The smoke drifted through planes of light from the askew blind mounting 24/One Pound H-O and Won’t Burn, Smoke or Smell, crossed the plateau of bound volumes of the Musical Courier to climb no DEPOSIT NO RETURN and fail against the arc of the clock where the long hand pursued the small, passed it, descended and was gone. He sat up abruptly — damn it get anything done in this place… and he was in past 36 Boxes 200 2-Ply — hello…? Not here no Mister Bast left this morning, who… Mister Grynszpan? not here either no, who’s… oh. Oh they did…? and they said they’d just talked to a Mister Gryn… can’t understand them at all no matter of fact Mister Piscator they ahm… No, no it’s French yes talked to them myself, I… me? Grynszpan yes I just said that because I’m up here getting some work done didn’t want to be dist… just helping Mister Bast out yes took this call from… radium? No they… oh, didn’t mention rhodium no sounded like they had a catalogue of x-ray machines red and green catalogue want to buy the whole… Ray X that was it yes red and… all outdated inventory? Didn’t even ask didn’t seem to care no I don’t think they could read the specifications either, sounded like all they could read was the prices they want immediate… discount no didn’t ask for one they just want im… in the catalogue yes everything in it I sold them everything in the catalogue complete inventory if they can get hold of it immediately, just want to know where they can… got it all warehoused where…? Fine yes I’ll tell them that, goodbye… you’re welcome yes, good… what? No, no Mister Bast mentioned it said this Leva might call but he didn’t give me any details just left here this morning in a hell of a hurry and… Yes well look I’m busy I can’t… sorry yes but look I can’t get into… who B F Leva? worst God damned moviemaker in… losing how much…? You mean your company’s looking for tax credits up in the range of… who Bast? No didn’t say anything to me about a threat to the tax loss status of your textile wait look Mister Piscator don’t go into it please, I’m working on something up here and… yes I… All right look all five studios what’s the book val… what just in carrying charges…? All right look take on the whole thing get rid of that two and a half million cash outlay in carrying charges by dumping these four smaller studios well under book value, say you sell them off at two million one bring your tax credits up around forty million just hang onto the big studio rate this Leva’s going you’ll be… problem getting hold of their stockholders list quote the book value at a hundred and sixty-eight a share real God damned point’s how active it is, stockholders probably watching these losses sitting on their look I don’t know the whole story shouldn’t be trying to… can’t no I told you I’m working on something I… help Mister Bast out yes but he didn’t say anything about a… Didn’t mention that either no he… no look I… didn’t tell me about that either damn it look Mister Piscator trying to help out but I’ve got something here I’m working on that’s… I don’t know when I’ll finish it no! Now will you… you’re welcome yes good… I will yes goodbye.
He was back in muttering, dug out a cigarette and lit it before he came down to the sofa — forty million tax credits Christ thought he was up here writing music what the hell he’s been, where was I… he picked up the folder, set the enchilada can on Moody’s — get anything done here ought to just let the God damned thing ring, consoled only by the fact that Madame Bernhardt had allowed herself to be photographed in a yellow mackintosh as ungainly as his for the jaunt, Wilde still knew no country in the world where machinery is so lovely as in America. I have always wished to believe that the line of strength and the line of beauty are one. That wish was realized when I contemplated American machinery. It was not until I had seen the waterworks at Chicago that I realized the wonders of machinery. The rise and fall of the steel rods, the symmetrical motion of great wheels is the most beautifully rhythmic thing I have ever seen. Spread broadcast, this particular aesthetic experience of Wilde’s was now leveling men’s claims to being absolutely equal since they were absolutely free, the symmetrical motions of those great wheels homogenizing their no, no wait spread broadcast, this wait. On less aesthetic levels, Wilde’s experience spread broadcast leveling no damn it leveling levels wait. In less aesthetic versions, the symmetrical motions were, motions were, no, no elsewhere. Elsewhere the symmetrical motion… he tapped ashes into the enchiladas, tapped one foot against the other on Thomas Register. — Leveling men’s claims to being absolutely equal since they were absolutely free, the symmetrical motion of, symmetrical motion of God damn it, the symmetrical motion… he sat there tapping, — where the hell did that come from… and he had the guitar by the throat, plucked it, cradled it and strummed a chord — can’t be his no whole God damned thing’s out of tune… he hunched over it trying strings, tightening keys — owner must be a deaf mute… he plucked, tried chords, loosened a key, tightened one, tried a string, a chord, a bar — thing of Granados how the hell does it go… he made a fresh start. Another. The long hand crept from NO DEPOSIT, passed the short, the second hand swept past them both to NO RETURN, reappeared and was gone — almost had it that time God damn it just try to get anything done here…
He got in past 200 2-Ply, braced a foot and reached, — hello…? No wait this is… wait this isn’t… Look this isn’t Mister Bast he’s not here, he… Lunch? but it’s… too bad yes but… Well look it’s not his fault if you brought in Pouilly Fuissé and this salmon mousse before you called, he’s not even… that you’ve got a grand piano in your suite now fine I’ll tell him, good… what? Me? No that’s… yes that’s very kind of you but… no I have a lunch appointment just leaving for it, good… I will yes, au voir… he came down cautiously, — seems to lead quite a life up here… and he picked up a red cup to rinse it under the torrent in the tub, fill it at the one in the sink and drop in a teabag, back to set it on Moody’s and find a cigarette — get through one simple sentence here before something else where the hell was I, published this ten years ago it really would have been here, disappointed with Ni, spread broadcast yes. Spread broadcast, this aesthetic no wait what did I, elsewhere yes. Elsewhere, close and intimate acquaintance got with the wonders of machinery at first hand were lev, was leveling men’s claims to being absolutely equal since they were absolutely free, the symmetrical motion of those great wheels homogenizing their differences till Christ damn it now. At less exalted. At the less exalted levels where close and intimate acquaintance was, with the wonders of damn it God damn it…! He reached for the cup, spilled it back on Moody’s — get something to eat just no God damned energy, where I put those cigarettes. Now. At less exalted levels the synep, symmet, the symmetrical motion… his head came back, his eyes climbed 2-Ply Facial Tissue Yellow through planes of sunlight from the askew blind to rest on the Baldung propped up there, — that symmetrical motion… and the cigarette, dangling unlit, finally fell.