"Yes." "Yes." "Please." "Please." "Don't worry." "Don't worry." "It's utter chaos around here." "And I'm terrified that we're running out of time." "Am I trying to be too perfect?" " Oh, but I want it to be so exquisite." " So do we." " But we're trying to be too exquisite." " Why not aim for the stars?" " Good morning." " Good morning." " We do need some answers on the flowers." " Ah, yes, freesia, freesia." "Everywhere freesia." "Daddy loves freesia." "Good morning." "Good morning." "Oh." "Hello." "Hi." " Lights?" " "Lights."" "Not too bright and not too dark." "I'm looking for a saffron glow, sort of tea-dance '20s." "If food is the prose of a party, then lights are its poetry." "It works." "If food is the prose of a party, lights are its poetry." "I like that." "If music were the food of love, play on." "I'm going out of my mind." "Good morning, Mr. Parrish." " What do you think of all this, Helen?" " It's gonna be beautiful." "And Allison says the president may come." " The president's got better things to do than come to my birthday party." " Like what?" " Daddy?" "Do you have a minute?" " Good morning, Allison." "Not much more." "Big day in the big city." " What's on your mind?" " Fireworks." "Update:" " We are constructing the number 65 on the barge." " Mm-hmm." "Archers from the State College of New Paltz will shoot flaming arrows at it." "When it catches fire, it will give us the effect of a Viking funeral, but with none of the morbidity." "The Hudson River Authority says that for you, they'll make a special dispensation." "But, of course, there will be an overtime bill... for the Poughkeepsie Fire Department." "So, what do you think?" " Good?" "No good?" "" "Allison, I trust you." "This is your thing." "But it's your birthday." "I hate arrows." "They make me nervous." " Good morning, Dad." " Good morning, honey." " Morning." " Morning." "You're "Honey." I'm "Allison."" "Oh." "Dad, Drew called from the helicopter, and they're still two minutes away." " Drew's aboard?" " Mm-hmm." "He wanted to ride back down with you." "Why don't you sit down, relax, and get some food in that flat tummy of yours." " Are you coming?" " No." "You've got patients to attend to." "I've got three hysterical chefs, one of whom loves truffles, the other one hates truffles, and the third one doesn't even know what truffles are." " I hate parties." " But, Daddy, calm down." "You're gonna love it." "I swear." "Isn't it enough to be on the Earth for 65 years without having to be reminded of it?" " No." "" "Will you relax?" "I know it's a big deal day." " How'd you know that?" " Drew told me." "Does he tell you everything?" "I hope so." "You like him, don't you?" "Yep, I guess so." " I don't want to interfere, but, uh" " Then don't." "Well, here comes our boy now." "Shall we?" " Okay." " Hello, beautiful." "Hi." "Good morning, Drew." "Thanks for coming up." "Well, big day." "Wanted to line up a few ducks before kickoff." "Any thoughts, last minute refinements, variations, anything?" "Thoughts, no." "I did hear a voice last night." " A voice?" " In my sleep." " What'd it say?" " "Yes."" " Yes to the deal?" " Maybe." "Who knows?" "You know how voices are." "Hmm?" "I thank you, Delia." "Okay, let's go." "Delia, your pen." " Hi, Bill." "How you doin'?" " Morning, Quince." " I'm doin' great, and you?" " Oh, I'm great." " This is it, "B-day."" " Huh?" "Sorry." "Bontecou day." "We're gonna close... with Big John." "Look at you, Bill." "You're all cool as a cat." "Over at Bontecou's, I'll bet he's just shittin' in his pants." "Remember, everybody, big meeting tonight at Daddy's." "Dinner." "You, too, Drew." "We have lots of loose ends." " Not my birthday again?" " You're only 65 once, Dad." "Thank God." "Now let's get the day started." "Remember, dinner in the city at Daddy's!" "Mm-hmm." "It's so ridiculous." " Do you love Drew?" "" "No, don't do anything." "Just stay exactly where" " Do you love Drew?" " He's not