“Not if you don't get it.”
“Why shouldn't I get it?”
“Because Silverstone will. And look what he'll do to your ideas—a conventional commercialist!” Zanin considered this. “I've got to risk that. Or it looks so. This thing can't possibly be done cheap. I propose to do something really new in a feature film—new in groupings, new in lighting, new in the simplicity and naturalness of the acting. It will be a daring theme, highly controversial, which means building up publicity. It will take regular money. Sue is in just the right frame of mind. A year from now God knows what she'll be thinking and feeling. She might turn square against our Village life, all of a sudden. I've seen it happen.... And now, with everything right, here the money comes to me on a platter. Lord, man, I've got to take it—risk or no risk!”
They were about to come to grips. Peter felt his skin turning cold. His throat went dry again, as in the afternoon.
“How much”—he asked, outwardly firmer than he would have dared hope—“how much do you need?”
Zanin really started now, and stared at him.
“See here,” he said, “I've gone pretty far in with Silver stone.”
“But you haven't signed?”
“No.”
“Nor taken his money?”