Descent from Xanadu (7 page)

“Get me some Kleenex,” he said. “I’m a mess.”

Silently she went behind the bar and came back with a box of Kleenex. He looked up at her. “Clean me up,” he said.

Without speaking she took several tissues and swabbed him. He looked up at her. “You’re beautiful,” he said.

“I feel stupid.”

“You’re not stupid,” he said. “You’re free now. And so am I.”

She carried the Kleenex box to the bar and mixed two Scotches on the rocks and brought one to him. She sipped hers slowly. “That cosmetic surgery, will it work as you say it will?”

“Yes,” he said. “Even better.”

She took a deep breath. “Okay. How do I go about it?”

“It’s already arranged,” he said. “The plane to take you to Boca Raton and the doctor there is waiting for you.”

***

The pilot’s voice echoed through the aircraft. “This is your captain speaking. First, I would like to thank you for flying Pan American and trust you all have enjoyed a comfortable flight from London to San Francisco. We should be on the ground in approximately twelve minutes, and meanwhile you can see from the left side the famous Golden Gate Bridge and at the right side, Oakland Bay Bridge. Again, thank you for flying Pan Am.”

Barbara glanced from the window for a moment, then opened her compact. She still felt the surprise of looking in the mirror. It had been two years since Judd had taken her to Boca Raton for the cosmetic surgery. The face in the mirror seemed that of a woman in her early thirties. And Judd had also been correct in urging her to spend the next years in Europe. For the first time in her life she had felt herself to be a real woman. She touched up her makeup quickly and wondered about Judd. How much might he have changed in two years?

She had read stories in the newspapers and magazines about Crane Industries but there never was a picture of Judd in any of them. They had photographs of his father and many photographs of other executives of the company, none of whom she had known, but Judd’s name would only be mentioned, never a photograph. The telegram had reached her at the Dorchester Hotel in London.

***

Love it if you would cut the ribbon that would open the new World Headquarters of Crane Industries in Crane City just outside of San Francisco, Sept. 14, ’64. Anxious to see you.

Love, Judd.

The first person she saw as she stepped off the plane to the covered gangway was Fast Eddie. Next to him was a slim young man in a dark suit and tie, and a uniformed customs officer. Fast Eddie came to her with a large bouquet of red roses. “I’m happy to see you, Mrs. Crane.”

“I’m pleased to see you, Fast Eddie,” she smiled, opening the envelope with the flowers.

The card was in Judd’s handwriting. “Welcome home, Barbara. Love, Judd.”

She held the roses in her arms. Fast Eddie introduced the young man. “This is Marcus Merlin, Judd’s personal assistant,” he said.

“I’m honored, Mrs. Crane.”

Barbara shook his hand. “My pleasure, Mr. Merlin.”

“We have arranged courtesy of the port for you, Mrs. Crane,” Merlin said. “If you’ll give me your passport and baggage checks, I’ll transfer you directly to the helicopter.”

Barbara nodded, and Merlin led her to a side door down a staircase to the field where a limousine waited. The customs official took her passport and baggage checks and turned away. A chauffeur held the door open and she stepped into the car. Fast Eddie quickly opened a bottle of champagne and filled a glass for her.

“Your favorite,” he said. “Cristale.”

“Thank you for remembering.”

“It was Mr. Crane who remembered,” Fast Eddie smiled. “You’re lookin’ real good, Mrs. Crane.”

She smiled back. “I feel real good, Fast Eddie.” She sipped at the champagne. “And how is Judd?”

“He’s also real good, ma’am,” he said. “But he’s like his father, always very busy.”

Merlin came toward the open door. “Six Louis Vuitton bags?”

“That’s right.”

He waved to the customs official. The chauffeur and Fast Eddie placed the luggage in the trunk of the limousine. Fast Eddie got into the front seat with the chauffeur. Merlin looked in at her. “May I join you, Mrs. Crane?”

“Of course,” she said.

The car began to move away. “The helicopter is at the far end of the airport,” Merlin said. “I think you’ll like it. It’s our newest passenger model. Carries twenty-four passengers and crew. The newest Hughes model carries only fourteen.”

Barbara nodded.

“The flight will take only twenty-five minutes,” Merlin said. “That’s less time than it takes to drive to downtown San Francisco.”