gonna get a better offer than that." " You mean, like you loved Mom?" " Forget about me and Mom." " Are you gonna marry him?" " Oh, come on." "I'm probably." "Listen, I'm crazy about the guy." "He's smart." "He's aggressive." "He could carry Parrish Communications into the 21st century and me along with it." "Mm-hmm." "So, what's wrong with that?" "That's for me." "I'm talking about you." "It's not what you say about Drew." "It's what you don't say." "Maybe you're not listening." "Oh, yes, I am." "Give him whatever he wants." "There's not an ounce of excitement, not a... whisper of a thrill." "And this relationship has all the passion of a pair of titmice." "I want you to get swept away out there." "I want you to levitate." "I want you to... sing with rapture and dance like a dervish." " Oh, that's all." " Yeah." "Be deliriously happy, or at least leave yourself open to be." "Okay." ""Be deliriously happy." I shall, uh" "I shall do my utmost." "I know it's a cornball thing." "But love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without." "I say, fall head over heels." "Find someone you can love like crazy and who will love you the same way back." "How do you find him?" "Well, you forget your head, and you listen to your heart." "And I'm not hearing any heart." "'Cause the truth is, honey, there's no sense living your life without this." "To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven't lived a life at all." "But you have to try, 'cause if you haven't tried, you haven't lived." "Bravo!" "Oh, you're tough." "I'm sorry." "Okay." "Give it to me again, but the short version this time." "Okay." "Stay open." "Who knows?" "Lightning could strike." "" " Yeah?" "Yeah." "What do you think?" "Is it just the executive committee, or are you guys gonna use me?" "Quince, man, thanks for the offer, but it's all set for just me and Bill." " More people might" " I know." "I know, gum up the works." ""I want you to get swept away."" " Huh?" " I was just sayin' to Quince that we won't need him until" " Did you hear something?" " Yeah, but I was just sayin' to Quince" " No, no, no." "Not you." " What's the matter, Daddy?" " Nothing." "I'm sorry." " "I want you to levitate." "I want you to sing with rapture and dance like a dervish."" " "Dance like a dervish"?" " Daddy, what is it?" "Nothing, I'm just talking to myself." "You know me." "No, I've never known you to talk to yourself." "Oh, well, can I give you a lift?" " No, I'm gonna catch a cab." "Listen, are you okay?" " Yeah." "Got my garters on, my ears pricked- ready for action." "Okay." "Well- Go get 'em, Pops." "You're damn right." "Okay." " Mm-hmm." "Mm-hmm." "" "Oh, haven't heard that one before." "I'm sorry." "I had to say it." " Honey?" "Honey?" " Hi, George." "Honey, you have to go on." "Okay?" "There's a time to sow and a time to reap." " You have to sow." "" "Sorry." "Excuse me." "No, I liked him." "I don't like him anymore." "'Cause you're my honey." "Someone messes with you, they mess with me." "That's it." "I'm on a plane in a heartbeat." "You let me know." "Yep, when I get my phone in, you're my first call." "I promise." "Hit the books, get the degree." "One day we'll be hanging out a shingle together." "How's that?" "Mmm?" "Okay." "You all right?" "Yes." "You bet." "Be strong." "I love you." "Bye-bye." " Morning." " Good morning." "I was talkin' kind of loud there." "I'm sorry." "Oh, not at all." "It was fascinating." "Yeah, what was fascinating about it?" "Um" " You and, uh, "honey"?" " It's my kid sister." " Oh." "And she just broke up with her boyfriend and was thinking... about dropping out of law school." " Oh, I'm sorry." " No, nothing to be sorry about." " That's the way it is with men and women, isn't it?" " What's the way?" "Nothing lasts." "Oh." "Yeah, I agree." "Really?" "Why?" "No, I'm interested." "I was just trying to be agreeable." "" " Okay." "All right." "I was sharpshooting." " Oh." " No, just that "nothing