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Back Dishonorable Intentions Save as PDF
Chapters (65)
  1. Cover
  2. Books by Stuart Woods
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
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  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
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  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
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  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. Author’s Note
  65. About the Author

“I’m not a candidate for that, and anyway, who wants to spend months in bed getting over it? I mean, Bob Altman got himself a new ticker on the quiet, and nobody was the wiser, not even the insurance companies, and he worked like a dervish for another ten, eleven years after his transplant. Tell you the truth, I’m not anxious to live all that long. I’ve had a great ride, I’ll leave the studio in great shape, and if he’s as good as I think he’ll be, Ben will have a shot at succeeding me. Anyway, my wife would put me in the Motion Picture Home the minute I got to be a pain in the ass, and I don’t want to sit around there in a wheelchair listening to old actors tell me how they were screwed out of the Oscar that time.”

“I don’t blame you, Leo,” Stone said.

—

Stone got back to the house at the Arrington in time for a swim and a drink by the pool with the Bacchettis, the Eagles, and Gala. And Bob, who was soaking wet.

“Boris didn’t get his deal at Centurion,” Stone said to her in a quiet moment.

“I heard from him about it. He takes the view that you screwed him because of me.”

“I wasn’t even at the meeting,” Stone said. He related his freeway experience. “I got there in time for lunch.”

“I don’t think Boris will ever buy that,” Gala said. “Not for a minute. He’s always liked having a bête noire in his life, somebody to blame for his failures, and now, it looks like you’re it. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Stone said. “Anyway, what could he do to me?”

6

Stone’s son, Peter, arrived for pre-party drinks with Ben Bacchetti, and Stone sat them down in the library with his houseguests.

“Congratulations, Ben,” Stone said. “I missed the board meeting today, but I heard about it from Leo Goldman.”

“Thank you, Stone,” Ben said. “I signed my first production order today.” He raised his glass to Gala. “It’s a wonderful script,” he said. “I’m not going to mess with it, and I’ll see that nobody else does, either.”

“That’s the nicest thing anybody has ever said to me, Ben,” Gala replied.

“From now on, you have your agent send your ideas directly to me, and we’ll cut some red tape.”

“I like having the ear of God,” she said.

“Peter,” Stone said, “Leo told me today that if you keep going like you have, you’re going to be one of the greats.”

Peter laughed. “Hyperbole is Leo Goldman’s native tongue,” he said. Peter took a sip of his drink. “Dad, there’s something you should know.”

Ben broke in. “This one is my fault—let me tell him.”

“Okay, tell me,” Stone said.