The Americans (71 page)

right shoulder. He bent to the match. When the cigar was lit Maurice blew the match out and stepped back like a soldier at attention. Carter continued: "Willie comes in for a lot of criticism because of his stunts. On the other hand, he makes no secret of the reason for them. The news is often hellishly dull. And there's one other problem with it. Rival papers can print it too. But manufactured material is exclusive. That's why Willie likes it. Right now, for instance, he and Annie are trying to figure out how a woman can get committed to the Home for Inebriates. Willie thinks there's a fine expose lurking there." "You must see a lot of him," Will said. Carter's smile and nod said that was correct. "Willie and I have a lot in common. Neither one of us could get through Harvard. He played one prank too many and they booted him out at the end of his junior year. He has a fine house over in Sausalito, and he found me one nearby. He keeps a jolly young lady named Tessie Powers who-oh, forgive me, Jo," he said, pretending to be conscience- stricken. "Shouldn't be saying such things in front of a husband and wife." Will gazed at his stepbrother. "Sounds like you really admire Hearst." "I do. He already influences public opinion and government policy in this part of California, and he thinks he can do it nationally, too. He's anxious to acquire a paper in New York. There's no limit to his ambition." Carter puffed his cigar a moment. "That's one of the ways we're alike. Shall we order?" Carter opened his menu. For a moment he seemed a total stranger. In a sense he was. He was living in high style while working as a trusted aide of the city's Democratic boss-a man Gideon claimed was wholly corrupt. The paths and viewpoints of the stepbrothers had obviously diverged without either of them being fully aware of the changes brought about by time, circumstances, and differences in character. Still, a bond remained. The bond of affection Will felt for the Carter Kent of yesterday; the Carter who'd given him confidence when he had none, and even fought his battles until he was old enough and clever enough to fight them for himself. Carter chose a slab of venison with a side dish of salad that incorporated a generous portion of California artichokes. Will and Jo took the waiter's suggestion and ordered a Grill Room specialty, Pacific coast oysters baked into a savory pie with a crackling light brown crust. Carter insisted on selecting the wine. Pouilly Fuisse for them; an expensive claret for himself. He finished a whole bottle while they were each drinking half of theirs. As the meal progressed, Will grew increasingly ill at ease. The cause was partly what remained to be said, partly some things he was noticing which he'd overlooked in the first flush of the reunion. As always, Carter smiled a lot But it struck Will that much of his spontaneity was gone, and that when he did smile, very little humor showed in his eyes. His behavior seemed studied, every detail pointed toward creating a carefully calculated impression. After they'd eaten, Carter lit another cigar. "Jo, perhaps you'd like to refresh yourself while Will and I stroll off some of this food." "Fine," Jo agreed, starting to rise. Carter leaped to pull her chair out. She smiled in appreciation. "Well meet you on the promenade of the grand court," he said. She nodded and left. He followed her with admiring eyes. "I applaud your choice, W. She's a charming girl. Very bright, too." "A trifle overawed by you, I'm afraid," Will said, folding his napkin. "I must say I was surprised when you wrote to tell me you'd dumped the other girl. The one with the pedigree who was going to make Ward McAllister forget you were Gideon Kent's son-was They started out of the Grill Room. Carter added, "I assume the social standing of Jo's family is equally good." "They have no social standing. They're shopkeepers in Hartford, Connecticut." "Oh." For a moment Carter seemed intensely interested in the glowing end of his cigar. A passing woman distracted him. "Althea! What a treat to run into you again." "It's been too long, my dear," the woman said, her tone faintly reproving. She was an attractive woman, buxom, expensively dressed, and obviously older than Carter. He kissed the hand on which she wore her wedding ring. Then, as she moved on, he returned his attention to Will, and said in a low voice: "That woman has the most incredible body I've ever seen-and vast experience in using it. Otherwise, she's a stupid creature. Bitchy temper, too. I overlook it because of her-ah-professional expertise." Will forced a smile, but it was uneasy: "You make her sound like a-like a thing, not a person." Carter gave him a puzzled stare. "She's a woman. She has servants to cook and keep her eighteen-room house. With those feminine functions taken care of, what else is she u good for except lying flat on her back? I was enjoying her a couple of times a week till her husband got back from a European business trip. It was doubly pleasant to cuckold him because he's a Republican." They left the restaurant