lasts" stuff." "That was the problem with Honey's guy." "He didn't know what he wanted." "So, he's fooling around, and she catches him at it." "You know, like one girlfriend isn't enough for him." " So, you're a one-girl guy." " Yes, I am." " That's right." " Right." "Looking for her right now, actually." "Mmm." "Who knows?" "You might be her." "No, don't laugh." "I just got into town." "I got the new job." "I'm trying to get into this apartment." "Anyway, so you're a doctor." "Mmm." "How'd you know?" "'Cause everyone's a doctor around here." "This apartment building" " Everyone's in green slippers, the green pajamas." "The guy I'm waiting for to vacate" " Doctor." " He's a doctor." "What kind of doctor?" "I'm a resident- internal medicine." "So, if I needed a doctor, you could be it." "I could be her." "Yeah." "You could be... her." "Uh-huh." "Yeah, I could." " I'm-I'm working at the hospital, so" " I see." "This is my lucky day." "I just get in the big, bad city, not only do I find a doctor, but a beautiful woman, as well." "Do you mind me saying that?" "Oh" " No, of course." "No, it's fine." "It's fine." "It's just" "Listen, could I buy you a cup of coffee?" " I have some patients coming in, so I should probably..." " Yeah, yeah." " get goin'." " I gotta get to the apartment and get off to work." " Yeah." " But I'd still like to have another cup of coffee." " Um" " Would you let me do that?" " Well, yeah, okay." " Deal." "Mmm." " Good morning, Mr. Parrish." " Morning, Jennifer." "So, board convenes tomorrow." "You'll recommend we close, and it's a deal, right?" "As close as a deal could be." "Olympic." "" " Yes." "Yes." " "Yes" what?" " Yes is the answer to your question." "Ah." "I didn't ask any question." "I believe you did." "Who are you?" " Goddamn it." "What's going on here?" " I think you know." " I don't." " Try." ""'Cause if you haven't tried, you haven't lived."" "What are you talking about?" "What you were talking about." "Who is this guy?" " Tell me who you are." " Are you giving me orders?" " No." "I'm sorry, I" " No, you're not." "You're trying to handle the situation." "But this is the one situation you knew you never could handle." "It's enough... now." "Huh?" "Talk to me, please." "There's gonna be plenty of time for that." "What do you mean?" "I think you know, Bill." "It's kind of a pro bono job." " "Pro bono"?" " Yeah." " Meaning, doing good?" " That's me." "Gonna be doing good all your life?" " I know what you're saying." "It doesn't pay so well, but, I like it." " Mm- hmm." "Eventually it'll depend on the woman I marry, I think." "Maybe she'll want lots of kids, a bigger house, better car, uh" "College doesn't come cheap." "You know?" "I don't know." "Wow." "Give up what you want for the woman you marry." "Hmm." "Yeah, you know what?" "I would." " Yeah?" " Gladly." "'Cause you make your choices, you know?" "Say, you and I, if we were married, I would" " No, for an example, okay?" "If you and I were married, I would want to give you what you need." "That's all." "I'm talking about taking care of each other the best you can." "What's wrong with taking care of a woman?" "She takes care of you." "You'll have a hard time finding a woman like that these days." " Shoot, you think so?" " Mm-hmm." "I don't know." "Lightning could strike." "I've gotta go." " Yeah." "Listen, did I say something wrong?" "No?" " No." " No." "No." "It was" " Sure?" "It was so right, it scares me." "That's all." "Just" "You know, I was thinking, I don't want you to be my doctor." "I don't want you to..." "examine me and" "Why?" "Because I like you so much." "And I" " I don't want to examine you." "You don't?" "Why not?" " Because I like you so much." "" "Oh, boy." "Okay." "Now I gotta go, so" " Yep, understood." " All right." "All right." "Fair enough." "See ya." " Bye." "Bye." " Bye-bye." "Music." "I know how you love music, Daddy." "And I want to have music that pleases you, but doesn't put a