LEVEL LIDS SHE SAW FOR THE FIRST TIME WHAT SHE HAD HEARD CALLED HIS "SNAKE'S EYES". SHE HAD THOUGHT THE PHRASE A RANK LIBEL. AFTER FIVE YEARS OF BEING HIS WHITE-HEADED PET, SHE KNEW AT LAST WHY HE WAS FEARED. AND NOW SHE WAS FRIGHTENED AND BEGINNING TO FEEL VERY COLD.

"WELL, BABY, I GUESS WE'VE HAD IT," HE WENT ON WITH THE IDENTICAL VOICE AND LOOK. "YOU'VE MADE MONEY FOR US AND GOD KNOWS WE'VE MADE AN ACTRESS OF YOU. OUT OF A SKINNY SCARECROW HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN WITH NOTHING BUT BRASS-PLATED NERVE AND A DIETRICH KIND OF VOICE." HE TOOK A CORONA FROM THE HAND-TOOLED HUMIDOR, VERY DELIBERATELY PIERCED IT, LIT IT, AND VEILED HIMSELF IN A CLOUD OF RICH SMOKE. "BUT...YOU'RE NOT A SCRIPT WRITER, AND YOU'RE NOT BOSS OF COLOSSAL-UNIVERSAL. SO MAYBE YOU'D BETTER SET UP AS ANOTHER INDEPENDENT PRODUCER, BECAUSE WHEN | FINISH TALKING WITH MY FRIENDS AND ENEMIES THERE WON'T BE A LOT OF STUDIO DOORS OPEN TO YOU." AFTER ANOTHER SLOW MOMENT HE ENDED, HARDLY ABOVE A WHISPER, "YOU GODDAM DYKE."

DARE AMORY ROSE TO HER FULL FIVE-EIGHT WITH THE EASY GRACE HER FIVE-YEAR SLAVE SENTENCE HAD TAUGHT HER. "THANK YOU, G.M.," SHE GRINNED, AS OFFHAND AS IF HE HAD TOSSED HER ONE OF HIS LUSH COMPLIMENTS. SHE WALKED OUT OF THE COLOSSAL PLUSHY OFFICE WITH THE GAIT HE WANTED HER TO USE FOR GEBHARD. SHE SCATTERED A TRAIL OF CASUAL GREETINGS BEHIND HER AS SHE WENT THROUGH THE OUTER OFFICES. INSIDE THE FRONT ENTRANCE SHE SHUT HERSELF IN A PHONE BOOTH AND DIALED.

WHEN A SOFT TEXAS DRAWL ANSWERED, SHE SAID AS SOFTLY, "CONNIE, DO YOU REALLY MEAN IT ABOUT THAT RANCH, ALL YOU'VE BEEN SAY ING?"

"DO 1! BUT, GOOD LORD, YOU DARE-DEVIL, WHAT'S UP? WHAT'RE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

"I'VE JUST BEEN FIRED. TELL YOU LATER. I'M SICK TO DEATH OF THE WHOLE RAT RACE.

AND NOT ALL OF A SUDDEN,

HAVING TO WEAR COIFFURES AND CHIFFONS AND BE PAWED ON AND OFF THE SET BY SLAVERING WOLVES AND ACT AS IF I LAAHVED IT! WILL YOU RISK RETIRING ON WHAT WE'VE GOT SAVED? BECAUSE IF YES,' I'VE GOT TO SEE A LAWYER AND A BANK.

"WE'VE GOT SAVED? YOU KNOW GOOD'N'WELL WHAT THERE IS IN MY SAV-