and made their way to the marble-floored promenade. The promenade overlooked a large interior court protected from the weather by a glass dome. Hacks and private carriages came and went through an arched portal leading to the street. The place had a lush smell. Plants grew in tubs, and there were trellises heavy with tropical flowers. In the distance, a string ensemble played a frothy waltz. Will said nothing. He was assimilating his stepbrother's last remarks, and finding that he didn't like them. Carter's unfeeling cynicism angered him; hurt him, too, somehow. Of course his stepbrother was showing off a little. But it was sadly evident that he'd changed. "You said Jo's family isn't socially prominent," Carter resumed. "If that's the case, I assume they're at least respectably wealthy. It won't hurt to have one fortune added to another." Will turned to face his stepbrother. "I didn't many her for money. She doesn't have any." "Contacts in Hartford, then?" Carter responded with another smile. "That's it, isn't it? She has the sort of contacts that enable you to practice successfully right away." Slowly, Will rubbed a palm across his mouth. He didn't want to provoke an argument. And yet he couldn't remain silent. "Carter," he said softly, "try to understand something. I didn't marry Jo to use her. I married her because I love her. She's the most important thing in my life now." It was Carter's turn to look sadly puzzled: "Surely not, little brother. A man's ambition comes ahead of everything. Or should. That's a fundamental lesson I-learned long ago. Beyond that, if you care too much for a woman, you'll find it will distract you from your ambition." --. A sour, quirky smile spoiled his good looks for a second. "You'll also find you've been a fool. Women should never be worshiped, or trusted. Just used." Will drew a long breath. "I don't agree." "I see." Carter's repertoire of smiles was a large one; this variation was icily dismissive. "Well, it's not my affair any longer." "Yes it is." "What's that?" "It is your affair." "How so?" "I made you a promise once." Carter responded with a slow, thoughtful nod. "That's right. A promise that you'd be somebody and make sure everybody knew it." He drew smoke from the cigar, turned away, and sat down in one of the deep upholstered chairs with which the promenade was furnished. He crossed his legs, gazed up at his stepbrother, and finished his thought: "I've rFever forgotten. But I was beginning to think you had." ii 'This is very difficult for me-was Will began. "Don't feel that way, little brother. I suspected something was on your mind. Whatever you came to say, say it. Let's not spoil our reunion any longer than absolutely necessary." The bitter note was unmistakable. What hurts had Carter suffered in all those years since Will had last seen him? What wounds was he trying to cover with the scar tissue of cynicism, mockery, indifference? Noting Will's hesitation, Carter continued: "Perhaps I can make it easier. I gather from what you've said about Jo that you don't think as you did at the time I left Boston. You don't think it's important to be successful comor recognized as successful." "It isn't important to me." "Then we no longer think the same way." Sadness overwhelmed Will when he saw the contempt in Carter's eyes. A moment later, though, he found himself growing annoyed with his stepbrother. "No," he said, "I don't believe we do." Carter studied him. "What happened, may I ask?" A truthful answer would have been, still started listening to my conscience instead of you. But he couldn't say that. The string ensemble was playing "Tales from the Vienna Woods." Further down the promenade, a woman laughed. With a ring of hooves and a rattle of traces, a spendid victoria arrived in the court. He could only hear his stepbrother's voice prompting him: "What happened, Will?" "I went my own way, that's all. Circumstances change as you grow up. You encounter new people. New ways of looking at things-was "Granted. But only a fool loses sight of his goal. On my first night in San Francisco, I wandered the street I was sick, feeling low, and wondering how the hell I'd ever get anywhere in life. But I never forgot where I wanted to go. That night I met a man who put me to work in politics, greased me into the local Democratic machine, and made it possible for me to hobnob with Willie on an equal footing again. The point is this. A chance meeting opened a door I hadn't seen before. But if it hadn't been the right kind of door, I'd have stepped back. No one's committed to poverty or obscurity except by his own choice." "I recall some letters you wrote when times were hard. You sounded a lot less positive then." Anger flickered on Carter's face before he looked away. "Anyway, I disagree with you," Will went on. "I know people who will struggle all their lives, but they'll never be able to escape poverty and obscurity." With a scornful shrug, Carter said, "Who are you talking about? People in the slums?" "Exactly. I'm going to practice in a slum, as a matter of fact. Possibly the worst slum in New York."