thousand other people to sleep." " I've agonized over it and finally settled on Sidney Brown." " Good." " Twenty-four men- very eclectic." " Mm-hmm." "Plus, I'm feathering in a Latin sextet on their breaks." "You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?" " What, honey?" "Sorry." " Daddy." "Yes." "Daddy?" "" " Mr. Parrish?" " Yes?" " Dinner's served." " Yeah." " Never mind." "Leave it to me." "Did you miss me, Bill?" "Chow time, you guys." "What are you looking so provoked about?" "Did you miss me?" "It's a normal question." "I missed you." "But what do I get back?" ""Not an ounce of excitement." ""Not a whisper of a thrill." "This relationship has all the passion of a pair of titmice."" "I'm waiting outside the front door." "Did you speak to the governor?" " He's coming." " And his wife?" "Yeah, unfortunately." "I sat between them at the Bronx Zoo benefit." "It was better than Seconal." "I'm waiting outside the front door, Bill." "Won't someone let me in?" "Lillian?" " Is there somebody at the front door?" " I didn't hear a ring, sir." "Have a look, would you, please?" "What about the mayor?" " He said he's going to be there with bells on." " Good." " Maybe they'll drown him out." " Please don't be negative, Drew." " I'm sorry." " We have an acceptance list that would do the White House proud:" "the chairman of the F.C.C., the Secretary General of the U.N.," " Wow." " nine senators," "I don't know how many congressmen and at least 12 of the Fortune 500." " Any jocks?" "Hmm?" " No." "No 20-game-winner, Masters champion, someone I can talk to?" "You were right, Mr. Parrish." "There was a gentleman at the door." "He's waiting for you in the foyer." " Show him into the library." "Tell him I'll be right there." " Yes, sir." "I've arranged favors, silver charm bracelets for the women," " Mmm." " and platinum key chains for the men, all engraved "W.P."" "But now I'm thinking of scrubbing them." "They seem so ordinary." "Are they ordinary?" "Do they seem that way to you, Daddy?" "I don't know." "I don't know." "I, uh" "Let me see." "I don't think they're ordinary." "I think they're great." "I love key chains." "Hello?" "Anyone here?" " I said, is anyone here?" " Quiet down." " Where are you?" " I'm here." "What is this, a joke, right?" "Some kind of elaborate practical joke?" "At my 40th reunion, we delivered a casket... to the class president's hotel room and, uh" "Quiet." "Where are you going, Bill?" "I, uh" "The great Bill Parrish at a loss for words?" "The man from whose lips fall "rapture" and "passion" and "obsession"?" "All those admonitions about being "deliriously happy, that there is no sense living your life without."" "All the sparks and energy you give off, the rosy advice you dispense in round, pear-shaped tones." "What the hell is this?" "Who are you?" "Just think of millenniums multiplied by eons... compounded by time without end." "I've been around that long." "But it's only recently that your affairs here have piqued my interest." "Call it boredom." "The natural curiosity of me, the most lasting... and significant element in existence, has come to see you." "About what?" "I want to have a look around before I take you." "Take me where?" "It requires competence, wisdom and experience." "All those things they say about you in testimonials." "And you're the one." " The one to do what?" " Show me around, be my guide." "And in return, you get" "I get what?" "Time:" "minutes, days, weeks." "Let's not get encumbered by detail." "What matters is that I stay interested." "Yes." ""Yes" what?" "Yes is the answer to your question." " What question?" " Oh, Bill." "Come on." "The question." "The question you've been asking yourself with increased regularity, at odd moments, panting through the extra game of handball, when you ran for the plane in Delhi, when you sat up in bed last night and hit the floor in the office this morning." "The question that is in the back of your