“From what I hear, Judd has built a whole city,” she said.

“That’s right, Mrs. Crane,” Merlin said. “Six hundred apartments, one hundred private homes and twelve office buildings. Of course, there are schools, malls, shopping centers and, needless to say, a hospital.”

Barbara looked at him. “But why
here?
” she asked. “The company headquarters has always been in New York.”

“Yes,” Merlin answered. “But if you remember, ten years ago sixty percent of manufacturing was in the East and South. Now forty-five percent is in the West, and only fifteen percent East and South. Microchips and computers grow like weeds in Silicon Valley. We make more wine in Northern California than Italy and France. Aerospace manufacturers are all around the states of Washington, California, Nevada, and Colorado. Projections show us in another ten years our growth will be up five hundred percent.”

“But a whole city?” she asked.

“That was an idea Mr. Crane lifted from the Japanese. He saw that all the big Japanese companies—Mitsubishi, Nissan, Asahi, National, Panasonic and Sony—weld their production to their labor by guaranteeing lifetime security from the cradle on.”

“I wonder if Americans will feel the same way,” she said.

“We’ll see,” Merlin replied. “But as Mr. Crane says, it’s only an experiment.”

The car stopped. Merlin stepped out and held out his hand to her. His other hand gestured to the helicopter. “There it is,” he said. “Mr. Crane said that the first one should be named for you.”

Barbara stood there for a moment. The tears sparkled at the sight of the silver-colored helicopter. The letters were bold across the side:
BARBARA ONE
.

9

“It seems like a college campus,” she said. “They all look like children. I think not a one of them is over thirty.”

Judd smiled. “Except me.”

She laughed. “Excuse me.” She took out the plastic card that served as the key to her suite. “Come in for a nightcap.”

He nodded.

She opened the door and he followed her. The door closed automatically. She led him to the bar in the living room. “Scotch on the rocks?”

“No, thanks. I’d prefer a cherry Coke.”

She looked at him. “That’s something new.”

“Yes. Alcohol doesn’t do it for me.”

“But Coca-Cola does?” she asked. “Caffeine and sugar?”

“Something more,” he said.

She glanced at him.

“Cocaine,” he said.

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Living is dangerous for your health,” he said. “But the combination keeps me on the
qui vive
.”

“I don’t know,” she said questioningly. “I’ve never done it.”

“I don’t recommend it,” he said. “Just that it works for me. I checked it with my doctor and he said that it’s no worse than alcohol abuse. The idea is to use it carefully.”

“How do you know when you overdo it?” she asked.

He laughed. “Your nose falls off.”

She grimaced. “That sounds terrible.”

He laughed again. “Okay, then. I’ll have the Scotch.”

She put the ice cubes into the tumblers and splashed some Scotch over them. He took his glass. “Cheers,” she said.

“Cheers.” She looked at him. “You’ve taken other drugs?”

“Of course,” he said. “You have to understand. This is the age of dope and chemicals. Just as my father’s age was the age of beer and alcohol.”

“You’ve been doing it long?”

“Since prep school and college.”

“Funny,” she said. “We never knew it.”

“I was never at home very much.”

He crossed to a chair and sank into it. “Tell me about yourself,” he said. “It’s been about two years.”

“It’s been different,” she said. She sat opposite him. “I’m different.”

“I can see that.”

“Do you like what you see?”

He nodded. “Yes. I now feel you’re yourself. Before, you were a satellite turning around Father.”

“I didn’t mind,” she said quietly. “I loved him.”

“I know that,” he answered. He sipped at his drink. His dark-blue eyes looked into hers. “I suppose you’re wondering why I called for you?”

She nodded silently.

“It’s time you came back to work,” he said. “I need you.”

“Need me? Aren’t I a little over age for you?”

He laughed. “Touché.”

“Okay,” she said. “Tell me what’s on your mind?”

“The Vietnam War has Johnson in a box. It will escalate until it blows up in his face. In the meantime there’s a lot of money being made.”

“I still don’t know what that has to do with me.”

“General Connally,” he said.

She was silent for a moment. “Willie?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “I’ve heard they’re bringing him back from NATO and putting him in charge of procuring all weaponry for the Defense Department.”

“I still don’t know what that has to do with me.”

