They continued up Madison Avenue. Everybody in the business was on the street and everybody greeted Lennox as though nothing had happened. Oliver Stacy hailed them and shook hands. "I'll give you a little advice, Jake. Next time you have to handle three in a hassle, don't fight high. Work low ... from the gut down. And use your knees. Forget about fouls when the chips are down."
"Thank you, Oliver," Lennox said humbly.
Stacy spread his shoulders and massaged his ribs. "I can't figure how Cooper ever got up there. It took me twenty minutes to get across that grid and cut him down ... and I know how to climb." He turned to Bacon. "How'd you do with her?"
"I'm going up to Brockton next week."
"She can't be that good." Stacy tilted his fingers at them lazily and departed.
Bacon led Lennox up to Grabinett's office. The signs had been removed from the corridor. Tooky Ween was in the main office with Grabinett and both greeted Lennox warmly.
"What a Christ Almighty thing!" Grabinett blinked. "That crazy Cooper jeopardizing a show like that. Tsk. Tsk. You get any good ideas down there, Jake? Ray was saying how we ought to do the mad scene from 'The Count of Monte Cristo' on the 29th. Jesus, you need a shave." He picked up the phone and ordered a barber.
"He helped my boy write a great tune," Ween rumbled. "I don't care what anybody says about him." He looked at Lennox. "Don't worry, Jake. I'm takin' good care of that property. His sister's gettin' her fifty percent regular, and it ain't a bad check."
Lennox was too weary to argue. He phoned Gabby and there was still no answer. The barber arrived and shaved him while Bacon swaggered up and down the office with his hat tilted over one eye and organized the cadre of the show. It was to be a panel format on the insult level. Mr. and Mrs. Missouri would interview guest stars, challenge their right to celebrity and stardom, and demand to be shown. The stars would entertain to prove their merit. Ween would provide the stars from his stable. Grabinett would provide production and direction, Lennox would provide script.
They argued budget for half an hour and then signed the agreement. Jake's hand hardly trembled when he picked up the pen and signed his name. He was beginning to feel solid again. The three days were disappearing.