throat, choking the blood to your brain, ringing in your ears over and over as you put it to yourself." " "The question."" " Yes, Bill." ""The question."" "The question." "Am I going to die?" "Yes." "Am I dreaming this?" "Are you a dream?" "I'm not a dream." "You're coming to take me?" "What is that?" "And who the hell are you?" "You are" "Yes?" "Who am I?" "Death." "You're Death?" "Yes." " Death." " That's me." "You're not Death." "You're just a kid in a suit." "The suit came with the body I took." "Let me ask your opinion." "Do I blend in?" "You want me to be your guide?" "You fill the bill, Bill." " I do?" " Mmm." "Will you be staying long?" "We should hope quite a while." "And then?" "It's over." "It's over." "Mr. Parrish?" "Will the gentleman be staying for dinner, sir?" "Yes." "Thank you." "This is crazy." "You're not gonna eat dinner with us." "No, I am eating dinner with you... and your family." "And that is what we're doing." "It's not open for discussion, nothing is." "Don't you understand?" "Yeah." "Good." "Now lead the way." "Bill, lead the way." " Excuse me, may I say something?" " Yes, of course." "Well, it just occurred to me, if, uh" "Speak up, please." "When I introduce you, if I say who you are," "I don't think anyone will stay for dinner." "Then don't." "Here's another possibility." "It's a little last minute, but tell me what you think." "Kaleidoscopes." "Little gold kaleidoscopes." "Some German company went kerplunk, and Tiffany's picked all these things up, and they're perfect party favors." "Okay, they're not personalized or anything." "They're just winter scenes- dachshunds, snowflakes." "Hi there." "Hello." "Sorry to have..." "stepped away for so long." "This is a friend of mine I asked to drop by." "We got to talking and stuff, and, uh" "He's gonna join us for dinner." " Great." " How nice to meet you." "And wouldn't it be nicer if my father would introduce you?" "How nice to meet you." "Yeah, I'm sorry." "This is my daughter, Allison, and her husband, Quince, and Drew, my number one, works with me." "Daddy, does your friend have a name?" " A name?" " Something he goes by?" "Oh, yeah, excuse me." "This is, uh" "This is, um" " Daddy, come on." "A name." " Bill, the suspense is killing me." "I'm sorry." "It's, uh- It's gone right out of my head." "Um" "I'm sorry." "This is..." "Joe." " Joe." "I love that name." " Just plain Joe." "Me too." "Hey, buddy." " Is there any more to it?" " What do you mean?" "Like "Smith" or "Jones" or" " Black." " Oh, at last." " Nice to meet you, Mr. Black." " Hey, hey, Joe Black." "Won 15, lost 2 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, 1952." "I'm king of my rotisserie league." " Are you?" " Yeah, he is." "Shall we sit down?" "Right there." "" " Have we met?" " He's from out of town." " How long you here for, Joe?" "As long as it takes." " You and Bill, you old friends?" " No." "No, thank you." "I have one, thank you." " I get the feeling you've done some business before." " I got it." "Have you done some business before?" "We have an arrangement now." "What side of the industry did you say you were on?" "I didn't say." "Joe sounds like a ringer, Bill." "I have a feeling you guys got the broad strokes already." "You need any help with the details?" "I'm sorry, business at dinner." " Forgive me for being so rude." " Certainly." "Hi, everybody." "I'm sorry I'm late." " I had to have dinner with my department chief." " You ate?" "I'm here, aren't I?" "I wouldn't miss a loose ends meeting." "What's on the table for discussion?" "Party favors, flowers" " Hi, Dad." " Hi." " Hello." " Hi, Drew." "What are you doing here?" "You know each other?" "We've met." "This morning, the Corinth Coffee Shop." "He was, uh- He was looking for a doctor." " Well, I guess he's found one." "" "Joe, you do get around." " That's your name?" " And isn't it a lovely one?" " So sturdy, so straight." "Stop it." "" "Incidentally, Joe, where are you