The Stars Shine Down

Marian stood there looking after him.

An hour later Philip walked back into the office. Marian was at the typewriter. "Marian?"

She looked up. "Yes, Mr. Adler?"

"Please forgive me. I'm not myself. I didn't mean to be rude."

"I understand," she said quietly.

He sat down opposite her. "The reason I'm not going out," Philip said, "is that I feel like a freak. I'm sure that everybody's going to be staring at my hand. I don't want anyone's pity."

She was watching him, saying nothing.

"You've been very kind, and I appreciate it, I really do. But there's nothing anyone can do. You know the expression. 'The bigger they are, the harder they fall'? Well, I was big, Marian - really big. Everybody came to hear me play...kings and queens and..." He broke off. "People all over the world heard my music. I've given recitals in China and Russia and India and Germany."

His voice choked up, and tears began rolling down his cheeks. "Have you noticed I cry a lot lately?" he said. He was fighting to control himself.

Marian said softly, "Please don't. Everything's going to be all right."

"No! Nothing's going to be all right. Nothing! I'm a goddamn cripple."

"Don't say that. Mrs. Adler is right, you know. There are a hundred things you can do. When you get over this pain, you'll begin to do them."

Philip took out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes. "Jesus Christ, I'm becoming a damn crybaby."

"If it helps you," Marian said, "do it."

He looked up at her and smiled. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-six."

"You're a pretty wise twenty-six, aren't you?"

"No. I just know what you're going through, and I'd give anything if it hadn't happened. But it has happened, and I know that you're going to figure out the best way to deal with it."

"You're wasting your time here," Philip said. "You should have been a shrink."

"Would you like me to make a drink for you?"

"No, thanks. Are you interested in a game of backgammon?" Philip asked.

"I'd love it, Mr. Adler."

"If you're going to be my backgammon partner, you'd better start calling me Philip."

"Philip."

From that time on, they played backgammon every day.

Lara received a telephone call from Terry Hill.

"Lara, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you."

Lara readied herself. "Yes?"

"The Nevada Gaming Commission has voted to suspend your gambling license until further investigation. You may be facing criminal charges."

It was a shock. She thought of Paul Martin's words. "Don't worry. They can't prove anything." "Isn't there something we can do about it, Terry?"

"Not for the present. Just sit tight. I'm working on it."

When Lara told Keller the news, he said, "My God! We're counting on the cash flow from the casino to pay off the mortgages on three buildings. Are they going to reinstate your license?"

"I don't know."

Keller was thoughtful. "All right. We'll sell the Chicago Hotel and use the equity to pay the mortgage on the Houston property. The real estate market has gone to hell. A lot of banks and savings and loans are in deep trouble. Drexel Burnham Lambert has folded. It's the end of Milken honey."

"It will turn around," Lara said.

"It had better turn around fast. I've been getting calls from the banks about our loans."

"Don't worry," Lara said confidently. "If you owe a bank a million dollars, they own you. If you owe a bank a hundred million dollars, you own them. They can't afford to let anything happen to me."

The following day, an article appeared in Business Week. It was headlined: CAMERON EMPIRE SHAKY - LARA CAMERON FACING POSSIBLE CRIMINAL INDICTMENT IN RENO. CAN THE IRON BUTTERFLY KEEP HER EMPIRE TOGETHER?

Lara slammed her fist against the magazine. "How dare they print that? I'm going to sue them."

Keller said, "Not a great idea."

Lara said earnestly, "Howard, Cameron Towers is almost fully rented, right?"

"Seventy percent, so far, and climbing. Southern Insurance has taken twenty floors, and International Investment Banking has taken ten floors."

"When the building is finished, it will throw off enough money to take care of all our problems. How far away are we from completion?"

"Six months."

Lara's voice was filled with excitement. "Look what we'll have then. The biggest skyscraper in the world! It's going to be beautiful."

She turned to the framed sketch of it behind her desk. It showed a towering glass-sheathed monolith, whose facets reflected the other buildings around it. On the lower floors were a promenade and atrium, with expensive shops. Above were apartments and Lara's offices.

"We'll have a big publicity promotion," Lara said.

"Good idea." He frowned.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking about Steve Murchison. He wanted that site pretty bad."

"Well, we beat him to it, didn't we?"

"Yes," Keller said slowly. "We beat him to it."

Lara sent for Jerry Townsend.

"Jerry, I want to do something special for the opening of Cameron Towers. Any ideas?"

"I have a great idea. The opening is September tenth?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't that ring a bell?"

"Well, it's my birthday..."

"Right." A smile lit up Jerry Townsend's face. "Why don't we give you a big birthday party to celebrate the completion of the skyscraper?"