“If we are, it’s for your own good,” said Nora. “We want to make sure that your work is interpreted the way it should be, and not misunderstood.”

“I can assure you I spent a considerable amount of time making sure that my work is easy to understand,” said Todd. He felt affronted that the book he’d ushered into this world was under attack. After all, wasn’t he the only begetter of this novel? Well, maybe not.

Nora was looking at him sternly. Carrie was looking at Nora looking at him sternly.

“I’m going to be frank with you, Todd,” said Nora. “We never, ever publish a manuscript from a new author in the state in which it was submitted to us.”

“Well then,” said Todd, and maybe it was the booze talking, or maybe it was something else, “I’m going to be frank with you. There is literally—and I am aware of the meaning of the word ‘literally,’ I’m a writer, you may recall—there is literally no way or circumstance in which I would change or allow to be changed a word of this book. It is what it is.”

Silence fell. A waiter hovering for the check went and hovered somewhere else. Nora crushed out the already crushed-out cigarette some more. Carrie looked a little bit sick. Todd ran out of things to do with his hands and just let them rest flat on his lap.

“Excuse us a moment,” said Nora. She flashed a look at Carrie and they both stood up. “Order yourself a cocktail, Todd. We shan’t be a minute.”

Nora and Carrie left the table. After two minutes, Todd waved at the waiter and asked for another Manhattan. He figured, why not, it could be the last time he ever had a free drink in New York.

*  *  *

Todd was just wondering if he could stretch to a third Manhattan when Carrie returned to the table. “Nora won’t keep you,” she said breathlessly, then, “This has never happened before.”

“Is that right?” said Todd, wondering exactly which part of this had never happened before. “I don’t mean to cause any trouble.”

“Between you and me,” Carrie said, “I think it’s a smart move. Showing her who’s boss. But you’ve got to be careful, Mr. Milstead. She’s very good. And remember, her grandfather started the business.”

Todd was still trying to work out the specific relevance of this last remark when Nora came back. She sat down, smiled like Agnes Moorehead in a hurry, and turned to Todd.

“Well, this is a first,” she said.

“Carrie was just telling me,” Todd said.

“We don’t like it,” said Nora. “And when I say we, I mean me. I don’t like it. I have a way of doing things, a way that’s worked for several years. Everyone benefits and nobody has ever questioned it.”