— Glad to hear that Bast yes I know he’s as concerned about your music as I am, really thinks a lot of you you know. Why just from this option arrangement he’s trying to work out for you so taxes won’t catch you on the spread between it and the market price on your new issue see how much he thinks of you as a business colleague, but I think he’s just as concerned about you getting time for your music as I am.
— Well yes he’s, in fact last night he told me he’s setting up this here ah, setting up an arts foundation that could give me a grant to finish the cantata I’m working on as soon as…
— Yes as soon as this little project’s wrapped up eh? Let’s get back to it here yes, everything else cleared up isn’t it?
— Yes I just wanted to ask you about my aunts’ account, if…
— Just reach over and push that will you? black button there…? Shirley? Bring in the Misses’ Bast statement and I told you to bring in my checkbook, I’d be careful on this foundation business Bast, tightened up the laws on these individual grants three or four years ago and you could run into some trouble, there just hand me that phone will you…? Hello? No no can’t waste the… just tell him I’ve got someone with me yes and bring in my checkbook, hang this up will you? Man who just called there incidentally just walked out of a big spot in corporate PR to join that Pomerance outfit Bast, might get him put on your account in fact so if you run into any problems there you can let me know, thoroughly offensive little man of course just needs to be reminded who’s buttering his bread sometimes yes come in Shirley, might take a look over there and make sure these electrodes are plugged in while you’re here. Yes here you are Bast, statement up through the twenty-eighth.
— Oh. Is, where it says security position is…
— See where we sold their telephone company right here yes, and then this Nobili you people have been buying into, got them a block here at thirty-one, averaged down with another block here when it dropped to twenty-three and got them out at sixteen, gives them a nice little tax loss.
— Oh.
— Yes and here, another nice tax loss in Ampex haven’t we, averaged down at twenty yes and again at fourteen, the rate management was handing out false figures to the analysts there was enough to make your hair curl, able to get them out at six though before it hit bottom.
— Oh what was, bottom…
— Selling at around five yes and it may be one of the better bargains right now if you think your aunts would…
— No but, but what’s this one, FAS…
— Famous Artists yes, correspondence courses in the arts photography that sort of thing, thought they might find it a bit more congenial than these humdrum industrials.
— Oh. Is it a tax loss too?
— No matter of fact they may enjoy a complete write-off with this one Bast, can’t promise anything quite yet of course, went through bankruptcy and we’ll have to see how their reorganization program works out, yes now let’s get on to the…
— Yes but you see Mister Crawley I don’t think my aunts really need tax losses and write-offs they…
— Cleared up that long-term capital gains situation on their phone stock yes, eleven thousand seven seventy-three now they can think about profits, got them into Natomas here at ninety-seven and it’s up just push NOM on that Quotron there let’s have a look… yes up three-eighths, you see? Of course I think we’re both aware your aunts aren’t the most sophisticated investors on the street can’t expect them to have a completely balanced portfolio overnight can we so let’s get back to what brought you here, just push over that checkbook? Now when do we hear it.
— Yes well of course just finding a copyist and going over it with him to prepare the orchestration will probably take…
— I think Shirley found some free time for me tomorrow afternoon you think two hours will do it?
— … what?
— Yes two hours or shall we make it two and a half, don’t want to rush things Bast I want to hear every note from your first violin right down to your accordion here.
— Yes but, but Mister Crawley it, how can…
— Don’t worry Bast didn’t think you had your whole symphony orchestra standing around out in the hall eh? No just tape or records or something, however you people do it.
— No but played by a full orchestra how…
— Yes what’s this Bast dig a little further down into your score here nothing but a lot of pencil scribbling.
— No but yes that’s the rough score the whole thing has to be orchestrated and then the parts for all the instruments…
— Don’t quite follow all this you don’t mean this is all we’ve got? This?
— Yes but yes that’s the score that’s the music yes it…
— But you just finished talking about ninety-six instruments yes, said something about your accordionist and first violin and now you…
— No but but holy shit Mister Crawley I mean what…
— What’s that?
— No I mean you don’t understand I…
— I don’t understand sir? No it appears we didn’t understand each other Mister Bast, when I commissioned you to compose the music for our film here of course I meant music, and to me Mister Bast music is something I hear. Isn’t that what music is to you sir?
— Yes of course yes yes but…
— Of course yes I think most people would agree that music is something we hear, and in this case I understood our purpose to be to call upon its powers to help evoke the majesty of another kingdom, to summon the breath of life to these fellows as they sweep before our audience on the screen… his own arm swept from the teak expanse to summon their vacant stares down from every direction — and I believe…
— But…
— I believe at that time I told you our primary audience would be a congressional subcommittee Mister Bast, worthy but mortal men cast in a simpler mold perhaps, who can scarcely be expected to share your talents, your ability to glance at these hentracks and hear those soaring tones that evoke the vastness of the plains, the purple…
— Yes but I, maybe if I could go through it for you on the piano I could, we could go to that hotel suite and you could…
— The piano?
— Yes or maybe I could take a tape recorder up there and play the whole…
— Don’t think you could do that fellow justice sitting at a piano… he hailed hartebeest across the blotter’s green, — and even if I were content with such a makeshift expedient I could hardly trifle with the limitations of our audience Mister Bast, to say nothing of my partner in this little venture, and as far as my partner goes I must tell you frankly I had the devil’s own time convincing him we wanted music at all. I’ve heard him sing Don’t Fence Me In often enough driving around his holdings there with a can of beer in his hand but I believe that’s the extent of his acquaintance with music, and since in effect I commissioned you against his judgment, you may see the spot I’d be in showing him this stack of hentracks.
— Yes but if I…
— Or sitting him down to two hours of plunking on a piano, now let me talk to you like a Dutch uncle for a moment Mister Bast because I must be frank to tell you I feel you’ve been spreading yourself a bit too thin. A look at this, this score as you call it while I listen in vain for the sound of music leaves me little choice but to believe that your recent rise in the world of business and finance has turned your head from your real vocation, and that what you originally regarded as quite a decent fee for this commission has paled before the rewards you now find within your reach. I don’t like the word slacker Mister Bast but I must say your intention here appears to have been simply to bring this work to a hasty conclusion and get on with these expanding business ventures you’ve been sitting here discussing all this time.