The Inheritors Read Online Free PDF Page A

GAUNT
President, Sinclair Television
    “I’m way ahead of you, boy,” he grinned. “It’s all there, everything you asked for. That’s the kind of service you get from World Artists Management. I’ve had our whole research department on it ever since you told me last week about the appointment with Sinclair. Now I’ve got all my boys standing by and we’re ready to spend the night with you going over the whole thing, point by point.”
    I smiled at him. “I should’ve known better than to think you wouldn’t be ready.”
    “Not only that,” he said. “I’ve red-flagged the shows that I think will be big winners that we can get on for next season.”
    “Good,” I said. “But what about the rest of this season?”
    His voice took on a pontifical tone. “Come on now, it’s October. There’s not enough time to get anything good ready before next season. You can’t do anything about it.”
    “Why not?”
    “You’re putting me on,” he said. “You know as well as I do that the season has been all locked up for months.”
    “I don’t know nothing,” I said. “All I know is that I’m going in there and I’ll be on the firing line, a target for every guy that resents my walking in. And you know Sinclair better than I do. He expects me to do something.”
    “He doesn’t expect miracles.”
    “What do you want to bet?”
    He said nothing.
    “Why do you think I got the job?” I asked. “I’m supposed to be a miracle man. Look what I did for Greater World.”
    He swallowed his martini, still silent.
    “Which movie company is in trouble right now?” I asked.
    He stared glumly down into his drink. “They’re all in trouble. Not one of them has a smell of real profits this year. They’re all going crazy trying to figure out a way to rearrange their bookkeeping so they don’t look sick.”
    “Okay,” I said. “I want you to go out tomorrow morning and buy as many top features for me as you can get your hands on. The only condition is that they’re all post-48’s.”
    “You’re joking,” he said flatly.
    I knew what he meant. Up to now the film companies had not released to television any movies produced after 1948. I let my voice grow cool. It was time he learned who was boss. “The one thing I don’t joke about is my business.”
    It worked as well for him as it had for Sinclair. There was a subtle change in his voice. “It’ll take a fortune.”
    “That’s unimportant. Have you seen Sinclair’s latest statement? Over one hundred million in cash.”
    “Then what will you do with them when you get them?”
    “I’ll blow Saturday night from nine to eleven and put them in.” I noticed he said “when,” not “if.”
    His voice was shocked. “But that’s going back on everything TV has done up to now. They’ve been creaming the picture business on their own.”
    “You mean the other networks have,” I pointed out. “Sinclair is in the shithouse. The only thing they got is money and I intend to use a little of it to get them a share of the market.”
    “But it’s all wrong,” he protested. “We can develop our own shows.”
    I knew what was bugging him. Pictures didn’t deliver a ten percent packaging fee and he didn’t like to give up that juicy money coming in every week. “That’s right,” I said. “But next year. You said yourself there’s no time this year.”
    “The whole industry will be laughing at you.”
    “Let them. I couldn’t care less. The name of the game is ratings. They won’t be laughing when the Nielsens come in.”
    “When do you want to go with them?” he asked.
    I could see his mind ticking over. The greater the pressure, the bigger the price, and he was going to get his cut on the other end. That was his business and it didn’t matter to me as long as he delivered. “January,” I said.
    “That’s not much time. It’ll be expensive.”
    “You said that before.” I picked up my martini. “You know that slogan the movie companies