So there It was. Out at last. Carter couldn't maintain in* derisive smile. His stunned disbelief was too strong: "For your own good, I refuse to take you seriously." "Ask Jo. It's her brother's practice that I'm joining." "Good God. I can't believe this. Not after the promise you made me." "Carter, please-understand. It was the wrong kind of promise. Wrong for me, anyway." He hated to say that. He saw the glacial look jt brought to his stepbrother's face. "You really have changed," Carter said. "We all do." "Not I!" Carter blustered, as if he weren't quite sure of that statement. He stabbed his smoldering cigar into a sand urn near his chair, then rose. "I still want what I wanted the day I left Boston. To give orders instead of taking them. I've found the way. I've learned a lot in a year's time. I've learned how to buy votes, and when and how to force others to do what I want. I've watched Willie use a newspaper to turn the public against the Southern Pacific or any other person or institution he dislikes. I've taken every one of those lessons to heart-and a lot of others that might shock you. And I'll tell you this. I won't be buried in a political grave in this town. The reformers are yapping after Buckley like hunting dogs, but they won't catch me." With uneasy admiration, Will said, "You have it all planned, eh?" "Indeed I do, little brother. Obviously you don't." Will thought of his wife, and his voice grew stronger: "To the contrary. I know how I'm going to spend my life. I'm afraid it's a much less impressive plan than yours." "I agree." Then the mockery was quickly replaced by an intense concern: "Will, you had every chance-chances I never had-and you've thrown them all away. The slums, for Christ's sake!" He shook his head, starting to pace. "Who's responsible? Is it your wife's doing? Apparently she's not as bright as I first thought-was Will stiffened. "Carter, please don't say any more." He didn't seem to hear: "I'm afraid something must have beclouded your mind-was "Carter." his comwhen you decided she was the person you should marry. You were certainly wrong about- ahl" Afterward, Will could recall little about the moment except his sudden surge of rage. He'd lunged out of his chair, run at his stepbrother, and driven a clumsy punch into the green waistcoat. Carter's midsection was solid. But Will had taken him by surprise. After his outcry, he doubled, dropping his stick. It rolled on the marble, clattering as he staggered away. He braced himself against a pillar to keep from falling. Heads turned, A hotel bellman rushed toward them. Carter's slashing left hand ordered him back. The bellman hesitated, then walked off. Will was still trembling. "You can say anything you want about me. But never say a single word against Jo. Never." Carter straightened, composing his face. He dusted his waistcoat; retrieved his stick. Only then did he speak: "If it were anyone else but you, little brother, I'd probably send a couple of rockrollers to break your head for what you just did. This meeting has been a terrible disappointment. I always thought you'd amount to something. Obviously someone's filled your head with that pious garbage the Kent family has been purveying for several generations." A word about your duties - "Yes, that's partly it." "Well-was The cynical smile crept back. "It's very nice stuff for newspaper editorials. Unfortunately it has damn little relevance in the real world. If you've swallowed it, I'm sorry for you." Silence for a moment. "Carter-was "What is it?" he said without looking up. His gaze was fixed on his right sleeve, which he was carefully brushing with his other hand. "I was feeling apologetic in the Grill Room. I don't feel that way any longer. What you say is wrong. I don't know what's made you so hard-was Carter raised his stick as if it were a pointer. "Practical, my boy. Practical!" "comb I think you should be on notice." "About what?" "If you ever do go to Washington-was "You can count on it." "comand if I have anything to say about the policies of the Union, you'd better not expect automatic support from me, or the family. America has enough exploiters and manipulators already. We don't need more. Especially not in the government." Carter snickered. "My God, how naive you are. What do you think a government is-a city government, a county government, any government-except a pack of manipulators and exploiters? The game is to get all you can from the trough while convincing the rest of the hogs to be high-minded instead of hungry." Disgusted, Will turned away. He saw Jo watching from the entrance of the promenade. How long had she been there? Had she seen him strike his stepbrother? The sight of her eradicated his anger. A weary sorrow overcame him again. "I think we'd better call a halt to this." "I agree." "Look, I'm sorry I hit you. If we can't be friends, at least we needn't be enemies." Carter's hostile expression softened slightly. "That isn't how you sounded a minute ago. Obviously the past no longer means much to you." "It means a" great deal. It always will. You helped me stand on my own feet. I couldn't have done it alone. I can't begin to repay that debt-* r "You could by amounting to something. By refusing to swallow all that rot about Kent family responsibility-Kent family idealism. It's bullshit, W. Pure sentimental bullshit. I tell you again-it has no application to the real world." Will shook his head. "I think it's the only thing that makes the real world bearable. And maybe a little better year by year." "You're wrong. Forget it, I tell you!" "I can't." He drew another breath. "And if that's the price you put on friendship-was "Yes?" "The price is too high." With a grieving look at his stepbrother, Carter said, "You poor damn fool." "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Will managed to say. With great effort, he held out his right hand. "Friends anyway?" Carter looked at him; seemed on the point of shaking hands but then used his stick to tap Will's outstretched palm. "I'm afraid not, little brother. Friendly enemies is the best I can do. Goodbye." Will watched him go. In the court, Carter approached a liveried doorman, his old, charming smile in place. As Will walked down the promenade to rejoin Jo, he heard his stepbrother call out cheerily: "Whistle up my rig, will you, Trevor? I'm late for a meeting of the county committee, and someone's got to tell the simpletons how to vote." IV With an anxious look on her face, Jo came rushing to meet him. "I stayed away because I saw you and Carter quarrelling. What went wrong? You were looking forward to this reunion so much-was "Not as much as I pretended. I'll try to explain what happened, but I'm not sure I can." How do you explain that to live comwith yourself, you had to break a promise