staying?" " Here." " You're staying here?" " In this house?" " Yes, in this house." "Great." "Great." "Great." "Will that hold you, Joe?" "Incidentally, Joe what?" "Black." "This is fun." " Yes." "Yes, Quince, it is." "" "So, what are you doing here, Joe?" "Cat got your tongue?" "You weren't so silent this morning." "This morning, yes." "I wasn't quite myself." "Well, it's a shame whoever you were couldn't be here tonight." "Cut it out, Susan." "We've gotta talk." "Busy day tomorrow, everybody." "Joe, let's go." "Yes." "That stuff between you and Susan threw me." "Threw you?" "Where?" "Shook me up." "I mean, how is it that you happened to meet my daughter?" "I didn't meet her." "The young man I took met her." "That is, the fellow she encountered in the coffee shop this morning." "What happened to him?" "I needed a body, Bill." "So," "come in." "Uh, bathroom, tub, towels, sauna, chairs, lamps, bed." "Well, if there is anything else," " don't hesitate." " I won't." " " " I can try." " Will she be available next week?" "I don't know." "Yes, sir?" "Hello." "I'm Joe Black." "It's nice meeting you." "Yes, of course, Mr. Black, sir." "A pleasure." "Eh" "What is that?" " You mean this, sir?" " Yes." "It's, uh, Laura Scudder's peanut butter, sir." "You like it?" "Well, I would say, in my opinion, it's right up there with Jif and Skippy." "Could I offer you a taste, sir?" " Yes." " All right." "Do you fancy it, sir?" "More?" "Right." "Mmm." " Mmm." "" "You're a peanut butter man now, eh, sir?" "Yes, I believe I am." "I thoroughly enjoy this peanut butter." "And I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you all." " I'll be moseying on." " Right, sir." "What are you doing here?" "I'm lost." "I can't seem to escape you today." " I'm sorry." " Yeah." "Would you hand me one of those?" "You must have something very... big going on with my father." " Big?" " Yeah." "You appear at his side out of the blue, stay at his house, have dinner with his family." "That's, uh, practically a first." "You're in the red-hot center of big business, and I thought you were just a regular Joe." " I am Joe." " Not the one that I met this morning." "Hitting on me in as nice a way as I've been hit on in a long time." "The second that you found out I was my father's daughter, you, uh" "Well, you acted like a stranger." "That is not my intention." "What are your intentions?" "Huh?" "I mean, just to, uh, make little dramas in coffee shops, turn a woman's head?" "I don't mind admitting that my-my head was turned." "I-I liked it." "But, well, ten hours later, I feel like a fool." "I just don't get it." "I don't." "You, my father, here in this house." "It's, uh" "It's upsetting me, and I" "What happened to that sweet guy from the coffee shop?" "Who are you, anyway?" "And... what are you eating?" "Peanut butter." "Hmm." "But it's gone now." "Wh" " No." "Please." " You act like you've never had peanut butter before." " I haven't." " What kind of childhood did you have?" " Do you love Drew?" "Excuse me?" "When you put your mouth to his, it seemed a frequent thing." "Drew is none of your business, and neither is where I put my mouth." "I'm sorry." "Do you live here?" "No, Joe, I'm swimming here and now I'm going home." "Yes, I think what I'm trying to say is," "I would like it if we were friends." "I've got plenty of friends." "I don't have any." "Well, I can see why." "I didn't mean to offend you at dinner." "I'm sometimes... not quite at home around people." "I get busy doing, uh, what it is I do." "And I don't seem to have developed" "Yes?" "I have a certain function to perform, and it seems to take up most of my time." "But sometimes I... speculate... that I haven't left room for... anything else." "Hmm." "I'm sorry to say I know what you mean." "Well, um" "Good night, Joe." "Yes." "Good night to you, Susan." " Morning, Madeline." " Oh, good morning, Mr. Parrish." " Everything okay?" " Yes, sir." "Good." "Morning." "Good