U.S.A_ - John Dos Passos [521]
"Oh, I say," Rodney Cathcart cal ed from the couch.
"Come over here, Margo. . . . I like you. . . . You've got to cal me Si. . . . My friends cal me that. It's more American.""Al right by me," said Margo, sauntering towards the couch. Rodney Cathcart put out his hand. "Put it there, pal," he said. When she-put her hand in his he grabbed it and tried to pul her towards him on the couch.
"Wouldn't you like to kiss me, Margo?" He had a terrific grip. She could feel how strong he was.
Margolies came back with a tray with bottles and glasses and set it on an ebony stand near the couch. "This is where I do my work," he said. "Genius is helpless without the proper environment. . . . Sit there." He pointed to the couch where Cathcart was lying. "I shot that lion myself.
. . . Excuse me a moment." He went up the stairs to the balcony and a light went on up there. Then a door closed and the light was cut off. The only light in the room was over the pictures. Rodney Cathcart sat up on the edge of the couch. "For crissake, sister, drink something. . . ." Margo started to titter. "Al right, Si, you can give me a
-411-spot of gin," she said and sat down beside him on the couch. He was attractive. She found herself letting him kiss her but right away his hand was working up her leg and she had to get up and walk over to the other side of the room to look at the pictures again. "Oh, don't be sil y," he sighed, letting himself drop back on the couch.
There was no sound from upstairs. Margo began to get the jeebies wondering what Margolies was doing up there. She went back to the couch to get herself another spot of gin and Rodney Cathcart jumped up al of a sudden and put his arms around her from behind and bit her ear.
"Quit that caveman stuff," she said, standing stil . She didn't want to wrestle with him for fear he'd muss her dress. "That's me," he whispered in her ear. "I find you most exciting." Margolies was standing in front of them with some
papers in his hand. Margo wondered how long he'd been there. Rodney Cathcart let himself drop back on the couch and closed his eyes. "Now sit down, Margo darling," Margolies was saying in an even voice. "I want to tel you a story. See if it awakens anything in you." Margo felt herself flushing. Behind her Rodney Cathcart was giving long deep breaths as if he were asleep.
"You are tired of the giddy whirl of the European capitals," Margolies was saying. "You are the daughter of an old armyofficer. Your mother is dead. You go every-where, dances, dinners, affairs. Proposals are made for your hand. Your father is a French or perhaps a Spanish general. His country cal s him. He is to be sent to Africa to repel the barbarous Moors. He wants to leave you in a convent but you insist on going with him. You are following this?"
"Oh, yes," said Margo eagerly. "She'd stow away on the ship to go with him to the war."
"On the same boat there's a young American col egeboy
-412-who has run away to join the foreign legion. We'l get the reason later. That'l be your friend Si. You meet. . . . Everything is lovely between you. Your father is very il . By this time you are in a mud fort besieged by natives, howling bloodthirsty savages. Si breaks through the block-ade to get the medicine necessary to save your father's life.
. . . On his return he's arrested as a deserter. You rush to Tangier to get the American consul to intervene. Your father's life is saved. You ride back just in time to beat the firingsquad. Si is an American citizen and is decorated. The general kisses him on both cheeks and hands his lovely daughter over into his strong arms. . . . I don't want you to talk about this now. . . . Let it settle deep into your mind. Of course it's only a rudimentary sketch. The story is nonsense but it affords the director certain oppor-tunities. I can see you risking al , reputation, life itself to save the man you love. Now I'l take you home. . . . Look, Si's asleep. He's just an animal, a brute blond