Suddenly there was no expression in his eyes. “You’ve been fucking him,” he said. “Pillow talk has sold more weapons than bribery.”

“He wants to divorce his wife and marry me,” she said.

“Don’t let him do it,” he said quickly. “That would blow his career out of the box.”

“And we’d get nothing out of it,” she added.

“You learn fast,” he said.

She went to the bar and refilled their glasses. “Just for your information,” she said, returning his glass, “I hadn’t planned to marry him.”

Judd was silent.

“Exactly what kind of material are you interested in?” she asked.

“Armed carrier helicopters. Hughes and Bell are already preparing bids. Armored personnel land carriers. Chrysler and General Motors are working on them. Shallow-draft river craft powered by jet instead of propeller. Jacuzzi and Piaggio are both shipping a few under test conditions.”

“And that can come to a lot of money?” she asked.

“Could be several billion dollars.”

She was silent and had almost finished her drink. “Several billion dollars! That’s good whore’s wages.”

He didn’t answer.

“What happened to your ideals?” she asked. “The dreams about immortality?”

“I still have them,” he said. “But I also have a business that I have inherited and still have to nourish.”

She took a deep breath. “If your father had asked me I wouldn’t have hesitated because I loved him. And I wouldn’t feel like a whore.”

“We’re all whores in our own way for our own reasons,” he said. “Power, money, sex, ideals. The commodities of life.”

“You really believe that?” she asked.

He nodded.

“You’re wrong,” she said softly. “You forgot the most important thing of all.”

“What’s that?”

Tears began to spill from her eyes. “Love.”

***

Sofia glanced up from the medical computer printout. “There’s nothing in here about whether or not you have ever been married.”

“I’ve never been married,” Judd said.

She turned her head to one side. “That’s unusual. Usually a man of your age, by forty-two—”

He interrupted her. “You said that you were thirty and you hadn’t been married. Do you think that’s also unusual?”

“Yes,” she said. “But I had a reason. My profession is very demanding.”

“Perhaps mine is too,” he smiled. “But I don’t feel denied. Do you?”

She paused for a moment. “Sometimes,” she said honestly. “I would have married and had children, but it never worked out that way.”

“You should have married,” he said. “And not just because you love to fuck. You would have given a great deal to your children.”

Her eyes fell to the computer printout. “According to this, you are in very good health.”

“That’s due to dissipation and lack of sleep,” he smiled.

“That’s in spite of it,” she said seriously. She put down the papers. “We’ll have to find time to bring you into a hospital for three days.”

“The next weekend in Boca Raton,” he said. “We’re due there anyway.”

“In the meantime there are several tests I have to perform. They won’t take much time.”

“You’re the doctor,” he said. The telephone beside his chair rang. He listened for a moment. “Send him up,” he said.

He turned to Sofia. “That’s Li Chuan, he’s Asian sales manager for Crane Pharmaceuticals.”

She rose from her chair. “I can return to my stateroom if you want to be alone with him.”

“Meet him first,” he said. “He gave Ginny a selection of shops to check out when we land in Hong Kong.”

Li Chuan came into the cabin and Judd made the introductions. Sofia smiled. “Thank you for your courtesy.”

“It’s my pleasure.” He bowed slightly.

She looked at Judd. “Will I see you ashore?”

“I’m sorry,” Judd apologized. “I’ll be very busy.”

“I understand.” She nodded to Li Chuan and left the cabin. The no smoking and the seat belt signs went on as she entered her stateroom. She slipped into her seat.

Ginny opened her door and came into the stateroom. She glanced at the seats around her. “Mind if I keep you company?” she asked.

“Not at all.”

Ginny took the seat opposite and clipped the belt. “Li Chuan has given me a list of some very interesting shops.”

“I really don’t want to see any of them,” Sofia said.

Ginny smiled. “Mr. Crane thinks you ought to collect a complete wardrobe.”

“His ideas and mine are very different. Clothes are not that important to me.”

Ginny laughed. “Get them anyway,” she said. “He’s the kind of man who wants his own way.”

“Is he like that in everything?”

Ginny nodded.

Sofia looked out the window. The wheels were beginning to touch the ground. A moment later the big plane was running smoothly along the runway. “I don’t know how the pilot does it,” she said. “You don’t even know it when the plane lands.”