, dare I ask what the new book is about?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: No.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;WARSHAW: May I tell you what Iand#8217;m calling about, and I swear thatand#8217;ll be that? Iand#8217;ll thank you and hang upand#8212;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: Go ahead.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;WARSHAW: (pauseand#8212;slow, deep) Mosesand#160;.and#160;.and#160;.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: Moses?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;WARSHAW: Moses, sir. Pharaoh, Burning Bush, splitting the seaand#8212;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: Oh, yes, that Moses. The one Cecil B. DeMille did twiceand#8212;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;WARSHAW: Sir, this would be all different. Think twenty-first century, think special effectsand#8212;think maybe three-Dand#8212;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: Mr. Warshaw, Iand#8217;ve appreciated your approach. Most of all, your offer to thank me and hang up.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;WARSHAW: Thank you, sir. Iand#8217;m hanging up.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;(He hangs up.)andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#160;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_3"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;(HW NEW NOVEL WORK JOURNAL)andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img src="../images/line.jpg" width="100%" alt="logo"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;9:10 a.m.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Blasted day yesterday, when I was just getting a handle on the new approach to this confounded book, or thought I was. Timothy Warshaw, the red-hot moviemaker of the hour, with an artsy departure from his disaster blockbustersand#8212;he copped an Oscar for Best Picture, Midsummer Nightand#8217;s Dream, directed by a nutty Japanese with a cast of all unknown teenagers in masksand#8212;the critics rolled over neighing and kicking their hooves in the airand#8212;this Warshaw phoned and offered me and#8220;one million dollars for a half-hour conference.and#8221; Turned him down rudely. Last night at dinner we talked about it.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;BSW: Good. That half-hour conference is baloney. Heand#8217;d get his moneyand#8217;s worth out of your hide, one way or another. Is this new and#8220;impossible noveland#8221; of yours really started?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: Two preliminary journal files. No copy yet. I was drafting the first page of an opening scene when Warshaw bulldozed past Priscilla and got to me.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;BSW: What do you want to do about it?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: Nothing. Write the book.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;BSW: Well, Iand#8217;ve had my doubts, you know. Not much interest in Moses nowadays.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: Oh, no? What do you suppose Warshaw wanted to talk to me about? (Imitates Warshaw.) MOand#160;.and#160;.and#160;.and#160;SESand#160;.and#160;.and#160;.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;BSW: No! Wow.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: Coincidence? What else? Security breach? Nobody, but nobody, except youand#8212;and Priscilla, typing my notes, and sheand#8217;s a silent tomband#8212;knows that Iand#8217;ve been working on a Moses novel.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;BSW: Itand#8217;s a ploy.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: Forget it, then.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_4"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;BSW: No. Give him the half hour, but donand#8217;t take his money. Just listen.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: Whatand#8217;s the point?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;BSW: Iand#8217;m curious. Heand#8217;ll spill something.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HW: You sit in.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;BSW: Sure.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#160;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_5"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;(E-MAIL)andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;img src="../images/line.jpg" width="100%" alt="logo"andgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;WARSHAWORKSandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;CENTURY CITY, CALIFORNIA 90067andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;From:andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Tim Warshawandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;To:andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Hezzie Jacobsandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#160;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Nullarbor Petroleum, Houstonandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;