Temporary Kings - Anthony Powell [66]
‘I once went to a party given by Mrs Andriadis,’ said Glober. ‘That shows how old I am.’
Neither he nor Ada spoke of Widmerpool. There seemed something almost deliberate about their avoidance of his name. Then Glober stopped suddenly.
‘Oh, hell.’
‘What’s happened?’
‘I’d forgotten that contact man I was due to see at the Gritti.’
He looked at his watch.
‘I’m going to be late. What’s to be done in a town without taxis, and not a gondola in sight?’
Ada pointed.
‘If you run, you’ll catch the circolare. It’s coming up. You could just about make it.’
Glober, with a shout that we must meet again soon, seemed delighted to show his mettle as a short-distance sprinter. Taking Tokenhouse’s picture from under his arm, he bounded off. We saw him catch the boat, just as the rope was thrown across the rails. He turned and waved in our direction. We waved back.
‘What energy.’
‘All quite unnecessary too. He’s surrounded by secretaries and hangers-on of one kind or another, who are only there to give an impression big business is being transacted. I’m going to make for the Lido. Have a rest, before going out this evening with Emily Brightman.’
We walked on towards the vaporetto stop.
‘Who’s this American called Gwinnett that Pam’s taken a fancy to?’
‘Has she taken a fancy to him? He’s writing a book about our old friend X. Trapnel. If you don’t deflect Glober’s film interests to St John Clarke, Gwinnett might help in making a Trapnel film. Did she tell you she liked him?’
Ada laughed at such an idea.
‘I was hearing about Gwinnett from Glober. Can you keep a secret? Glober wants to marry Pam, not just have an affair with her. Don’t breathe a word to anyone. You won’t, will you? He revealed that to me when he found I was her old friend. Only in the strictest confidence.’
‘What does her husband think about that? He must have had plenty of opportunities to divorce her, if he wanted. Anyway, why should she herself decide to marry Glober?’
‘I doubt if Kenneth knows yet. He just thinks Glober’s one of her usuals. So far as Pam is concerned, the bait Glober holds out is the lead in this great film he’s going to make.’
‘Pamela? But she’s never acted in her life, has she?’
Ada thought that a naive reaction.
‘What does that matter? Besides, Pam’s no fool. If she wants a thing, she’ll force herself to do it. What Glober’s worried about is this young American turning up, who’s a Trapnel fan. He doesn’t want Gwinnett sticking round, if he does a Trapnel film. That’s why he’s begun to look about for another book to make his picture from. There’s a character just like Pam in Match Me Such Marvel. Of course, St John Clarke didn’t know anything about women, but a competent script-writer could alter all that.’
‘Why should she want to act at all?’
‘Because Pam longs for fame.’
‘You mean publicity?’
‘Anything you like to call it. Nobody’s ever heard of her. She doesn’t care for that. For one thing, she isn’t keen on nobody having heard of her, and quite a lot of people having heard of me.’
‘Where did Glober meet her?’
‘At her father’s place in Montana. Cosmo Flitton married an American, and they run a dude ranch together. Wouldn’t you adore to meet some dudes? Anyway, Pam went up there to stay, when she was in the States with Kenneth, and Louis Glober fell.’
‘So Cosmo Flitton’s still going?’
‘Not only still going, but a highly regarded figure out there, with his one arm and reputation of an old hero. Everybody’s mad about him. About Pam too, Glober says. He also described a scene that took place last night at Jacky Bragadin’s, which went rather far even for Pam. It all arose from the Tiepolo ceiling. That was why Kenneth Widmerpool