morning, Bill." "What's on the docket for today?" " Docket?" " Hmm, yes." "What shall we do?" " Well, I have to go to work, and" " Splendid." "I'll join you." "Oh." "Would you like to ride or walk?" "Walk." "I wish to see the world." "This is crazy." "This is the left field thing of all time." "I, uh" " I don't know if I can get through this." " What do I do?" "What do I tell my family?" " You'll get through this, Bill." "As far as your family's concerned, uh, I wouldn't say anything." "You'll ruin the great start we had last night." "Hmm." "It felt as if I was being treated like a person." "Yes, Joe this, Joe that." "A nice smile." "Quince passed me the rolls." "No passion or rapture or any of these mighty things you're so intent on imparting." "But I am certain, should you say who I am, our adventure would end abruptly." "Mm-hmm." "And I did so enjoy your family." "What about my family?" "This adventure involves only me, right?" "What do you mean?" "I'll tell you what." "You promise this undertaking of yours... involves only me and, uh" "And what?" " I won't tell anyone who you are." " Sounds fair enough." "Good." "Is it a deal?" " A deal?" " Yeah." "You give your word;" "I give mine that we'll do what we say." " Mm-hmm." " It is a truth exchanged between two people." " Bill?" " What?" "You have a deal." "Ow!" "That's great." "Great." "You know, I got to thinking." "With you here and seemingly occupied, how's your work going, I mean, elsewhere?" "While you were shaving this morning, you weren't just shaving." " What do you mean?" " You were hatching ideas, making plans, arriving at decisions, right?" "Yeah, I guess so." "So you understand the concept." "While part of you is busy doing one thing, another part of you is doing another, perhaps even attending to the problems of your work." " Correct?" " Of course." "So you understand the idea." "Congratulations, Bill." "Now multiply that by infinity, take that to the depths of forever, and you still will barely have a glimpse of what I'm talking about." " Joe?" " Yes, Bill?" "How about giving a guy a break?" "Make an exception?" " Well, there's one to every rule." " Not this." "And call my family." "I'd like them to have dinner with me tonight." "Didn't the family get together last night?" " Jennifer." " Of course, Mr. Parrish, right away." " Uh, perhaps you'd like to wait in my office." " No." "What I'm trying to say is this is a board meeting and you're not a member." " I'm sure you'll find a way to make it all right." "" "Nice to meet you." "Morning." "Good morning." "Thank you." "Eddie." "Uh, this is Joe Black." " He's a personal associate of mine, and, uh" " Hello, Quince." " Hey." " He'll be joining us this morning." "I know this is unusual, and my apologies, and, uh" " Drew, carry on." " It's nice to see you." "Didn't expect you, but, uh- certainly you can't get enough of a good thing." " Thank you." " Joe, would you like to sit there?" "Okay." "Uh, the Board of Parrish Communications is hereby called to order." "Our sole order of" "Our s" "Our sole order of business today is a, uh- is an acceptance of John Bontecou's generous offer." " And I think Bill" " Do you have any more of these delicious cookies?" "The jelly ones?" "Mmm, and a cup of tea." "With milk, I think." "I'd like to try it English style." "Yes." "A cup of tea with milk, please." "Is there anything else, Mr. Black?" " How about some water?" " Why, yes, thank you." " Hot or cold?" " Cold." " And a glass?" " Mmm." "Uh, to review." "We're really crossing the T's and dotting the I's here." "Uh, Bill had a great and conclusive meeting yesterday with John Bontecou, and all that remains for us is to put it to a vote." "Um, thank you." "Drew, um" "Yeah." "I did enjoy, or rather I was interested... in meeting John Bontecou yesterday, and, um" "Impressive, I suppose." "But, uh" "But" "It did get me to thinking." "See, I started in this business because this is what I wanted to do."